No. 8 OREGON at CAL
Data: Cal 3-4, 1-3 within the Pac-12; Oregon 6-1, 4-0 in Pac-12
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. PT Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley
TV: FS1
Radio: 810 AM The Unfold (KGO)
Sequence historical past: Tied 41-41-2. Oregon gained 24-17 at Eugene final 12 months after Cal beat the No. 21 Geese 21-17 at Berkeley within the 2020 season finale.
Cal storylines: The Bears are 15.5-point underdogs of their bid to finish a three-game shedding streak and submit their first win over a top-10 opponent since a 37-3 rout of No. 8 Washington State on Oct. 13, 2017 . . . The Cal offense scored 21 second-half factors in its 28-21 loss to Washington final week after totaling 22 factors in 10 earlier quarters . . . Freshman operating again Jaydn Ott, after gaining 274 dashing yards on 14.4 yards per try vs. Arizona, has totaled 155 yards on 3.3 yards per carry in three video games since . . . Extensive receiver Jeremiah Hunter is listed as possible to play after lacking the UW sport with an damage however cornerback Lu-Magia Hearns and broad receiver Mason Starling have been each listed as day-to-day by coach Justin Wilcox.
Oregon storylines: The Geese have sole possession of first place within the Pac-12 standings as the one workforce undefeated in convention play. They’re coming off a formidable 45-30 win over beforehand undefeated UCLA, their twenty third consecutive victory at Autzen Stadium . . . Auburn switch quarterback Bo Nix leads an offense that tops the Pac-12 with a 42.4 scoring common. Nix has accomplished practically 72 % of his passes and had his second five-touchdown sport of the season to earn Pac-12 Offensive Participant of the Week honors in opposition to UCLA . . . First-year coach Dan Lanning, who was defensive coordinator for Georgia’s nationwide championship workforce final season, took the Geese to Atlanta for the season opener, the place they misplaced 49-3 to the Bulldogs. They’re 6-0 since and averaging 49 factors in these video games.
Stats that matter: Cal’s protection had at the very least one takeaway in 19 consecutive video games — matching the longest streak in FBS — earlier than it ended final week vs. Washington . . . Plummer’s 250.6 passing yards per sport initiatives to three,007 for the season, which might be probably the most by a Cal quarterback since Ross Bowers, who had 3,039 yards in 2017. Solely 5 Cal QBs have thrown for 3,000 yards in a season . . . A victory would give Oregon its first 5-0 begin in convention play since 2019. Cal hasn’t even gained 5 convention video games in a season since 2009 and hasn’t began 5-0 in league play since 1950.
— JEFF FARAUDO
