IIRC Viney even had size issues against SDSU, let alone a team like Cal, and he doesn’t quite seem talented enough to make up for it. Meanwhile, Price is far taller than Viney, and more talented as well- just not as experienced. He’ s even shown improvement since his first game, as he’s making fewer and fewer freshman mistakes that get us hit for penalties (unless I’m just missing the penalties, which is quite possible).

He’s a long way from the type of player that I hope we have at corner two years from now, but then again, I’m actually hoping that he will be the player that we have at corner in two years. For the moment, I’m all for getting younger, more talented players experience, because we’re going to need that experience in the next few years when we’re really starting to compete for something meaningful.

I don’t feel it is fair to single out Price on that one play. I do agree with you though, Nestor, that Price is having issues, but at the moment I don’t know if Viney has shown enough to replace him.

Watching that replay over and over again, it looks like our guys were sort of getting in each other’s way near the LOS (after the cutback, look how many of our guys are close to him), and after Best broke through to the second level, ATV blew a tackle where he was unblocked and should have at least slowed Best down (but gotta give it to Best, it was a nice juke). And after that, Best had two blockers in front of him with only one defender (Price) to beat, one threw the cut block and it was over after that. I don’t think that, given Price’s position on the play, it was realistic to expect him to bring Best down. Just a disastrous defensive play all around.

Although I also don’t think Sheldon Price should be singled out on that play, it is obvious he is not near the level Viney showed against Tennessee. He just is not strong enough. He is 6’ 2" 165 lbs., to put that in perspective Brian Price is listed at 6’2" 300lbs. When I was at the game yesterday my friend and I were watching how Cal was going after Price not only with the pass, but more with the run. Every time they were running to his side of the field it was for big gains. Reicevers were knocking him 10 yards off the line of scrimage before the runner would even get there, and when he was in on the tackle they would drag him another 5 yards. He just cannot contain the corner. I think he will eventually become a good player, but he is just physicaly overwhelmed at this point .

I wouldn’t single out Price on that play. Carter and Verner should have made that tackle. Verner got juked out of his socks. Sheldon Price has struggled this year but that is part of the growing pains when you play freshmen. I remember how brutal Carlton Gray was as a freshman. He turned out to be pretty good for us. We just have to be patient. The coaches know what they are doing. Neuheisel, Chow and Palcic have developed some great players. Rarely do you win conference titles with a freshman at quarterback.

I feel sorry for they guy, but he has cost us huge this year. Yes he is a true freshman, so it is somewhat understandable, but he has still cost us huge. It was him who let the long TD go in the SDSU game. He let up the long TD pass in the Stanford game. He let up some long long plays in the Oregon game. He let up some huge plays in the Cal game. When he has cost us a long TD in every game he has played in…come on. Viney has to be better than that. I agree with the point that his play is not necessarily his fault, but Cal did run right at him all game and did so successfully. Its like we were playing with 10 men.
When does Hester return?

…Ayers tries to make a big hit here and fails, Jerzy pulls himself off the turf just before getting knocked down a SECOND time, and in the process blocks any chance for Datone to make a backside play. We needed JS there and on his feet.