…it’s the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl!  9:00 came earlier than expected this morning, but HydroTech and I are mostly awake and ready to roll.  We’ve got some good news and bad news:  The Tedford has said that Kevin Riley will play at least a series or two, in an effort to give him experience heading into open QB competition in the spring.  Most of the fans have been clammoring for at least another glimpse of Riley, and it looks like they’re going to get.  The bad?  Jordan, Jackson, and Decoud will not start - but will play - after breaking an unspecified team rule.  Tough to put a positive spin on that.

HydroTech: espn dude just hyped up 4 cal players having nfl potential: dj, hawk, forsett, and stevens

CBKWit: and they just claimed that the Hawk has "great hands."  I love the Hawk more than almost anyone, but he definitely catches with his body, and he’s had some pretty critical drops in recent games. 

HydroTec: Cal removed the names on the jerseys, just like Lynch took off his name off his jersey last year for the Holiday Bowl.

CBKWit: maybe the entire team is planning on going pro. 

HydroTech: ESPN mentioned 20-25 mile an hour winds, which will make passing difficult.  Chet Teofilo in for Mike Gibson, who’s had concussion problems.

HydroTech: running to the weak side on 3rd down, not behind tau’ufo’ou, and Teofilo sort of missed his block.  Not a great play.

11:01 CBKWit: Nice block by AF on the line to take out two of our bears and spring Carney for a big game.

9:56 HydroTech - losing outside containment, third big run by AF to the outside.

8:55 CBKWit: We’re clogging the middle pretty well, but another outside run brings the TD.  6 (soon to be 7) nothing Air Force. 

(Media Timeout) CBKWit: I just checked our Bowl Pick ‘Em, and HydroTech gave Cal ONE! confidence point.  Not a lot of faith there, eh Hydro?  It could be worse: the current leader picked Air Force.  Karma’s a bitch, Valient Carpetbaggers.

(Warning: Actual Analysis!) 8:27 HydroTech: AF does a very good job running the triple option from shotgun to the same side that they run the initial FB dive.  Most teams run opposite of the dive and thus it becomes a little predictable.  But AF is doing a nice job mixing it up and making the defenders on both the strong side and weak side stay honest.

8:20 HydroTech - I sort of wish JT would have gone for it on the 4th down of the initial drive.  It was a short 4th down.  I know we were in our own territory, but I think it’s important to get the ball rolling and get the guys fired up.

8:17 CBKWit - I agree about the 4th down, we were moving it pretty well and I think we would have gotten it.  Nice job by Forsett there to break a few tackles and turn a 2 yard gain into a 6 yard gain.

7:45 CBKWit - Nice job by Nasty Nate to recognize the strong side blitz and throw it to the vacated spot on third down.

7:05 HydroTech - nice to see JT call a play that throws the ball to a RB on a non-screen play

5:33 HydroTech - might have been PI on the pass to LC in the endzone.  The defender got his left arm and looked to be putting some pressure on LC.

5:33 CBKWit - it was pretty close though, and I thought the AF db did a nice job of not hammering LC before the ball got there.

4:10 CBKWit - Oy, DeSa.  The ball was there, maybe a split second late, but you’ve got to bring that in.  Turnover on downs, AF ball.

4:05 HydroTech - Could have also ruled that he had possession and fumbled the ball.

4:05 HydroTech - props to JT for going for it on 4th and 13.  It’s a long FG at best against a 20-25 mph wind.  Going for it on 4th down is the right decision.

3:23 HydroTech - great "assignment football" by Brett Johnson to catch the AF QB behind the LOS.

2:05 CBKWit - nice tackle by AluAlu, he’s short of the first. 4th down.  and AF goes for it at the 45, what JT should have done on the initial drive.

2:05 HydroTech/CBKWit - we wish DeSa had caught that pass on 4th down.

2:05 CBKWit - all of the bowl promos involve the military, as predicted.  let’s see a hippie, or a nobel laureate

2:05 CBKWit/HydroTech - I don’t think Hydro wants this published, but it’s too true.  "i’d almost give my left nut right now to have AF punt and not go for it on 4th down"  Of course, they make it (barely!) and now they’re rolling again.

1st Quarter Thoughts - HydroTech - Cal O needs to sustain a long drive and rest our D which is getting gashed right now.

