Pac-12: Cal will have more dynamic receivers

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

California must regroup without the NFL's No. 1 draft pick. Quarterback Jared Goff will be playing for the Los Angeles Rams, after leading the Bears' revival from a 1-11 season as a freshman in 2013 to an 8-5 mark as a junior in 2015. Replacing him will be difficult, but coach Sonny Dykes likes the dynamic that some of Cal's young receivers will give the new quarterback. "These guys can catch the ball in space, create things and make plays," Dykes said last week during the Pac-12 coaches' spring media teleconference. Melquise Stovall turned seven catches into 128 yards and two touchdowns in Cal's final scrimmage, as three quarterbacks produced some nice numbers. Zach Kline completed 15 of 16 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns, Chase Forest went 16 of 23 for 176 yards and one score and Ross Bowers was 11 of 21 for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Bowers hit Brandon Singleton for a 24-yard touchdown on the final play, giving the Blue a 38-37 victory. The new QB will be working with a new offensive coordinator. Jake Spavital – like Dykes, a member of the Mike Leach tree of spread-offense coaches – came from Texas A&M after Tony Franklin moved to Middle Tennessee. "We think the same way," Dykes said of Spavital. "It's been fun to see how he's taken it and tweaked it. To the average person, it's going to look pretty much the same." Cal will open the season Aug. 27, a week ahead of most schools, against Hawaii in Sydney, Australia. The Bears will host Utah on Oct. 1. – Kurt Kragthorpe