DEFENSE

On defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast’s day to pick warm-up music, he played a selection of U2. Maybe he would have been better served to choose David Bowie’s “Changes.”

From one year to the next, no unit on the Cal football team has endured as much of a shakeup as the defense. Before camp even started, the Bears lost defensive end Tyson Alualu and cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson to the Draft and linebackers Chris Little, Chris Martin and Cecil Whiteside to dismissal, transfer and grayshirting, respectively.

There’s been addition also: Pendergast has brought a blitz-heavy style of play to the Bears – heaven to Cal fans who’ve watched Bob Gregory’s bend-but-not-break defense allow quarterbacks to slice and dice the Bears from the comfort of the pocket. But that change too engenders more questions.

While an aggressive D-line is a definite improvement, it puts more pressure on Cal’s secondary, its most unproven unit. Last season – with Thompson – the Bears were 111st in the nation in pass defense. This season, all signs are pointing to a freshman, Steve Williams, at one corner and a question mark at the other. There’s no doubt that Williams is talented, but inexperience shows more at corner than just about any other position; even Thompson got burned big his first year.

Safety, at least, has more experience in junior Sean Cattouse and senior Chris Conte. Cattouse’s role as a vocal leader is unquestioned, but he and Conte – who only has five career starts – are replacing a trio (Thompson and safeties Brett Johnson and Marcus Ezeff) that had 99 career starts between them.

Linebacker, a position so loaded that coach Jeff Tedford switched to the 3-4 defense two years ago, is thinner than in years past. Senior Mike Mohamed is a stalwart, but no one else has definitively arisen from the rabble. With injuries taking their toll early in camp, the vision is more foggy. Pendergast has tried so many different packages that it’s unfair to tab most players as first, second or third teamers yet.

At this point, the question for Cal isn’t talent; they’ve got that in excess. It’s whether the Bears can overcome youth and inexperience and adapt to a new system – one that promises high risks and high rewards – against a schedule loaded with great quarterbacks. If the learning curve is steep, it’s going to be a very long season on defense for the Bears.

-Katie Dowd

OFFENSE

Much like the offense he commanded in 2009, quarterback Kevin Riley ranged from brilliant to dismal.

The fifth-year senior returns as the starter this fall, and is supremely confident in his ability to overcome last year’s inconsistency.

“It’s going to be the best season I’ve ever played,” Riley said. “I’m gonna make the best of it, that’s for damn sure.”

Such optimism may be well grounded.

For one thing, Riley has more downfield weapons to work with than in years past.

Marvin Jones and tight end Anthony Miller return as proven commodities, while veterans Jeremy Ross and Michael Calvin both have starting potential after making off-season strides.

Alex Lagemann will look to contribute more as a possession receiver.

Yet, the veteran trio may have trouble holding off freshman Keenan Allen. A coveted safety out of high school, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Allen has all the makings of a star wideout.

Speedy newcomers Coleman Edmond, Tevin Carter, and Kaelin Clay should also compete for playing time.

Perhaps less surprising is the team’s depth in the backfield.

After excelling in a supporting role for two seasons, Shane Vereen poised for a big year as the undisputed starter.

Isi Sofele has joined 6-foot, 220-pound Dasarte Yarnway as the leading backup candidates. The two runners form an intriguing combination of speed and power that should help take the pressure off Vereen.

They may be running behind sophomore Eric Stevens, the current frontrunner to replace Brian Holley at fullback.

Both the ground game and the passing attack will ultimately hinge on how much Cal’s offensive line has improved under second year coach Steve Marshall.

Despite losing just one starter – left tackle Mike Tepper – the unit has seen some shuffling in the offseason.

For now, Mitchell Schwartz has moved back to left tackle to replace Tepper. If guard Matt Summers-Gavin returns and stays healthy, the two could from a solid tandem on the left side.

Chris Guarnero is the leading candidate at center, with Dominic Galas behind him.

On the right side, Donovan Edwards has emerged at tackle, while Justin Cheadle is the returning starter at guard.

Expect Richard Fisher, Brian Schwenke, and Mark Brazinski to be in the mix as well.

-Ed Yevelev

SPECIAL TEAMS

Bryan Anger is one of Cal’s most valuable players. While the star punter won’t likely make highlight reels with his play, his stats and accolades speak for themselves.

He made first-team All-Pac-10 a year ago, unsurprising given his ability to consistently sail his punts over 60 yards. He ranked just fourth in the conference with a 42.3-yard average, but landed 24 balls inside the 20. The Camarillo, Calif., native also had just four touchbacks.

But even the talented junior, who is also remarkably athletic, missed out on being named to the Ray Guy Award preseason watchlist – his absence particularly inexplicable considering his finish as a semifinalist last year.

But while Anger, arguably the nation’s best punter, will be rock-solid assuming health, the status of the Bears’ other special teams players are still less clear.

Last year, special teams coach Pete Alamar was allowed to leave after six seasons. It would have been surprising, after all, for Cal to renew the contract of a coach who just oversaw the Pac-10’s worst kicking unit, which made just 15 of 24 field goals.

Kickoff coverage was similarly abysmal, as the Bears ranked ninth in the conference.

To try and solve those issues, the team brought in new special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Jeff Genyk, who worked his last gig as a color analyst for ESPN. Before that, he coached up a Lou Groza Award finalist and the nation’s third-best punt coverage unit at Eastern Michigan.

The personnel will remain largely the same. Vincenzo D’Amato and Giorgio Tavecchio are still battling out place kicking duties, as they did a year ago. Isi Sofele will likely return kicks while Jeremy Ross fields punts.

But both coaches and players alike have praised the new energy that Genyk as brought with him.

The newcomer has emphasized the mental aspect of kicking more, and coach Jeff Tedford cited his success with kickers as the reason Cal selected him.

Backup punter Jed Barnett called him “the most passionate coach I’ve ever had.” Tavecchio says “guys are fired up about special teams.”

Will the renewed excitement translate to on-field results? That remains to be seen.

-Jack Wang