Cal Football: Preview Box for Saturday's Game at Oregon

QB Devon Modster makes his first start for Cal., which is more than a two-touchdown underdog

Photo by Rob Kerr - USA TODAY Sports

Cal travels to Eugene, Oregon, to face No. 13 Oregon on Saturday evening. Quarterback Devon Modster will make his first start for the Bears, who will be without Chase Garbers for several weeks. 

Here are the important facts for Saturday’s contest:

NO. 15 CAL (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) vs. NO. 13 OREGON (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12)

SITE: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon

WHEN: Saturday, 5 p.m.

TV: FOX – Brandon Gaudin (Play-By-Play), Brock Huard (Analyst), Bruce Feldman (Analyst)

RADIO: KGO 810 AM - Joe Starkey (Play-By-Play), Mike Pawlawski (Analyst), Todd McKim (Sideline Reporter)

BETTING LINE: Oregon favored by 18 points (as of Thursday); Over/Under – 46

WEATHER FORECAST: It will be cool by Saturday night in Eugene. Temperatures will reach 68 degrees under partly cloudy skies Saturday afternoon, but the temperature will drop to about 41 degrees at night. No rain is expected, but humidity will be up to about 83 percent.

CAL-OREGON HISTORY: Cal leads the all-time series against Oregon 40-39-2, but Oregon has won the last two meetings and nine of the last 10. Oregon has scored more than 40 points in each of the past eight games against Cal. Cal’s lone win in the past 10 meetings was a 52-49 overtime victory in 2016 in Berkeley. The Ducks have beaten the Bears 12 of the last 13 times they played at Autzen Stadium. Cal’s last win in Eugene was in 2007, and that was the Bears’ last win at Oregon since 1987.

CAL STORYLINES: Cal is coming off its first loss, a 24-17 home defeat against Arizona State. That loss dropped Cal out of the top-25 rankings . . . QB Devon Modster, a transfer from UCLA, will make his first Cal start on Saturday. He was 5-of-14 for 23 yards and an interception last week . . . Cal QB Chase Garbers suffered an injury in the Arizona State game that will sideline him indefinitely. . . . The Bears have won three of their past four games against top-15 teams. They beat No. 14 Washington 20-19 on the road this year; they upset No. 15 Washington 12-10 last year, and they defeated No. 8 Washington State 37-3 in 2017. The only loss was to No. 15 Washington State 19-13 last year . . . Cal has won four of its last five games played on its opponent’s home field, dating back to last year. The only loss in that span was the 19-13 defeat against 10th-ranked Washington State . . . Cal, which forced 28 turnovers and had 22 interceptions last year, has only six takeaways and two picks this season. . . . None of Cal’s past four games has been decided by more than eight points. . . Cal head coach Justin Wilcox and assistant coach Peter Sirmon played their college football at Oregon . . . Cal OT Valentino Daltoso played one season at Oregon before transferring to Cal.

OREGON STORYLINES: Oregon is coming off a bye week and is the highest ranked Pac-12 team at No. 13 . . . Oregon has won 11 of its last 12 home games, the only loss coming against Stanford last year when the Ducks blew a 24-7 halftime lead . . . A Ducks win over Cal would give Oregon a 2-0 conference record for the first time since 2013 (which is hard to believe) . . . Oregon leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense (10.5 points per game), total defense, passing defense and sacks (15). The Ducks have not allowed a touchdown in any of the past three games, and have not given up a first-half touchdown all season. . . . Oregon QB Justin Herbert has thrown a touchdown pass in 32 straight games and has thrown 174 passes without an interception. Both marks are the longest active streaks in the country . . . Oregon ranks second in the Pac-12 in scoring offense, averaging 38.5 points . . . The Ducks have committed just one turnover this season. . . . Two of Oregon’s offensive linemen (Shane Lemieux, Calvin Throckmorton) were on the preseason first-team all-Pac-12 squad this year and a third Ducks offensive lineman (Penei Sewell) was on the preseason second team.

CAL PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Devon Modster (first start at Cal, struggled last week against Arizona State); RB Chris Brown Jr. (Cal’s leading rusher at 77.8 yards per game, has not gone over 55 yards in any of the past three games); RB Marcel Dancy (Bears’ second-leading rusher, second on team in receptions); WR Nikko Remigio (big-play threat as receiver, punt returner); LB Evan Weaver (leads the nation in tackles at 15.6 per game); S Ashtyn Davis (possible first-round NFL Draft pick next spring).

OREGON PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Justin Herbert (14 TD passes, 0 interceptions); WR Johnny Johnson III (22 receptions, 264 yards, 2 TDs); TE Jacob Breeland (18 receptions, 265 yards, 5 TDs); LB Troy Dye (third in career tackles among active FBS players); DB Thomas Graham Jr. (seven career interceptions, 18 pass breakups last season)

CAL GAME NOTES, STATISTICS, DEPTH CHART: Click here: 

OREGON NOTES, STATISTICS, DEPTH CHART: Click here 

JAKE'S PICK: Oregon 27, Cal 10

JEFF'S PICK: Oregon 38, Cal 17

ZAC NEEL’S PICK (Ducks Maven): Oregon 31, Cal 10

FIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT OREGON ANSWERED BY ZAC NEEL OF DUCKS MAVEN: Click here 

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