The 2011 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by tenth-year head coach Jeff Tedford, the Bears are members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.
Due to reconstruction at California Memorial Stadium, California played their home games in AT&T Park, now known as Oracle Park, in San Francisco, California. The season opener against Fresno State, officially a neutral-site game, was played at Candlestick Park. The regular season also ended with an away game with a matchup at Arizona State on November 25.
Following the team's first losing season during Tedford's tenure as head coach, the Golden Bears improved to 7–5 (4–5 in the Pac-12) to finish fourth in the North Division. Cal also became bowl-eligible for the first time since 2009 and accepted a bid to play in the Holiday Bowl, which they lost to Texas. With a victory against Presbyterian College on September 17, Tedford became the winningest coach in program history.
Preseason
Starting running back Shane Vereen, who finished the 2010 season with 1,167 yards to become the program's first 1,000-yard rusher since the 2008 season, decided to forego a remaining season of eligibility and enter the NFL draft, having graduated in December. He was drafted in the second round by the New England Patriots, following defensive end Cameron Jordan, who was drafted in the first round. Safety Chris Conte was selected in the third round by the Chicago Bears, and linebacker Mike Mohamed was picked in the sixth round by the Denver Broncos.
The team held its spring football from March 15 to April 24. Junior transfer Zach Maynard, the half brother of wide receiver Keenan Allen, was named the starting quarterback on May 14. Maynard had played at Buffalo from 2008–2009 before transferring to Cal in 2010.
Schedule
The Colorado game on September 10 was designated as non-conference
Game summaries
Fresno State
On Cal's first possession of the third quarter, Maynard was able to hit Jones for a second touchdown, this one for 23 yards. Carr was intercepted on the ensuing possession, but the Bears were unable to convert it into points. However, the Cal defense was then able to sack Carr and force a fumble, which was returned for a 22-yard score. The Bears' final score of the game came on a 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, while the Bulldogs were able to put together a drive that ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Carr to receiver Josh Harper for the game's final score.
In his first start for the Bears, Zach Maynard passed for 266 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception, while running for 53 yards. Starting running back Isi Sofele scored the second rushing touchdown of his career and rushed for 83 total yards. Keenan Allen had 112 yards receiving, while Marvin Jones had 118, with two touchdowns, marking the first time two Cal receivers had 100 yards in a game since 2006. For Fresno State, Derek Carr passed for 142 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while Robbie Rouse had 86 rushing yards, with a touchdown.
Colorado
Colorado started out the second half with a 37-yard pass from Tyler Hansen to tight end Ryan Deehan. Late in the quarter Cal scored on a 20-yard reception by Miller. The Buffs responded with a 66-yard touchdown from Hansen to receiver Paul Richardson to close the third quarter. The two connected again when Richardson opened the fourth quarter for a 78-yard score to give Colorado their first lead of the game. However Cal regained the lead on the ensuing possession on a 20-yard run by running back C.J. Anderson. The Buffs were able to tie the game on a 32-yard field goal with 30 seconds left to force overtime.
Cal won the coin toss and elected to play defense to start overtime. Colorado drove to the 4-yard line before settling for a 22-yard field goal. After reaching a first down at the 15-yard line, Cal was pushed back to the 35-yard line by two penalties, setting up a 1st-and-30 situation. However, on first down Maynard connected with Keenan Allen for a 32-yard gain to the 3-yard line. One play later, Maynard passed to Allen for a 5-yard touchdown to give the Bears their first overtime win since 2006. The victory tied head coach Jeff Tedford with Andy Smith for the most in school history with 74.
Zach Maynard passed for 243 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception, Isi Sofele had 84 yards on the ground, while Keenan Allen had 97 receiving yards and a touchdown. Colorado's Tyler Hansen threw for 474 yards, a team record, including three touchdowns, while Paul Richardson had 284 receiving yards, a school record. The Buffs offense outgained the Bears 582–370 in the loss.
