Cal Football Preview Box: Bears Travel to Colorado

Golden Bears take on winless Buffaloes in an early Saturday game in Boulder

Cal is expected to win Saturday's road game against winless Colorado, although the Bears are probably reminded of the fact that they were the only team to lose to Arizona last year.

This is a different situation, of course, but Colorado may be energized by the fact that it has a new head coach -- Mike Sanford, who had been the Buffaloes' offensive coordinator before Karl Dorrell was fired on Oct. 2.

The facts of Saturday's game:

CAL (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) vs. COLORADO (0-5, 0-2 Pac-12)

SITE: Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado

WHEN: Saturday, 11 a.m. Pacific time (noon Mountain time)

TV: Pac-12 Network – – J.B. Long (Play-By-Play), Max Browne (Analyst)

RADIO: KGO 810 AM -- Joe Starkey (Play-By-Play), Mike Pawlawski (Analyst), Todd McKim (sideline reporter).

BETTING LINE: Cal is favored by 15 points. Over/under is 48.5 points.

WEATHER FORECAST: Saturday afternoon will bring partly cloudy skies to Boulder, with a high of 65 degrees dropping to 41 degrees Saturday night. Humidity is expected to be 34% with just a 1% chance of rain during the day.

CAL-COLORADO HISTORY: Cal leads the alltime series 7-4 and has won the past two matchups with the Buffaloes, 26-3 last year and 33-21 in 2018. Both of those games were in Berkeley. The last time the teams met in Boulder was 2017, when the Buffaloes won 44-28. Cal has lost to Colorado the past two times they met in Boulder, with Cal’s last road win over the Colorado coming in 2011, a 36-33 Cal victory.

CAL STORYLINES: Cal is coming off a bye and is looking to bounce back from its poor offensive showing in the 28-9 loss at Washington State on Oct. 1 . . . . The Bears are 1-9 in road games since the start of the 2020 season . . . Saturday’s game is almost a must-win situation for Cal if it hopes to get the six wins needed to become bowl-eligible . . . Cal is looking to go to 2-1 in the conference for the first time since 2015, when it also won two of its first three conference games . . . The Bears will try to get their running game going against a Colorado defense that ranks last in the country in run defense. Cal rushed for 354 yards in its Sept. 24 win over Arizona, but was limited to 32 rushing yards and 1.3 yards per attempt against Washington State . . . Bears freshman running back Jaydn Ott ranks second in the Pac-12 in rushing at 106.5 yards per game and is averaging 7.4 yards per carry, but he was limited to 70 yards on the ground by WSU . . . The Bears rank 11th in the Pac-12 in both scoring offense and total offense, ahead of only Colorado . . . Cal QB Jack Plummer had to be replaced at the end of the Washington State game with an apparent leg injury, but he is fine and will start Saturday's game. He was sacked four times against Washington State and has been sacked 16 times this season, but Colorado has recorded only three sacks, which is the fewest in the Pac-12. . . Plummer ranks 10th in the conference in passer rating.

---Colorado beat writer answers five questions about the Buffaloes---

COLORADO STORYLINES: The Buffaloes are coming off a bye and will be playing their first game under interim head coach Mike Sanford following the dismissal of Karl Dorrell on Oct. 2 . . . The Buffaloes offensive coordinator (Clay Patterson) and defensive coordinator (Gerald Chatman) are also new to their positions after being promoted from within the staff after Dorrell’s firing. . . . Colorado is 0-5 for just the fourth time in school history, joining the 1980, 1984 and 2006 teams. The Buffaloes have started 0-6 only twice before (1980 and 2006) . . . Colorado has lost six straight games since its victory over Washington in the 11th game last season . . . Each of Colorado’s five defeats this season have been by 23 points or more . . . Colorado lost to Arizona 43-20 on Oct. 1 in its most recent game . . . Colorado ranks 129th of 131 FBS teams in scoring offense, averaging 13.4 points per game . . . The Buffaloes rank 130th of 131 FBS teams in scoring defense (allowing 43.2 points), and they rank 129th in total defense and last in rushing defense, allowing opposing teams to rush for 6.69 yards per carry . . . True freshman quarterback Owen McCown, the son of former NFL quarterback Josh McCown, has started the past two games and has provided some energy to the Colorado attack. He is a threat to run as well . . . Since taking over, Sanford has focused on getting his team to be more physical, using full-contact sesions in some practices.

CAL PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Jack Plummer (8 TD passes, 2 interceptions); RB Jaydn Ott (533 rushing yards, 16 receptions); WR Jeremiah Hunter (27 catches, 414 yards); S Craig Woodson (2 tackles for loss, 1 interception); WR J.Michael Sturdivant (23 receptions, 2 TDs); ILB Jackson Sirmon (team-leading 44 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble).

COLORADO PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Owen McCown (true freshman has 2 starts, 2 TD passes, 1 interception); WR Jordyn Tyson (freshman averages 18.3 yards per catch); WR Daniel Arias (16 catches, 237 yards); RB Anthony Hankerson (freshman had 68 rushing yards vs. Arizona); LB Josh Chandler-Semedo (2 sacks, 4 tackles for loss); S Trevor Woods (13 tackles vs. Arizona) 

CAL STATISTICS: Click here

CAL NOTES, DEPTH CHART: Click Here

COLORADO NOTES, STATISTICS, DEPTH CHART: Click here

JAKE'S PICK: Cal 33, Colorado 10

JEFF'S PICK: Cal 42, Colorado 17

BRIAN HOWELL'S PICK (Boulder Daily Camera): Colorado 28, Cal 27

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Cover photo of Owen McCown by Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY Sports

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