Paul Harris (29) rushes with the football as Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Sojourn Shelton (8) defends during the second quarter at Camp Randall Stadium last year. Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Players posed at the Opera House in Sydney and snapped pics of former Cal running back Marshawn Lynch. It’s anything but the typical build up to college football game day for Cal and Hawaii this week.
Still, Davis Webb, always willing to talk lofty expectations, knows this is no time to be shy. Not with the Bears’ 2016 grand opening on the world’s stage.
Webb, a senior quarterback and transfer from Texas Tech, takes over the Golden Bears’ “Bear Raid” offense from Jared Goff: the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL draft. Cal and its new quarterback are literally kicking off the college football season against Hawaii at 7 p.m. PDT Friday in Sydney, Australia.
Cal is playing 7,500 miles from home, and is eligible to play despite the season officially beginning Sept. 1, as both programs signed a waiver from the NCAA to make the international stage a reality. It’s the first college football game in Australia since BYU played Colorado State in 1987 in Melbourne.
And Webb is ready to dazzle the world.
“We’ve got to put on a show,” said Davis. “It’s on global TV.”
Webb is no stranger to the ups and downs of a college football career. At Texas Tech, he split time as a starter as a freshman (with future Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield), was the starter in 2014 before suffering a season-ending ankle injury and was a reserve in 2015 before transferring. He amassed 5,577 passing yards, 46 touchdowns and 22 interceptions while in Lubbock, Texas.
Cal’s offense has indeed stolen the show in recent seasons with Goff at the controls. In 2015, Goff passed for 4,714 yards, 43 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, completing 65 percent of his passes as the Golden Bears delivered their first winning season in five years.
Webb, who battled injuries and was an off-and-on starter over three years at Texas Tech, inherits an offense with three returning running backs to help him in Khalfani Muhammad, Vice Enwere and Tre Watson.
Not to mention, Cal stole headlines with a late acquisition of a five-star recruit in wide receiver Demetris Robertson.
Hawaii has also offered a prolific offense in years past, and senior running back Paul Harris returns after posting 1,166 rushing yards as a junior.
Under coach Nick Rolovich, Hawaii wants to take home more than the Malibu surfboards they were presented upon arrival Tuesday. Rolovich, a former Hawaii quarterback, is eager to get his first season as head coach under way. He played for June Jones in the accelerator-only style passing offense that helped Hawaii to the Sugar Bowl eight years ago. But they’re 11-39 since, and a turnaround will be tricky for a first-year coach.
There are more major tests coming on the mainland, including the Sept. 3 visit to Michigan. The Rainbow Warriors will log 40,000 air miles this season, or about double the most road-weary NFL team in 2016. Rolovich, whose atypical coaching approach has been lauded by the team, wants his players to breathe in the moment.
“This is a dream come true,” Rolovich said.
Sonny Dykes, in his fourth year coaching Cal (13-23 record overall, 7-5 in 2015) was initially concerned about the travel to Australia and the ensuing jet lag and recovery time. But Cal has a bye directly afterward, which is helping him rest easy.
“I had a lot of concerns. The big thing for us was just how it was going to fall in our schedule,” Dykes said. “It was really important for our players to come back and have an open week after the trip … That was a big part of it, was getting the waiver by the NCAA.”