End of 1st quarter CBKWit - I’d say Cal needs to bring the safeties up to play the outside run - AF has tried twice to throw it downfield and it hasn’t been close, so let’s stop the pressing need (10 yards a carry on the outside) and force them to pass.

Hyrdo Tech - Also, a reminder to fans, "cut" blocks are legal.  "Chop blocks" are illegal.  I often hear a lot of confusion from fans when they face triple option teams who cut block a lot.

Start of Second Quarter, AF 7, Cal 0.

CBKWit - first play, big option gain to the outside.  AF to score a TD very very soon.

14:45 HydroTech - AF is doing a great job with misdirection.  If you watch the AF QB he does a lot of faking one way, and goes the other, or keeps going that way…. so tough to defend.

14:30 HydroTech - again, AF is running the triple option from shotty to the same side as the fullback dive.

14:10 HydroTech - Surprisingly, the time of possession stat is fairly balanced right now.  About 8 minutes for AF and 7 for Cal.  I thought it’d be worse.  Cal O still needs to get a long drive going to spare our D.

14:10 CBKWit - AF is running a no huddle, so that stat is a little skewed.

14:05 CBKWit - Fuck.  That was the highest, shortest kick i’ve seen in a while.  AF recovers the kick, then breaks a 15 yard gain on first down.  14-0 AF, and you better believe it’s going to be 21-0 soon.  Not good.

12:40 HydroTech - holding AF to a FG here will be a gift from God.  nevermind.  God hates us

12:15 CBKWit - If things don’t turn around soon, this live blog is going to get pretty ranty.  I would say don’t live blog a blowout loss, but it’s actually kind of insulating me from the pain right now.  Everyone, go start a blog now!

12:07 HydroTech - AF has run 25 plays, Cal has run 15.  AF has 21 points, Cal has 0.  This is going to be ugly.

11:50 CBKWit - and Riley returns!  Cal faithful everywhere breathe a sigh of relief, as all of our troubles are over.  After all, Nasty Nate missed three tackles on that last AF TD drive.

10:30 CBKWit - Riley eludes the rush and throws a pretty damn nice ball into the back corner of the endzone (on the run, no less!), where only DeSean could get it.  Great play on the ball by DeSean.  Cal is on the board!  21-7 AF

10:30 HydroTech - Well, good to see Riley in the game, I do think it is important for him to get more game experience so he can fully challenge NL next year for the starting spot.  And what do you know, his mobility saves a sack and results in a fantastic TD bomb to THA1.  And it’s good to see THA1 in the game so his mere presence can open things up for our offense.

10:25 HydroTech - I’m really relieved that Cal scored, but I wish it had taken more time off the clock to rest our defense.

10:15 CBKWit - Let’s see if that TD can fire up the D, but up the middle for 7 yards on 1st down is not a good start.

9:20 CBKWit - AF is short on 3rd down.  It’s a short 4th down, but no way AF goes for it on their own 30.

8:28 CBKWit - delay of game!  now I’m really sure they’re punting.  and now they actually kick it.  I can exhale.

9:20 HydroTech - notice that Bob Gregory blitzed the left CB on that 3rd down play?  It left the WR uncovered.  But a blitzing CB can be a surprise and help with outside containment.

8:10 CBKWit - well son of a bitch.  Riley feels the pressure and scrambles for a first on 1st and 10.  For Nasty Nate, that’s a sack or a throwaway.

8:10 HydroTech - well, if KR keeps playing this well and making things happen with his feet, we might never see NL again.

7:20 CBKWit - Bear Insider posters are salivating over this as we speak.

6:56 HydroTech - commentator dude is exactly right, Forsett needed to cut upfield and look for his cutback lane on that 2nd and 1 zone blocking run.  That should have been a first down.

6:50 CBKWit - Riley sneaks for the 1st.  I can just hear bear insider posters :"Nasty Nate would have fumbled"

6:42 HydroTech - good playcall calling the QB sneak on the 3rd and 1, a very safe play that is hard to defend when you only need one yard and there is only one defender immediately in front of you.

5:55 CBKWit - nice block by the RB (Forsett I believe) to pick up the blitz up the middle.  Riley’s ball has some heat on it.

5:15 CBKWit - I’m shouting weird exclamations as "RemorseBruinBabe" reads "Real Simple" on the couch.  Thanks Riley for revitilizing us!

