Cal Football Preview: Bears Host Washington Saturday Night

Cal is 3-0 at home and hopes to get its offense going after poor offensive efforts the past two games

Cal hosts Washington in a nationally televised game Saturday night. Both teams are undefeated at home and both are winless on the road. This game is on Cal’s home field. The Bears are underdogs nonetheless.

Former Cal running backs Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett, along with Ahmad Anderson (creator of the Bear Territory chant) will all be celebrated for their inductions into the California Athletics Hall of Fame during the game. The first 10,000 fans will receive a special commemorative poster featuring Lynch and Forsett, painted by former Cal men's basketball player Rod Benson.

The facts:

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

SITE: Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, Calif.

WHEN: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

TV: ESPN – Dave Flemming (Play-By-Play), Rod Gilmore (Analyst), Tiffany Blackmon (Sideline)

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

BETTING LINE: Washington is favored by 7.5 points. Over/under is 56.5 points.

WEATHER FORECAST: Saturday night will bring mostly clear skies to Berkeley with a high of 69 degrees Saturday afternoon dropping to 51 degrees Saturday night. Humidity Saturday night will be about 57% with just a 2% chance of rain.

CAL-WASHINGTON HISTORY: Washington leads the alltime series 55-41-4. Washington won last year’s game in Seattle 31-24 in overtime, and Cal won the two matchups before that – a 20-19 victory in Seattle in 2019 and a 12-10 Cal win in Berkeley in 2018. The Huskies were nationally ranked in both 2018 and 2019 when Cal beat them. The teams did not meet during the shortened 2020 season. The past three games have been decided by two points or fewer or in overtime.

CAL PLAYER AVAILABILITY: Wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter, who leads Cal in receptions and receiving yards, is questionable for the game with an undisclosed injury. Starting cornerback Lu-Magia Hearns III is also questionable with an undisclosed injury. Quarterback Jack Plummer admitted he was slightly affected in the Colorado game by a leg injury sustained in the Oct. 1 loss to Washington State, but he is expected to start against Washington. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave did not rule out of the possibility of using Kai Millner on Saturday if Plummer seems affected by his injury. Linebacker Femi Oladejo started the first five games this season and is the team's second-leading tackler, but he did not play at all against Colorado last week for unexplained reasons.  He is listed as a backup at outside linebacker on this week's depth chart so it is unclear whether he will play Saturday night.

---We make our picks against the spread of Saturday's four Pac-12 games---

CAL STORYLINES: Cal will try to end a two-game losing streak with a game at home, where the Bears are 3-0 this season and have won six in a row overall . . . The Bears lost their past two games, both on the road, and the offense struggled mightily in both games. Last week, Cal lost to previously winless Colorado 20-13 in overtime, scoring just 13 points and gaining just 35 rushing yards against a Buffaloes defense that ranks near the bottom nationally in virtually every defensive category. . . Justin Wilcox has hinted he might make more changes in the offensive line this week. He added former Cal offensive line coach Steve Greatwood to the staff this week to help with the offensive line and the offense in general . . . