READY FOR THE SPOTLIGHT.

Byline: Rob Moseley The Register-Guard

When last he came to the Willamette Valley, in November of last year, J.J. Arrington was a backup tailback for California, his name familiar as a recruit Oregon had tried to sign out of junior college earlier in the year.

He rushed for 18 yards on five carries against the Ducks that day, an inconspicuous performance made further forgettable by Oregon's comeback win and the partial blackout at Autzen Stadium that preceded it.

There are no such shadows for Arrington to hide in when he returns to the Willamette Valley to face Oregon State this weekend.

For one thing, most everybody at Reser Stadium for Saturday's 1 p.m. kickoff between the Bears and Beavers will have heard about the recruiting mess Arrington turned out to have been embroiled in, having signed an invalid letter of intent with Oregon in January at the behest of UO coach Gary Campbell.

To say nothing of the fact that Arrington, now entrenched as Cal's starting tailback, has emerged as one of the best in the Pac-10, albeit through two games of a schedule shortened by a bye week and the cancellation of a game due to a hurricane.

"He's a well-rounded running back and very gifted," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "He can block, run and catch, and he's been in the system for a year, so he understands it. He's stronger, and he provides a lot of positive leadership."

By the time the Golden Bears take the field Saturday, it will have been three weeks since their last game. That was a 41-14 win over New Mexico State, after the Bears (2-0) opened their season the week before with a 56-14 dismantling of Air Force in Colorado.

Cal was originally scheduled to play Southern Mississippi on Sept. 16, but the threat of a hurricane led the teams to postpone that game until Dec. 4. What was already a long layoff became interminable for Arrington and the Bears, especially on Saturdays, when everybody else was playing games.

"It's always hard when you don't have a game," Arrington said. "You don't have anything to look forward to on Saturday. But everybody's staying focused and everything's going well."

That hasn't always been the case for Arrington in his brief but tumultuous stay with the Golden Bears. For one thing, he struggled to adjust to the rigorous academic requirements of one of the country's top public universities.

Just when he was getting his schoolwork in order this past offseason, the revelations of his improper recruitment by the Ducks - including inappropriate visits and forged signatures - came to light. Arrington chose not to comment about that situation recently, but he did address the matter with the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times during fall camp.

"I learned that football is a business," Arrington told the newspaper in August. "It was crazy, but coach Tedford kept assuring me that everything would be all right. It was a different situation than I had ever been in. Choosing Cal was one of the hardest decisions I made in my life, but it was the right decision."

At this point, both parties can agree on that.

Arrington is fourth in the country with his average of 179 rushing yards per game, having run 32 times for 358 yards, an 11.2-yard average per carry. He has six touchdowns and - unlike last season when ball security issues landed him in Tedford's doghouse - zero fumbles.

In 2003, Arrington was the backup to Adimchinobe Echemandu, who ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns against the Beavers. This year, Arrington has shed 10 pounds and is now 5-feet-11 and 210 pounds, and he has held off no fewer than three challengers for the starting position.

The weight loss has given Arrington added quickness to complement his powerful running style, making him the best running back the Beavers will have faced through five games this season.

"He's a hard runner," OSU defensive end Bill Swancutt said. "He goes downfield with his head down and tries to run over you. We need to contain him and not let him go off for a bunch of yards like their running back did last year."

Arrington, of course, would like nothing better than to "go off" just as his predecessor did last season. If that happens, maybe he'll define himself to Willamette Valley college football fans as simply a great back, and not the player Oregon tried to sign improperly.

Either way, Arrington is looking forward to getting back on the field when the Bears and Beavers meet.

"We're taking every day as a learning experience, still practicing hard," Arrington said. "Everything should be good."

CAPTION(S):

J.J. Arrington is averaging 179 yards a game and 11.2 yards per carry after California's two contests this season. Michael Pimentel / University of California J.J. Arrington is eager to continue his early season success with the Golden Bears C o l l e g e f o o t b a l l