4:20 HydroTech - lots of downfield passing when KR is in, something we don’t see a lot with when NL is in

4:10 CBKWit - HAAAAAAAWK HAAAAAAAAAAAAAWK HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWK! Nice touch by Riley on a critical third down for a TD 21-14 AF

4:09 HydroTech - I know JT said he would put KR in for a few drives this game, but the way Riley’s been throwing and running, I don’t see how JT can take Riley out any time soon.  Although it did appear as if Riley did make a wrong read near the endzone on a throw which almost resulted in an INT.  Like the commentators said, if the pass hadn’t been deflected the pass might have been intercepted.

3:55 CBKWit - Yeah, I was concerned that that near INT would rattle Riley and take some of the wind out of his sails.  I was wrong.  Riley is a confident dude.

3:53 HydroTech - Cal seems to be happy and more energetic all around on both sides of the ball now that we’ve put two scores on the board.  momentum shifting?

2:34 CBKWit - I’d say it’s already completely shifted, but that 3rd and 10 conversion by AF is a killer.  Hope we can stop them now. 

2:08 CBKWit - That is quite a loud rendition of "Go Bears!"  10 minutes ago, I was hoping we could keep it within 30.  It’s amazing how fast things change in college football, where emotion is such a critical element.

0:47 CBKWit - another penalty on 4th and less than a yard on AF, eliminating the fake punt option.  Thank you, thank you.

0:39 HydroTech - I hope Cal can keep this momentum through halftime and the second half.  I do remember a lot of games where Cal lost its momentum after halftime.

0:15 CBKWit - Nice metaphor for the entire season, I’d say.

0:06 HydroTech - JT should have called a timeout after the 1 yard reception by hawkins.

0:06 CBKWit - Sort of like the bungling at the end of the half in the UCLA game.  I like being conservative with the clock so the opposing team can’t get the ball back, but there was less than 30 seconds on the clock.  Call the TO!

0:00 HydroTech - wow, the hail mary pass hits Hawk in the shoulder?!?!?!  Wow.  Could have been a TD.  Doesn’t really look like there was any PI although the defender on Hawk looked to be molesting Hawk a little.

0:00 CBKWit - Haaaaaawk!  Oy, almost a TD on the hail mary.  Still, great job getting back into the game by the Bears.  Lets see if we can carry it over to the second half, with AF receiving to start the half.

0:00 HydroTech - actually, after looking at the hail mary pass again on the DVR, I do think there should have been a PI call.  The defender on Hawk wasn’t playing the ball, and was pushing Hawk around like a school yard bully.

0:00 HydroTech - Still though, JT should have called a TO after Hawk’s 1 yard reception.  That would have save 20 seconds or so and might have resulted in a field goal or touchdown.

End of First Half CBKWit - I have to give some pub to this comment by "RCZ" "I can only follow the gamecast from work.  Could you guys mention it if Riley does the Sam Cassell "I have giant balls" dance?"  RCZ, I have never seen this dance, so if you can find a youtube video and send us a link, we’ll keep you updated.  By the way, can anyone think of a pro athlete uglier than Sam Cassell?

End of First Half HydroTech - If Riley starts for the rest of the game, performs very well, and Cal wins, I think that’ll be good and bad for JT.  Good because Cal will have won and thus silenced the criticism that JT can’t right the ship and prevent the team from tail-spinning.  But bad for JT because if Riley is such a crucial part of the win, then JT will take heat for not starting Riley over Longshore in the latter part of the season.

Halftime CBKWit - Am I the only one who loves it when Rece Davis refers to us as the "Sturdy Golden Bear"?  An ESPN anchor knows our fight song - how awesome is that? 

Start of second half 

HydroTech - i’ll be honest, i’ve been making excuses for NL all season.  I like him, I think he’s "adequate", and I sort of feel sorry for him for getting pulled, but I do think that Riley’s mobility might make up for any mental deficiencies that he might have compared to NL

CBKWit - yeah, that near INT brought to mind why Nate’s been starting all year (because of the experience), but Nate’s thrown a lot of back breaking picks, so I’d say that’s a wash

CBKWit - plus, Riley’s mobility so far has obviously been a boon. it’s not that Nate’s bad, but would he have eluded to pressure to throw that 1st td? would he have scrambled for that 1st?