McArthur Becomes Great Catch for Cal

Geoff McArthur may not be the most valuable player on a California team loaded with players of considerable value.

But he’s certainly one of the most prominent. Perhaps more so now than ever.

The senior wide receiver from Palisades High -- who would have considered a career at UCLA had former coach Bob Toledo shown any interest -- caught a 20-yard touchdown pass early in the first quarter Saturday to put the Bears ahead, 7-0, and helped set the tone for what would become a somewhat methodical triumph against a Bruin team that simply lacked the weaponry to keep up.

Cal’s 45-28 victory, in front of a Memorial Stadium crowd of 69,898 and many more watching from the surrounding hillsides, helped ease the sting of losing a close game to USC a week earlier.

It also seemed to indicate that the Bears are going to be just fine from a personnel standpoint as they press on in what could be their finest season in decades -- a campaign toward a possible national championship or their first Rose Bowl berth in 45 years.

The loss of leading receiver Chase Lyman, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week against the Trojans, seemed to deal a major blow to the nation’s second-ranked offense. But the emergence of McArthur as the new “go-to guy,” according to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, has left the Bears feeling good about their prospects.

“I told Geoff tonight that he was going to get nine catches for 188 yards. Well, he just missed,” Rodgers said with a smile. “With Chase out it’s going to be important for him to step up, and it’s nice to see him get his catches.”

McArthur’s nine catches for 163 yards also included an 80-yard touchdown pass that gave the Bears a 35-14 lead.

“Naturally, anybody who has a great game feels good afterward,” he said. “Once you become accustomed to that feeling, you want it back. It’s like an addiction.”

McArthur stressed that he was saddened by what happened to Lyman, but he felt fortunate to have things going his way as he closes out a career that has been somewhat of a roller-coaster ride. The 6-foot-1 receiver led the nation with 1,779 yards as a senior at Palisades High. But he was passed over by the local major colleges and ended up at Cal under Tom Holmoe.

He had 20 catches for 336 yards as a freshman, while playing most of the season with an injured thumb. As a sophomore in 2001, his temper flared after a season-opening loss to Illinois and he put his arm through a window and tore his triceps. That ended his season and caused him to redshirt.

During the 2002 season he caught 36 passes for 454 yards, but scored only one touchdown. New Coach Jeff Tedford sat him down and helped iron out what the player refers to as “work habit issues” and in 2003 he was spectacular, making 85 catches for 1504 yards and 10 touchdowns. That was second in the nation.

This season, McArthur has been slowed by an abdominal strain and Lyman had become Rodgers’ favorite target. “But I’m looking more for him now,” Rodgers said, pointing to McArthur. “He’s our go-to guy now.”