By Holly Anderson

Cal O-line coach Zach Yenser — you remember him — has taken to the life of a Bear with what can only be called ursine ferocity:

We get X amount of $ a day for meals while recruiting I just spent X amount of $ on sushi! I couldn't help it all the rolls looked so good!—
Zach Yenser (@CalCoachYenser) May 17, 2013

@RGBearTerritory I didn't go in hungry! We at least I didn't think I was! We got fed BBQ tonight after watching a practice! #igotproblems—
Zach Yenser (@CalCoachYenser) May 17, 2013

True freshman Jared Goff, a Marin Catholic product, is currently in a three-way tie for the Cal QB job. (Landov)

By Zac Ellis

The Cal quarterback situation is apparently still up in the air. The Golden Bears released their first depth chart of the season on Thursday, and new coach Sonny Dykes seems to still be mulling his team’s options under center.

The chart lists a three-way quarterback tie between Jared Goff, Austin Hinder and Zach Kline. But perhaps fans can read into the order in which the players are listed. The names aren’t alphabetical, instead appearing as follows: Goff, Kline then Hinder.

None of the three players in the running for the job threw a pass for Cal last year. Kline redshirted during his true freshman season in 2012, while Hinder was a sophomore reserve. Goff, a former four-star pro-style recruit out of Marin Catholic, is a true freshman this season. The Golden Bears are looking to replace starter Zach Maynard, who was 180-of-296 passing for 2214 yards, 12 touchdowns and 10 picks last season.

By Zac Ellis

It’s a new era for Golden Bears football, and by the looks of it, things could get very growly. Athletic director Sandy Barbour unveiled the school’s new supplemental logo for all 27 of its athletic programs at a university press conference on Wednesday, and it will adorn the team’s revamped uniforms for the 2013 season, along with new lettering.

While this bear looks mighty fierce, several SI.com staffers have a few complaints. In no particular order:

• Cal claims to be the Golden Bears, yet the logo on the shoulder (below) looks very much like a black bear. Come on, Berkeley folks. You’re better than that.

• The new logo looks kind of like a furry igloo, only with an angry bear face and claws. Look at it.

• This was not selected to be the new logo, and Cal still hasn’t officially changed its name to the Cal Sugar Bears.

Check out the new uniforms after the jump (courtesy of Pac-12):

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One of the dangers of spring ball is taking the work on display in the spring game too seriously, when any number of leaps forward or pitfalls could spell glory or disaster come September. The upside of this is that schools aren’t really obligated to take it too seriously, either. Exhibit C: Marshawn Lynch, you may recall, is no longer a college football player at Cal. But why, really, should that prevent him from scoring a touchdown in Cal’s spring game?

Cal sees your half-hearted alumni flag football games, and gives you … this. Lynch’s retro run joins the pantheon in our hearts as the third-most entertaining thing Lynch has ever done on a football field, surpassed only by this and this.

Make some time this afternoon to watch Cal TV’s Lindsay Brauner interview Bears receivers coach Rob Likens and O-line coach Zach Yenser. Trust us:

And now, preserved for all time, the moment when Brauner asks, “How many hippies have you guys encountered?” and Likens replies, “Does that include our offensive coordinator?”

[Via.]

Sonny Dykes’ Bears will lumber fast. Real fast. (Norbert von der Groeben/GoldenBearSports.com)

We recognize the goofiness of linking out to something on this same website, but we love you and do not want you to miss Stewart Mandel’s account of his visit to Berkeley, where Messrs. Dykes-and-Franklin are tuning up the Bear Raid:

“Air Raid, Bear Raid — when we got here a label was thrown out there because of the [coaching] tree. We don’t identify it that way,” Franklin said. “Run it, throw it, it doesn’t matter, whereas the true Air Raid is, we’re going to throw it no matter what. We’re going to play fast and find a way to put points on the board.”

This is old news for anybody who watched Louisiana Tech’s Kenneth Dixon (and, until his ACL betrayed him, Tevin King) last season, but we’re going to keep calling it that because it’s fun to say “Bear Raid,” if that’s all right with y’all. And now, the Sonny Dykes preseason quote of the year:

“Our way of doing it, I prefer, is to go fast.“

You don’t say.

DeWayne Walker set the coaching carousel spinning once more with his late departure from New Mexico State. (AP)

Tommy Tuberville’s sitting by the phone* and Jimmy Sexton’s got that particular sparkle in his eye. It can mean only one thing: The coach firin’ season is upon us once more. We’ll be tracking the carousel of progress, right here, for as long as it takes to stop spinning. Raise a glass to times past, won’t you? * Well, not anymore, but never tell us we don’t have the gift of very specific prophecy through throwaway jokes.

