Cal Football: OSU Tight End Luke Musgrave Has the Attention of Uncle Bill
Bill Musgrave was proud of his nephew for special teams heroics last week in Oregon State’s 42-34 victory over Utah.
But Cal’s offensive coordinator won’t cheering for Luke Musgrave on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Asked if it will fun to see his brother’s son play for the Beavers, Musgrave shot down the idea entirely.
“We’re hoping they don’t have any fun at all,” he said. “We’re hoping the fun train with the Beavers, we’re planning on ending that this weekend in Berkeley.”
Oregon State will arrive with a 5-2 record, 3-1 in the Pac-12, and needing just one more victory to achieve bowl eligibility for the first time since 2013. Cal is 2-5, 1-3 in conference play, but coming off a 26-3 win over Colorado.
A starting tight end, Luke Musgrave played a significant role in the Beavers win over Utah, getting a hand on a punt, retrieving it and running 27 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.
“Looked like nephew Luke blocked a punt. It took a great hop and he was aware enough to see it,” Bill said. “That was a big play. It changed the momentum of the game.”
“Once I felt the ball hit my hand, I knew it was probably off somewhere. I ended up looking for it, found it and returned it,” Luke Musgrave told the Oregonian. “I couldn’t be more happy.”
Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon recalls the Bears hosting Luke on a recruiting visit several years back.
“He’s a very talented young man and he’s developed very nicely for them,” Sirmon said. “The things he’s doing on special teams for them is a really good positive in conjunction with what he’s doing at the tight end position.”
Asked if there’s any chance the 6-foot-6, 252-pound Luke Musgrave matches the athleticism of his uncle -- a former star quarterback at Oregon -- Sirmon smiled and said, “Not a chance, not a chance.”
Bill Musgrave wasn’t buying it. “No comparison,” he said. “I never dreamed of being able to run that fast.”
Of course, Bill Musgrave was an accomplished passer in college. He passed for 8,343 yards and 60 touchdowns in his college career, leading the Ducks to bowl games in 1989 and ’90. His junior season of 1989 was statistically his best — he led the Pac-10 in passing yards (3,081) and touchdown passes (22). Musgrave passed for 489 yards against BYU and threw three TDs in a win over Cal that season.
He was named the All-Pac-10 quarterback a year later in his fourth season as a starter, and he held Oregon's career passing yardage record for 24 years.
Luke Musgrave has seven receptions for 81 yards this season, paired with fellow tight end Teagan Quitoriano, a 6-6, 259-pound junior. Musgrave has 21 career catches for 241 yards.
Cover photo of Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave by Soobum Im, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