Presbyterian
The second half opened with an 88-yard kickoff return for a score by Cal running back Brendan Bigelow. Backup running backs Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson and Dasarte Yarnway rushed for 6 and 7-yard touchdowns, respectively, for Cal's final scores. The victory made Cal head coach Jeff Tedford the winningest in program history with 75 wins. Zach Maynard threw for 215 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception, Marvin Jones had 123 receiving yards with a score, while Isi Sofele had his first 100-yard rushing game with 105 and two scores. Cal outgained Presbyterian with 581 yards of total offense to 48, and controlled the ball for two thirds of the game.
Washington
Cal's final points of the game came on a 25-yard field goal, with Washington responding with a 40-yard field goal. The Huskies padded their lead with a 70-yard reception by Chris Polk to open the fourth quarter. Early in the quarter Cal was unable to capitalize on a fumble recovery and turned the ball over on downs. The Bears had a chance in the final minutes of the game and were able to drive to the Huskies' 2-yard line, but were unable to get the ball into the end zone, making Steve Sarkisian's record against Cal 3–0.
Zach Maynard passed for 349 yards and a touchdown, the first time a Cal quarterback had passed for 300 yards since October 2009. Keenan Allen had a career-high 197 yards with a score, while Isi Sofele had 98 yards on the ground. Keith Price threw for 292 yards with three touchdowns, while Chris Polk was the Huskies' leading receiver and rusher, with 85 and 60 yards, respectively, scoring both through the air and on the ground.
Oregon
However, the second half was a different story, as Oregon shut out Cal and took control of the game. The Ducks scored three touchdowns in the third quarter, with a 23-yard reception by Thomas, a 68-yard run by running back Kenjon Barner (with a successful 2-point conversion), and a 21-yard reception by Thomas, his third touchdown of the game. The final score of the game came on a 3-yard touchdown by receiver Lavasier Tuinei early in the fourth quarter. Backup Allan Bridgford stepped in for Zach Maynard during the quarter, but the Bears failed to put up further points on the board despite putting together a drive that went down to the Oregon goal line on Bridgford's first series.
Zach Maynard threw for 218 yards and a touchdown, while Allan Bridgford had 103 passing yards in relief. Isi Sofele had 119 yards on the ground, while Keenan Allen had 170 through the air and the Bears' sole touchdown. Oregon's Darron Thomas threw for 198 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception, while De'Anthony Thomas had 114 receiving yards, two touchdown receptions, and a rushing touchdown. LaMichael James, the nation's leading rusher, finished with 239 yards, which put him over the 4,000 mark for his career. The game was his fourth straight with at least 200 yards rushing, a feat unparalleled in school history. However, he was injured early in the fourth quarter and had to be carted off the field.
USC
USC opened the second half with a 23-yard field goal and Cal ended the shutout with a 27-yard field goal. The Bears scored again when Maynard rushed in from 3 yards out, although the PAT was blocked. Maynard threw his third interception late in the fourth quarter to set up a 2-yard scoring run by running back Curtis McNeal. After turning the ball over on downs, Cal recovered a fumble by USC but was unable to score again.
Zach Maynard threw for 294 yards and had a touchdown run, but accounted for four of the Bears' turnovers with three interceptions and a fumble. Keenan Allen had a career-high 160 receiving yards, while Isi Sofele, coming off a breakout game the previous week against Oregon, was held to 44 yards on the ground. Cal committed five turnovers for the first time since November 2008 and went 0–3 in conference play for the first time in Jeff Tedford's tenure as head coach. Matt Barkley threw for 195 yards and two scores while Curtis McNeal led the Trojans on the ground with 86 yards and a score, while Marqise Lee had 81 yards through the air and a touchdown.