New Mexico State [updated 02.01.2013]

• Who’s out: DeWayne Walker, who jumps to the NFL with less than two weeks remaining between now and Signing Day. And not even for a coordinating gig: Walker will coach defensive backs for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Walker released the following statement through the athletic department: “I really appreciate the opportunity that Dr. Boston and New Mexico State gave me to be a Division I head football coach. Unfortunately, I did not get the program as far as I would have liked from a wins and losses standpoint. But, we do have a better locker room, better kids and a better foundation for the program moving forward. There are a lot of people that I want to thank for their support and will be reaching out to those individuals in the coming days. They have helped me in moving the program forward. I am excited about starting a new chapter in my coaching career, as is my family. I wish New Mexico State great success in the future and wish everyone the best. Go Aggies!” • Who’s in: Doug Martin — the one who played at Kentucky, not the one who played at Boise State. Although if Martin The Younger is really so opposed to his excellent nickname, we’re gonna refer to Martin The Elder as coach Muscle Hamster instead. It’s been a whirlwind courtship for Martin and the Aggies: He was announced as offensive coordinator on January 17, temporarily promoted to interim head coach on January 24 and will be officially announced as DeWayne Walker’s successor on Monday, February 4. Martin’s previous head coaching experience consists of a seven-year stint at Kent State, from 2004-2010. Read More…

Stefphon Jefferson has clearly just caught a look at the New Mexico Bowl scoreboard here. (AP)

• My god, it’s full of stats. Just for funsies, and maybe also because we’re football-free until Thursday, here is a list of NCAA bowl records broken by Nevada and Arizona in the 2012 New Mexico Bowl, via Wolf Pack sports info:

-Most plays (combined, both teams): Nevada-Arizona, 188 (Previous, 187, by Auburn-Northwestern in 2010 Outback Bowl).

-Most first downs: Nevada, 39 (Previous, 36—Oklahoma (48) vs. Virginia (14) (Gator, Dec. 29, 1991) (16 rush, 18 pass, 2 penalty); Marshall (64) vs. East Carolina (61) (2 ot) (GMAC, 2001) (9 rush, 25 pass, 2 penalty).

-Most first downs, both teams: Nevada-Arizona, 70 (Previous: 62—North Carolina St. (56) [34] vs. Kansas (26) [28] (Tangerine, 2003).

-Most first downs rushing: Nevada, 28 (Previous: 26—Oklahoma (40) vs. Auburn (22) (Sugar, Jan. 1, 1972); Navy (51) vs. Colorado St. (30) (Poinsettia, 2005).

-Most first downs rushing, both teams: Nevada-Arizona, 38 (Previous: 36—Colorado (47) [24] & Alabama (33) [12] (Liberty, 1969); Miami (FL) (46) [16] & Texas (3) [20] (Cotton, 1991).

An auspicious beginning to the postseason, no?

• Further bowltyme antics. In case you missed it last week, follow along with Stewart Mandel’s Bowl Pickoff right over here.

• Actual playoff happenings. Mount Union continues to do Mount Union things, gaining another D-III championship on Friday night … Valdosta State wrecked Winston-Salem State in the Division II title game … Sam Houston State and North Dakota State will face off for the FCS championship.

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• Louisville 20, Rutgers 17. We’ll let SI.com’s Gabriel Baumgaertner tell y’all all about the antics of Teddy Bridgewater, but don’t go away without watching him let it all out postgame with offensive coordinator Shawn Watson. Bridgewater led the Cardinals to a primetime win, on the road, against the country’s fourth-ranked scoring defense. And then this happened:

How Bridgewater is even remaining upright at this point is anybody’s guess, but up he his, and no matter your particular partisanship, you must applaud. Have you a pulse? You will be moved. But don’t take our word for it. Listen to his teammates. Here’s Louisville offensive lineman Alex Kupper, after the game: “His legacy at the University of Louisville keeps building and building, and he’s only halfway through. He’s just an unbelievable player, the way he fights. When you’re playing next to him, if you do anything less, it’s shame on you.”

Rutgers still gets a share of the Big East title, and Cincinnati could force a four-way tie atop the conference standings with a win over UConn, but take it from Louisville safety Calvin Pryor, as the Cardinals mull their postseason possibilities: ”Whatever it is is better than going to the Belk Bowl!” [BOX | RECAP]

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@martinrickman I vote for a picture of Dianne Wiest since it’s the Big Wiest.

— Dan Weiner (@DanWeiner) November 13, 2012

• Let’s settle this now. Behold, the divisions of the new Big East: Central Florida, South Florida, Connecticut, Louisville, Cincinnati and Rutgers in the East East, and Boise State, Houston, Memphis, San Diego State, SMU and Temple in the East West. The ease of remembering mostly geographically based divisions aside (lookin’ riiiight at you, Increasingly Inaccurately Named Big Ten and ACC), new divisions mean new opportunities for mnemonic acronyms and Lovecraftian anagrams. IMPORTANT NOTE: For reasons relating to not wanting to come up with a bunch of U-words, we’re going with Central Florida instead of UCF here, South Florida instead of USF and Connecticut instead of UConn. Thank you for your understanding.

Our best suggestions in the clubhouse thus far:

East: Crooked Stepping Creeping Landscape Creep Rust, Considering Shaken Chosen Lawyer Creator Rake and Change Shrewd Cremini Lump Craze Riot.

West: Blistered High Mockery S‘more Stereo Turtle, Blended Holding Minor Sopping Sleepy Tangent and Broad Headache Manic Stiff Solace Toad.

Almost none of these words have anything to do with anything, which is sort of what we get for putting South Florida, Connecticut, Boise and San Diego State in the same conference. Please feel free to leave your own suggestions below.

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