| Cal WR Jackson calls for change
California receiver DeSean Jackson had just left the weight room. But he didn't have to get anything off his chest Wednesday.
DeSean Jackson had already done that, first in public comments interpreted as criticism of plays called by Cal's coaching staff, and then presumably in a private meeting with Bears coach Jeff Tedford, who might have been seeking more explanation than interpretation.
"He just wanted to meet with us, see what was going on," DeSean Jackson said in a conference call from Berkeley, Calif.
It's hard to say exactly what's happening at midweek of a tough stretch for the Bears, who hope to have it all figured out Saturday night against Arizona State at Sun Devil Stadium.
Suffice to say, Cal arrives in Tempe this weekend trying to keep some of its hopes intact. Within just a couple of weeks, the Bears have climbed to an edge and fallen off a ledge. After successive losses to Oregon State and UCLA, Cal has tumbled from No. 2 in the national polls to fifth place in the Pac-10.
"We've pretty much got to get back in a winning mood," DeSean Jackson said. "The past two games, we've let things go wrong."
The best chance at a correction, if not a reversal, against the unbeaten Sun Devils might rest with Jackson, who was listed as a Heisman Trophy possibility before the season began.
"Knock them off, and we're right back where we need to be," he said.
DeSean Jackson's confidence matches his speed. It's almost off the scale. There's nothing he doesn't believe he can accomplish. After Cal's early-season victories over Tennessee and Oregon, he was quoted as saying he was surprised whenever he didn't wind up in the end zone after a reception and/or punt return. He's already found himself there 26 times in his career - 20 receptions, six punt returns, including one of each variety against ASU last year.
His Cal jersey, No. 1, adds up to a swagger and represents the single biggest threat that the ASU secondary has faced this season.
"DeSean Jackson?" ASU cornerback Justin Tryon said. "What can I say? Fans know he's up for the Heisman. But it's a challenge we're looking forward to. We're not scared. We're not nervous. We're not going to change what we've been doing. I want to play him one-on-one.
"DeSean Jackson isn't like anybody I've ever seen. His speed makes him dangerous. He's an NFL receiver, the whole package. He's going to come our way. The ball is going to go his way."
If DeSean Jackson's comments to the media alter Tedford's playbook, the ball will find him more often than ever.
DeSean Jackson said it was time to throw more often on first and second down.
"I just let him know that the media asked for my opinion," DeSean Jackson said. " . . . Coach Tedford has got a good understanding. He's got my back, and I've got his back. That's all he wanted to know for sure."
Everybody knows about DeSean Jackson's speed, a reported 4.29 seconds in the 40-yard dash. That might provide Cal with the quickest route to a midseason correction.
DeSean Jackson wasn't alone in his meeting with Tedford. He was joined by fellow Cal receivers Lavelle Hawkins and Robert Jordan.
"Coach just wanted to the meet with us, see what was going wrong and see what things he could do different," said DeSean Jackson, a 6-foot, 172-pound junior from Long Beach, Calif., who is tied for third in Pac-10 receiving with 41 catches for 453 yards. "Everybody can make mistakes. We're just trying to put everything back together so we can start winning again."
ASU is listed as a three-point favorite for the game at Sun Devil Stadium. In September, few would have guessed that Cal would be the underdog. Then again, few would have guessed that the Sun Devils would be 7-0 and the Bears 5-2.
"But I honestly don't think they've played a team like us," said DeSean Jackson, who is confident that the team he's referring to will show up.
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