Cal’s Chad Hansen Named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week
Cal Bears’ wide receiver Chad Hansen has been named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week following the team’s big upset win over Texas.
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After a huge upset over the 11th-ranked Texas Longhorns, the California Golden Bears’ top receiver has been rewarded. Junior wide receiver Chad Hansen has been named the Pac-12’s Offensive Player of the Week. Hansen was the biggest component in Cal’s first victory against a ranked opponent since they beat 25th-ranked UCLA in 2012.
Hansen piled up the yardage, gaining 196 yards through the air on 12 receptions against the Longhorns’ defense. He also scored twice, including catching what would be the game-winning touchdown. With just under four minutes to go and the score tied at 43, quarterback Davis Webb hit Hansen on a slant into the endzone, breaking the tie for good. In addition, Hansen scored a two-point conversion on an end-around on the scoring drive prior to the final touchdown drive.
The receiver also got some notoriety after his first touchdown catch. After the grab, which came on a beautiful fade route and throw, Hansen mocked Texas’ famous “horns up” hand signal, turning it into “horns down”.
Hansen has enjoyed an incredible start to the season. He entered the year with minimal experience, playing just seven games in 2015 for Cal while recording 19 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown, but was elevated to number one on the depth chart this past offseason. In three games this year, Hansen has caught an astounding 40 passes for 546 yards and five touchdowns. He leads the nation in all three categories.
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Even with quarterback Jared Goff and the team’s top-six receiving threats from last season gone on to the NFL, Cal’s Bear Raid offense hasn’t missed a beat. They are the second-best passing attack in the nation, averaging over 450 yards through the air per game. Individually, Webb is second in the nation with 1,359 passing yards, behind only Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech also leads the nation in total aerial offense, as well).
In the Pac-12, Oregon State’s senior cornerback Treston Decoud was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week. Arizona State’s senior kicker Zane Gonzalez was Special Teams Player of the Week.
Next: Cal's Webb Ranked 21st-Best QB
Next week, Cal travels to Sun Devil Stadium to take on Arizona State. The Bears have beat the Sun Devils in five of their last six matchups.