Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Morgan's goal against Colombia revitalizes the USWNT's stagnant attack, and Green Bay looks forward to potentially the best offense under Aaron Rodgers' career.
WNBACheck up on how Brittany Boyd, Layshia Clarendon and Reshanda Gray are doing in the third week of WNBA play.
VolleyballCal announces the 2015 schedule for the volleyball program, which includes nineteen matches against NCAAA Tournament teams.
Cal alum Carli Lloyd was named Best Setter of the Pan American Cup, as she helped lead Team USA to the Gold Medal at the Pan American Cup.
FootballSaturday Blitz previews the 2015 Football season, which they view as potentially the best year in Sonny Dykes' tenure in Berkeley.
Sonny Dykes had the big improvement that he needed last year after he led the Cal Bears to a 5-7 record after an atrocious 1-11 season in his first season in Berkeley in 2013.
After making tremendous progress with star quarterback Jared Goff in the last two seasons, could the Bears make it to a bowl game this year?
Offensive Outlook
The offense starts and ends with Goff who should go down as the most prolific quarterback in program history after starting since his freshman year. He led the No. 6 passing offense last year when he threw for 3,973 yards and 35 touchdowns for the nation's No. 11 scoring offense. His third year in Dykes' Bear-raid offense should see his numbers eclipse the 4,000-yard barrier and approach 40 touchdowns.
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Defensive Outlook
As potent as the Cal offense was last year, that's how bad the defense was last year when the Golden Bears defense allowed 39.8 points per game, only five teams allowed more points than them. They allowed at least 31 points in their last games and set a record for the most touchdown passes allowed with 42.
So there's nowhere to go but up, right?
National Football LeagueESPN's John Clayton ranks his top eight quarterbacks for the nest three seasons. While there is much debate over who occupies spots 2-8 in his list, there is no surprise at who is the consensus top quarterback in his rankings, as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are geared for an offensive onslaught, with a vastly improved offensive line and an emerging running threat in Eddie Lacy.
When it comes to speaking Mike McCarthy's language, I consider myself fluent.
Having routinely chatted with Green Bay's head man on SiriusXM Radio since he took over the Packers in 2006, I feel pretty comfortable assessing his tone and reading between the lines.
When I talked to McCarthy on "Schein on Sports" last Thursday, the 10th-year head coach was in a good mood. And why wouldn't he be? With a successful minicamp winding down, it was crystal clear McCarthy loves the talent and the character of the 2015 Packers. And McCarthy is not one to be subject to hyperbole. Far from it.
Which leads me to make the following declaration: This year's offense will be, quite simply, the best that we've seen during McCarthy's prolific decade in Green Bay.
And I'm not exaggerating, either. I firmly believe this. I had this feeling before talking to the coach. Now? I'm fully convinced. I truly felt McCarthy's enthusiasm for the group during our live interview. Listening back to the segment twice more, the coach's exhilaration was omnipresent. I believe this Packers offense has the talent, balance and coaching to rule the NFL in 2015 -- and set new heights for one of the league's proudest franchises.
Like most great offenses, it starts up front.
FIFA Women's World CupAlex Morgan Is Back Among Goal Scorers
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Amid another tepid Women's World Cup performance from the U.S. national team, there was a beacon of light to take away from Monday's 2-0 defeat of Colombia.
Alex Morgan is back amongst the goal scorers again.
The mere thought of Morgan not being on the score sheet for any sustained length of time seems unthinkable at first, such is the talent she has displayed since making her breakthrough at the World Cup four years ago. But 2015 has proved to be the most unusual of years for the U.S. forward. Just before the start of the tournament, there was concern Morgan might not play at all in the World Cup. The now well-chronicled bone bruise in Morgan's left knee was slow to heal, so much so she admitted that back in May she had a "minor freak-out." But a couple of deep breaths, along with some words of wisdom from Abby Wambach, got her mind right, and time did the rest.
And not a moment too soon. Monday's round of 16 encounter looked like one of those games that just might slip away from the Americans. The first-half performance from the United States was borderline brutal against an inspired Colombian side. But then Morgan changed the game. She broke through on a clear breakaway two minutes into the second half, only to be fouled by Colombia goalkeeper Catalina Perez, who was red-carded. A penalty was given, but Wambach breathed considerable life into Las Cafeteras by skewing the ensuing penalty wide with her weaker left foot.
Afterward, Wambach said she had practiced taking penalties with her left foot for the past two to three months. As for what led her to do that, Wambach simply said, "The fact that I've taken a lot with my right foot."
It was left to Morgan to put matters right. Six minutes later, she took a pass from Ali Krieger and scored past substitute goalkeeper Stefany Castaño thanks to a little Jedi mind trick.
"I was actually looking to cross it at that point before I shot it," Morgan said. "Then I saw her leaning because she knew I was going to cross it, so at the last second I changed my mind to shoot it. It didn't have as much power on it as I would have wanted, but it went in and that's all that matters."
