Hurricanes blow into Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Although Jason Fox knew all about the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz prison from television, the Miami left tackle had never seen them in person before Tuesday, when a boat cruise took him right past the orange bridge and all the way to the Rock.

“That’s a part of the bowl experience that’s really great,” said Fox, a Texan who had never been west of Las Vegas in his life before Monday night. “You get to go places and do things you might never encounter otherwise.”

While the Hurricanes adjusted to unfamiliar surroundings on their first day in the Bay Area, their opponents in Saturday night’s Emerald Bowl worried less about culture shock and more about Miami’s shocking speed.

California is staying home for the postseason, with the advantage of a friendly crowd far outweighing any disappointment in their familiar destination. Cal (8-4) is practicing at Memorial Stadium on its Berkeley campus before its showdown with Miami (7-5) at the San Francisco Giants’ waterfront ballpark.

“About the only thing that’s different is we get a taste of bridge traffic, because we’re usually in practice during rush hour,” said Cal linebacker Worrell Williams, whose older brother, D.J., played at Miami. “Other than that, we’re very comfortable here, and it’s going to be great to have our fans behind us.”

The matchup is nearly perfect for the organizers of the 7-year-old bowl, which has thrived in recent years by matching ACC teams with West Coast opponents that otherwise might go decades without meeting.