PACIFIC 10 FOOTBALL / MAL FLORENCE : 86 Reasons Why Cal Is Feeling Confident

Some Cal players were verbally swaggering after routing Pacific, 86-24, last Saturday at Berkeley.

“Eighty-six points is definitely intimidating, no matter who the opponent was,” wide receiver Brian Treggs told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Then, quarterback Mike Pawlawski, looking ahead to Saturday’s game against Purdue, said: “Like Brian said, (Purdue’s) defensive coordinator is going to have a lot of headaches.”

That’s bulletin board stuff, but California will be playing a team that had a 2-9 record last year.

The 86 points was Cal’s highest modern-era point total. Cal led at halftime, 51-17, setting records for most points in a half and most combined points.

“This is one of the most dominant offenses anywhere,” said Pawlawski, whose six touchdown passes set another Cal record.

Coach Bruce Snyder, in an attempt to temper his players’ enthusiasm, said: “We’ve got to avoid the arrogance, the seductiveness of a great game like that.”

Great game? Against Pacific?

In the aftermath of Washington’s 42-7 victory over Stanford, a quarterback controversy may be imminent in Seattle.

Billy Joe Hobert, who inherited the starting job when Mark Brunell suffered a knee injury last spring, completed 21 of 34 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

However, Husky Coach Don James said Brunell may be ready to play again in early October.

“It would be great to have that kind of depth, but we can keep winning with Billy,” defensive tackle Steve Emtman said.

In any event, it seems like a win-win situation for Washington.

Hobert, on his performance: “A lot of times I was throwing the ball end over end, but it still got there.”

UCLA quarterback Tommy Maddox said he couldn’t understand at the time why Brigham Young’s defensive players were talking trash to him during the Bruins’ 27-23 victory last Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.

Maddox wasn’t aware of the bogus story that had been sent to BYU players. The mimeographed story from the bogus “Bay City News-Post” contained demeaning remarks attributed to Maddox.

Trivia time: What is the Pacific 10 record for most points scored in a game?

Oregon Coach Rich Brooks’ biggest concern coming into the season was to find a reliable quarterback replacement for Bill Musgrave, who broke all the school passing records as a four-year starter.

Danny O’Neil, a redshirt freshman, eased some of that concern with his showing in Oregon’s 40-14 victory over Washington State Saturday.

After a nervous start, when he threw four consecutive incomplete passes, O’Neil settled down to complete 10 of 19 passes for two touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown.

“It’s obvious that he has some mobility and that he can throw the ball pretty well,” Brooks said. “He got a little flustered in the first half, but he made some awfully fine plays.”

Brooks was particularly pleased with tailback Sean Burwell, who rushed for a career-high 189 yards.

“Sean is a great football player,” Brooks said. “Maybe somebody down the road will say that besides me.”

Trivia answer: California beat St. Mary’s, 127-0, in 1920.

Pacific 10 Notes

California tailback Russell White said the Bears didn’t take Pacific lightly. “After USC lost to Memphis State, I read a lot of excuses in the paper like it wasn’t a big game. But every game counts.” The Trojans would be glad to know that. . . . Out-of-ammunition department: The cannon that thunders on “Tightwad Hill” at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley after every Cal score was silent after the last two Golden Bear touchdowns against Pacific. They ran out of shells.

Washington State’s Jason Hanson has kicked 14 field goals of 50 yards or longer, and needs only two more to break the NCAA record of 16 held by Texas A&M;’s Tony Franklin. He also has 29 field goals of 40 yards or longer, and is two short of the NCAA record of 31 held by Russell Erxleben of Texas. . . . Hanson, on the NCAA rule that has reduced the width of the goal posts from 23 feet 4 inches to to 18-6: “It will be a little tougher. You’re going to see some narrow misses. But when I make them, they’re usually down the middle, and when I miss, I miss bad.”