Cal's passing unbearable.

Byline: Ron Bellamy The Register-Guard

BERKELEY, Calif. - For Cal, the numbers were grisly. For a coach who's built his reputation in the passing game, the numbers were almost unthinkable.

"I've never seen offensive numbers like we had today," second-year Cal coach Jeff Tedford said Saturday, after Oregon State's dominating 35-21 victory over the Golden Bears in Memorial Stadium.

The numbers were 52 yards passing for Cal, which entered the game fourth in the Pac-10 in that department, averaging 269.7 yards per game. The Golden Bears had nine completions in 34 attempts by embattled quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

It was the first time California had been held to fewer than 100 yards passing since Washington State allowed 89 in 2000, and its lowest total since the Joe Kapp-coached Golden Bears passed for 32 yards in a loss to Boston College in 1986.

Afterward, Tedford gave credit to the Beaver defense for pressuring Rodgers and blanketing his receivers. And, more than once, he shouldered the responsibility for Cal's inability to get receivers open against the physical, tenacious OSU defensive backs.

"We didn't do a very good job of shaking free today," the former Oregon offensive coordinator said. "I thought their corners played very well. They're the type of corners that if you're ever going to beat 'em, they're not going to let you, because they're going to hold you."

Asked what he could have done, Tedford suggested sending receivers in motion, and using crossing routes.

"I take it on my shoulders," Tedford said. "If we had done something different in the game-planning to shake guys free a little more and things like that, maybe we would have given (Rodgers) a better chance to do some things. ... I thought they really came after us. Normally, they're a two-safety team and they played with a single safety and played man and came after us pretty good."

Tedford said he never thought about replacing Rodgers.

"I don't know that it was Aaron's fault," he said. "I'll go back and put it on my shoulders again. ... Aaron's a good player, and you need a little bit of separation to be able to throw the ball, and you need some kind of pocket; when we did have some guys open, Aaron could have made some better throws at times, but again, the game plan probably wasn't as good as it could have been for him."

Rodgers wouldn't have any of that. "No, no, no," he said, when told Tedford was blaming himself.

"I didn't get the job done today," Rodgers said. "I feel bad because I feel that I embarrassed him and the coaching staff."

Tedford said that was the best defensive effort he's seen in 1 1/2 seasons at Cal.

"They run," he said of the Beavers. "They have great team speed on defense. They're physical up front, they have the backers; their two inside guys are very physical, good defensive ends. (Linebacker Richard) Seigler makes a big difference in there. He's hard to block, and the corners outside bump and run you every down, and their safeties are good players, good fillers for the run. ... You know when you play that defense it's going to be a long day."