Utah
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The first conference game between the two teams was their first matchup since the 2009 Poinsettia Bowl. After a scoreless first quarter Cal's first points of the game came in the second with a 5-yard scoring run by Isi Sofele. A fumble by Utah quarterback Jon Hays was recovered and resulted in a 35-yard field goal. After the Bears made a 37-yard field goal, Hays was picked off by linebacker Mychal Kendricks which set up a 12-yard touchdown reception by Keenan Allen to make it 20–0 at the half. Quarterback Zach Maynard scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter, while a second interception of Hays set up a 29-yard field goal attempt which missed. Hays threw his third interception of the game to open the fourth quarter, which was returned by Josh Hill for a 32-yard score. The Utes ended their scoring drought with a 36-yard field goal on the ensuing possession and running back John White had a 14-yard touchdown run in the final minutes.
In an improvement from the previous week, the Bears had no turnovers in their first conference win of the season. Zach Maynard threw for 255 yards, with a touchdown on the ground and through the air, Keenan Allen had 78 receiving yards and a score, while Isi Sofele rushed for 84 yards and a score. Utah's Jon Hay threw for 148 yards with three interceptions, while the Utes were held to 13 net yards on the ground.
UCLA
The Bears were able to close the gap in the third quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back C.J. Anderson that was set up by a muffed UCLA punt return, but were unable to tie the game when a 42-yard field goal attempt missed. The fourth quarter saw Coleman score his second touchdown on a 20-yard run, which was set up by an interception of Maynard. He followed this up with a 24-yard scoring run as the result of another interception. Maynard threw a third interception in a row to end any chances of a comeback late in the quarter.
Zach Maynard threw for 199 yards and was intercepted four times, with UCLA safety Tevin McDonald accounting for three picks. Isi Sofele had 73 rushing yards with one score, while Keenan Allen had 83 receiving yards. UCLA snapped a three-game losing streak to Cal, with quarterback Kevin Prince passing for only 92 yards, but rushing for 163 on the ground, double that of running back Derrick Coleman, who rushed for 80 yards and three scores.
Washington State
On the opening drive of the third quarter, fullback Will Kapp, son of former Cal quarterback Joe Kapp, was able to break free on 4th and 1 for a 43-yard touchdown, the first of his career. A second Cougars attempt at a field goal, this one from 27 yards, missed. On the following possession, Maynard was pulled from the game after recovering a fumble by Sofele and backup Allan Bridgford stepped in. Washington State recovered a second fumble by Sofele in Cal territory to close the quarter, and was able to end the shutout on a 5-yard run by running back Rickey Galvin.
Zach Maynard finished the game with 118 passing yards and a touchdown, while Isi Sofele had 138 yards on the ground, a career-high, and accounted for a touchdown. Receiver Keenan Allen had 85 receiving yards to put him over the 1,000 mark for the season which he reached in nine games, the fastest in school history. The win put the Bears within a victory of bowl eligibility. Washington State's Marshall Lobbestael passed for 155 yards, receiver Marquess Wilson had 85 yards through the air, and running back Rickey Galvin accounted for 73 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
Oregon State
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Cal's final home game of the season was a matchup against Oregon State, who they had not beaten at home since 1997. The Beavers scored first on the opening drive with a 32-yard field goal and had an opportunity to add to their score when Zach Maynard was picked off on the ensuing possession, but were forced to punt. The Bears responded with a 19-yard strike from Maynard to receiver Michael Calvin to take the lead, which was never relinquished. They added to the lead on a nine-minute scoring drive in the second quarter that was capped off by a 5-yard run by Maynard. With a minute left in the half, Oregon State was able to drive down the field and kick a 46-yard field goal to cut the lead to 14–6.
Isi Sofele scored on a 20-yard run to open the third quarter, although the PAT missed. The Beavers were able to put together a drive that was halted when a pass from Sean Mannion was deflected and intercepted at the Cal 4-yard line. They had another opportunity to score early in the fourth quarter, but this too was stopped by a turnover when a fumble was recovered at the Cal 3-yard line. The final score of the game came on a 32-yard Cal field goal. Mannion was picked off a second time late in the quarter at the Cal 20-yard line.
