Newport’s Manderino bolsters Cal

Barry Faulkner

Chris Manderino, a former Newport Harbor High football star in his

third season as the starting fullback at Cal, will try to help the

No. 7-ranked Golden Bears upset No. 1 USC today at 12:30 p.m. at the

Los Angeles Coliseum.

A 6-foot-1, 220-pound redshirt junior and former walk-on,

Manderino has three rushing attempts for 16 yards and two receptions

for 10 yards this season for the offense ranked No. 1 in NCAA

Division I-A in scoring (48.7 points per game).

He caught a 7-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter of Cal’s

49-7 Pac 10-opening win over Oregon State Oct. 2.

Manderino, a record-setting tailback and outside linebacker at

Newport Harbor (Class of 2001), is also utilized as a punishing

blocker by Coach Jeff Tedford.

He had one reception for 5 yards last year against USC, when Cal

upset the then-No. 3-ranked Trojans, 34-31, in three overtimes, at

Cal. It was the only loss last season for the Trojans, who shared the

national championship with LSU.

Cal (3-0, 1-0 in conference) enters on a six-game winning streak.

USC comes in 4-0, 1-0.