Barnes Still Waiting to Show His Stuff : Football: Quarterback from Trabuco Hills, now at Cal, has come close to getting into a game, but has never quite made it.

It was in the second half of last Saturday’s game when Pat Barnes’ magic moment neared.

His California Bears were trailing USC when, with about eight minutes left, Coach Keith Gilbertson told Barnes to get loose.

A few weeks ago, Barnes, a freshman quarterback from Trabuco Hills, never would have expected those words. He was on track to be a redshirt. But then Cal won a game here, a game there and, suddenly, the Bears began to see a bowl invitation on the horizon.

Meanwhile, junior quarterback Dave Barr’s chronic shoulder soreness was flaring up again. And every day in practice, Barnes was doing things that freshman quarterbacks normally don’t do. Good things.

Next thing Barnes knew, he was standing on the sideline with Cal trailing USC, 35-14, and Gilbertson stopped by for a visit.

“Coach Gilbertson told me to get ready to go in,” Barnes said. “He told me we needed to get something going.

“It was probably the most excited, scared moment of my life. It was like, ‘Wow, this is really it.’ You can’t wait, you can’t wait, but then when it happens, whoa .”

One detail here. It didn’t happen. Oh, Barnes warmed up all right, but he never went in. USC embarked on a long drive, keeping the ball until only about a minute remained. By then, the game was over. And Gilbertson, attempting to balance Cal’s present with its future, didn’t figure it was worth burning Barnes’ redshirt year over one lousy minute.

Such is the life of a redshirt. One year, you’re a high school star, passing at will and hogging all of the attention. The next, you’re just another freshman in a big-time program, going through four months of grueling practices without ever snapping your chin strap in a game.

“It’s difficult,” Barnes said. “You kind of feel a part of the team but it is a little different because you’re not into the games. It’s almost like you’re a fan--you get excited but you’re really not a part of it.

“This year has gone up and down. I’ve gone from scout team to running the first and second teams in practice. It’s been weird. Most of the guys redshirting are just lifting (weights) and running the scout team.”

Gilbertson said a couple of weeks ago that he would be willing to play Barnes if it improves the Bears’ bowl chances. So far, Barnes’ redshirt year is intact--he has not yet taken the field.

But then, Barnes is also just one hit too many on Barr away from going in.

At this point, Barnes doesn’t know if he wants to remain a redshirt and have four years of eligibility remaining or if he wants to play now.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It tosses back and forth. I think it would be great to be able to play. Everybody says, ‘You look pretty good, you’re probably ready.’

“In the back of your mind, you always want to go out and see what it’s like, test your ability against one of the best conferences. But if I just hold out a few more games, I have four more years left.

“It’s a weird situation. We have a lot of football left. I think I can go in and help the team.”

Barnes isn’t alone in that assessment.

“All week in practice, every (Barnes) pass has been right there,” senior receiver Damien Semien told the San Francisco Examiner last week. “I told Gilby I wanted my redshirt year back so I could play a few more years with him.”

Said Gilbertson: “He has a tremendous amount of talent. He has a great arm and a great motion. He has the ability to be a very accurate thrower. He has all the things you try to go out and recruit in a quarterback.

“He’s a lot like (former Washington quarterback) Billy Joe Hobert size-wise and, I think, in the strength of his arm.”

Barnes passed for 2,368 yards and 24 touchdowns during his senior season at Trabuco Hills before choosing Cal over Notre Dame. The choice caused Barnes some anxiety because, a few days before signing day, Cal offensive coordinator Mike Shephard, with whom Barnes had developed a special rapport, took an assistant’s job with the Cleveland Browns.

“When something like that happens, you’re very scared,” Barnes said. “But it’s part of football. Coaches come and go. How could you turn down a job (in the NFL)? I wished him good luck, and he wished me good luck.”

Barnes thought about changing his decision, but only briefly.

“That wasn’t really why I chose Cal,” he said. “I was concerned about who I would be coached by, but I thought that Cal could offer me everything I was looking for.”

He hasn’t regretted his decision.

“Cal’s great,” he said. “I love it. I think it was probably the best choice for me. I really enjoy my coaches, I like the area, I like the teachers that I have. I’m extremely happy.” And one of these days, he is going to get into a football game.

The Bears are at Arizona State today, and Barnes’ status is the same as last week. If there comes a point when Gilbertson thinks Barnes can help, Barnes will play.

And don’t think that Barnes has not envisioned his first play, his first series.

“I’m just worried about my first pass,” Barnes said. “I don’t want to throw a weenie duck pass. I just want to complete my first pass. And I don’t want to throw an interception. I would hate to throw an interception. That would be bad.”

And on second thought, maybe it was a good thing Barnes never made it in against USC. His older brother is John, who started for UCLA last year against USC because of injuries. As you might recall, John Barnes lit up the Trojans for 385 yards passing and three touchdowns in a 38-37 Bruin victory.

“My brother and I were talking during the week,” Pat Barnes said. “He was saying, ‘If you get in, you’ve got to do the same thing I did against USC.’

“I said, ‘Hopefully, I won’t get in.’ ”

See, sometimes redshirts have to sweat, too.