Cal Game Preview: Bears Host FCS Opponent Idaho
Cal faces a significant challenge when it plays FCS school Idaho on Saturday in Berkeley. Although there is no official point spread for this game, it is generally seen as a tossup.
Idaho beat an FBS team, Nevada, 33-6 last week, and FCS schools have defeated FBS teams 25 times since the start of the 2020 season. That includes Montana’s 13-7 upset of 20th-ranked Washington in 2021.
That Washington loss is one of five upsets FCS/Division I-AA schools have pulled off against ranked FBS/Division I-A teams since the Division I-AA designation was applied in 1978. (The category name was changed from Division I-AA to FCS after the 2005 season).
The biggest FCS upset was Appalachian State’s 34-32 victory over No. 5-ranked Michigan in 2007.
Cal has never lost to an FCS/Division I-AA school.
Here are the basics for Saturday’s game:
CAL (1-1) vs. IDAHO (2-0)
SITE: Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, Calif.
WHEN: Saturday, 1 p.m.
TV: Pac-12 Bay Area -- Guy Haberman (play-by-play), Shane Vereen (analyst)
RADIO: 810 AM -- Justin Allegri (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (analyst), Alex Jensen (sideline reporter)
BETTING LINE: No line
WEATHER FORECAST: Saturday afternoon in Berkeley will be partly cloudy with a high temperature of 70 degrees. There is a 12% chance of rain, but humidity will approach 80%
CAL-IDAHO HISTORY: Cal leads the alltime series 4-0, but they have not faced each other since 1934. All four games were played in Berkeley, and the Bears won the most recent matchup 45-13 in 1934.
CAL INJURIES: Running back Jaydn Ott missed the final quarter of last week’s game against Auburn with an unspecified injury, but is expected to play Saturday. Center Matthew Cindric was injured in the opener and is out for the season.
CAL STORYLINES:
--Cal hopes to rebound from last week’s 14-10 loss to Auburn when the Bears had the advantage in most of the statistics but failed to convert numerous opportunities.
--Cal has never lost to an FCS/Division I-AA opponent and is 13-0 against FCS foes since 2000.
--The strength of Cal’s offense under new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital remains unknown. The Bears piled up 58 points and 669 yards in the opener against North Texas, but managed just 10 points and 273 yards against Auburn.
--Sam Jackson V will get his second start at quarterback. He started the opener, but was replaced in the second quarter after suffering an injury. He did not start against Auburn, but entered the game in the first half and finished the game, completing 14-of-27 passes for 126 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions (one of which was a Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half).
--Cal is just 2-for-7 on field goal attempts, all by kicker Michael Luckhurst, who is likely to continue to be Cal’s place-kicker for at least one more game.
--Cal desperately needs to win this game to have a reasonable chance of getting a postseason bowl berth.
--Since giving up 21 first-half points at North Texas, Cal's defense has only allowed 14 points over the last six quarters. Cal is second in the Pac-12 in total defense, and it leads the conference in turnovers forced with seven takeaways in two games.
IDAHO STORYLINES:
--Idaho is one of three FCS teams that beat an FBS opponent this season. The Vandals dominated Nevada of the Mountain West Conference 33-6 last week in Reno, Nevada. That was Idaho’s first win over an FBS school since it defeated UNLV in 1994.
--The Vandals are 2-0 for the first time since 1998. If they beat Cal they will be 3-0 or the first time since 1994, when they started 7-0. Idaho beat Lamar 42-17 in its opener.
--Idaho is ranked No. 10 in this week’s FCS coaches poll and No. 5 in the STATS Perform FCS rankings.
--Idaho wide receiver Hayden Hatten was named the preseason Big Sky offensive player of the year, and he is one of four Idaho skill-position offensive players who were named to the preseason Big Sky first-team all-conference team: Hatten, quarterback Gevani McCoy, running back Anthony Woods and wide receiver Jermaine Jackson.
--Idaho leads all of FCS in passer rating, and Gevani McCoy ranks third individually in passer rating.
--Idaho’s roster includes 12 players who transferred in since the end of the 2022 season. Three of those transfers are starters – defensive tackle Jahkari Larmond, linebacker Tre Thomas and edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby.
--Idaho kicker/punter Ricardo Chavez was named the Big Sky special teams player of the week after going 4-for-4 on field goals and averaging 65 yards on punts in last week’s game against Nevada.
--The Vandals are 9-5 under second-year head coach Jason Eck, who took over after Paul Petrino was fired following the 2021 season. Idaho got a berth in the FCS playoffs last season and was picked to finish second in the Big Sky this season in this year’s preseason media poll.
--Idaho ranks third in the nation among FCS schools in total defense, yielding an average of 227 yards over the first two games. The Vandals rank fourth in scoring defense, allowing 11.5 points per game.
---Idaho beat writer answers five questions about the Vandals---
CAL PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Sam Jackson V (he provides a running threat); RB Jaydn Ott (averaging 138 yards per game); WR Jeremiah Hunter (11 receptions, 99 yards, 1 TD); ILB Kaleb Elarms-Orr (13 tackles, 1 forced fumble vs. Auburn); PK Michael Luckhurst (2-for-7 on field goals); ILB Jackson Sirmon (Cal’s best defensive player).
IDAHO PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Gevani McCoy (72.5% completion rate, 4 TDs, 1 interception); WR Hayden Hatten (12 receptions, 2 TDs); WR Jermaine Jackson (5 receptions, dangerous punt/kick returner); RB Anthony Woods (104.5 yards per game, 6.7 yards per carry); LB Mathias Bertram (3.5 tackles for loss); DB Marcus Harris (preseason Big Sky all-conference, 1 interception)
---Sam Jackson V talks about what went wrong offensively against Auburn---
CAL STATISTICS: Click here
CAL NOTES, DEPTH CHART: Click Here
IDAHO STATISTICS: Click here
IDAHO GAME NOTES: Click here
JAKE'S PICK: Cal 24, Idaho 20
JEFF’S PICK: Cal 35, Idaho 24
TREVAN PIXLEY’S PICK (Lewiston Tribune): Idaho 34, Cal 27 (Overtime)
TICKETS: Click here. Stub Hub: Click Here:
PARKING: Click here.
GAME DAY PROGRAM: Click here
Cover photo of Idaho quarterback Gevani McCoy is by James Snook, USA TODAY Sports
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