Most Glorious Moments Under Tedford

Posted by: Avinash on Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007

Recapping the highest of highs for Cal football, it seems what the Bears do against USC is what raises us all the way up and what brings us all the way down. Overwhelmingly the 2003 victory was chosen as the #1 moment for Cal fans. This provides an excellent excuse to recover the game film and reveal it to you in a mixtape:

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I can only see one game this year that might top that one…I think it goes without saying which one I’m talking about.

There were other opinions about what game pleased them the most. Let’s check them out (courtesy of The Bear Insider).

“At the time of the actual win, however, I tend to be biased toward bowl games because you know going into those games that they are big, national, and prestigious. They are against well-known good teams on neutral fields with plenty of time for preparation and hype.

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Thus, I kind of lean toward last year’s Holiday Bowl blowout over Texas A&M, which was instrumental in gaining some redemption for the Tennessee loss at the beginning of that season and the Texas Tech debacle two seasons before. Great dominating second half with Desmond Bishop flying all over the field making defensive hits.

I also lean toward the 51-48 shootout bowl win over Virginia Tech. That was an exciting game over a quality opponent, and that was the first bowl game win of the Tedford Era. That Virginia Tech was loaded with talent with guys like CB/KR Deangelo Hall and RB Kevin Jones on that team, but we still won behind Aaron Rodgers.”

calbaylor“Even though I was not in attendance, I believe the most glorious game was his first (Baylor in 2002). It sent shock waves throughout the Cal football fans across the country, got people excited instantly, and most importantly……gave long-suffering Cal Fans (and I do not include myself in that category) a glimmer of Hope that the future could, just maybe, be brighter than it had been in a very long time.

How that game, even against a mediocre opponent, must have made those fans catch their collective breath, and fight the immediate and normal reaction to get really excited, I can only imagine. After all…. this was Cal!!

That First Victory could only hint of the rosy future that was to follow. But it gets my vote for most glorious under Coach Jeff Tedford…..aka, God.”

“Easy. 2007 Oregon at Eugene.” (this was called several days before the game. Not a bad call.)

“I’ve enjoyed the whole Tedford era (except USC 2005, that was just painful), but “glorious” is a big word, and glory doesn’t exist until Cal wins the Rose Bowl. It’s the biggest knock on Cal in the Pac-10 community and clearly Tedford won’t consider himself a success until Cal gets to the Rose Bowl. He was just unfortunate to become a head coach at the same time Carroll was reviving the USC dynasty, otherwise Cal would have already been to a couple of RBs. However, getting to the RB will be that much sweeter having to beat a perennial NC contender to get there.”

“2002 Big Game. (In fact, it was the only time I can remember the goal posts coming down at Cal – even after the 1975 and 2003 USC victories.)The goal posts were taken out of the stadium and paraded through campus and down the Ave. It made news from coast to coast. Can anyone remember any other time that the goal posts came down?”

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“But very few mentions of Michigan State (2002)? That was the 1st time we knew we were looking at a NEW brand of Cal football. The team was erratic that year (they lost the following weekend) and couldn’t go to a bowl game because of sanctions.

But blowing out a ranked team in their own stadium? And we were HUGE underdogs that day. It was the start of something special…the true start of the Tedford era.”

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“Very, very occasionally you can also achieve glory by overcoming the intricacies of ceca challenges, Alquist-Priolo requirements, university fund raising rules, earthquake engineering limitations, 60’s-era left wing political posturing, left-coast lifestyle ennui, and local media gullibility and decisively defeating trees-sitting pawns, city council staffs, desperate politicians, manufactured citizens associations, and angry heiresses. (All, of course, while simultaneously producing BCS-caliber teams using only facilities that feature absolutely all of the amenities current in 1923, quite a few of the amenities current in 1949, and even a few of the amenities current in 1975 .)

When that victory comes, for my money, it will easily be the most “glorious” of the Tedford – or anybody else’s – era, hands down.”

The first step to victory came yesterday my friend. We’re getting closer. Stand tall.

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Topics: Cal Football, Sports

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