Zach Maynard threw for 128 yards, with one passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown. Isi Sofele set a new career high with 190 yards rushing and had a touchdown, also going over the 1,000 yard mark for the season. Oregon State's Sean Mannion passed for 247 yards with two interceptions, while the Beavers' ground attack was held to only 27 yards, their second-fewest total of the season. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak to Oregon State going back to 2006 and made Cal bowl-eligible for the eighth time in nine-year after finishing the previous season with a 5–7 record.
Stanford
The Cardinal opened the quarter by scoring with a 4-yard reception by tight end Levine Toilolo, followed by a 9-yard touchdown reception by fullback Ryan Hewitt. The Bears were shut out, with Sofele having his second fumble of the game to end the quarter. Cal was able to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter with a 2-yard reception by tight end Spencer Hagan and a successful two-point conversion. A 35-yard field goal by Stanford made it a two score game, and the Bears were able to score again in the closing minutes on a 1-yard run by running back C. J. Anderson. However Stanford recovered the onside kick to retain control of the Stanford Axe and stave off an upset.
Zach Maynard threw for 280 yards and two scores, while Keenan Allen had 97 through the air and a touchdown. Isi Sofele, after two back to back 100-yard rushing games, was limited to 84. Stanford's Andrew Luck passed for 257 yards, two scores, and a pick.
Arizona State
The Sun Devils scored on a 47-yard field goal to start the third quarter, followed by Cal scoring on a 3-yard run by Anderson. He scored again on a 74-yard reception, followed by Arizona State ending the quarter with a 24-yard touchdown run by Marshall. The Bears began the fourth quarter with a 19-yard field goal, followed by one from 30 yards that was set up by a fumble recovery. Osweiler threw his second interception of the game later in the quarter to prevent any attempt at a Sun Devils comeback.
Zach Maynard threw for 237 yards, with one touchdown pass and a touchdown run. Isi Sofele rushed for 145 yards and a score, while C. J. Anderson rushed for two touchdowns and had a scoring reception. Arizona State's Brock Osweiler passed for 264 yards, with three scores and two picks. Rashad Ross had 108 yards through the air and a touchdown, while Cameron Marshall rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns. The Sun Devils ended their season with a four-game losing streak.
Holiday Bowl
Cal opened the third quarter on a 6-yard scoring run by Isi Sofele to take the lead for one series, as Texas responded with a 47-yard scoring reception by receiver Marquise Goodwin. Sofele then fumbled the ball on ensuing possession, but the Cal defense again held. Maynard was sacked on the final Cal possession of the quarter, resulting in another fumble. A 37-yard run by Goodwin then set up a 4-yard touchdown run by running back Cody Johnson for the game's final score. Late in the quarter the final Cal turnover occurred when receiver Marvin Jones fumbled after making a reception.
Zach Maynard threw for 188 yards and was picked off once and sacked six times, accounting for three turnovers. Isi Sofele was held to 52 rushing yards with one touchdown run, while Marvin Jones and Keenan Allen logged 88 and 82 yards through the air, respectively. Cal committed five turnovers, the most since the October 29 matchup against UCLA. Texas quarterback David Ash threw for 142 yards and a score and was sacked twice, but earned Offensive MVP honors. Receiver Marquise Goodwin had 49 yards through the air and 33 on the ground with a touchdown reception, as the Longhorns outrushed the Bears 109–7, giving Cal their lowest single-game rushing total since 2000. Linebacker Keenan Robinson was named the Defensive MVP.
Postseason
Coach and former NFL linebacker Todd Howard was named as Lupoi's replacement after having fulfilled the same role at Washington State the previous season.
In the 2012 NFL draft, six Cal players were selected, the most out of any Pac-12 school. Linebacker Mychal Kendricks and offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz were taken in the second round, punter Bryan Anger in the third, receiver Marvin Jones in the fifth, and safety D. J. Campbell and defensive end Trevor Guyton in the seventh. Anger became the highest drafted punter since 1995.
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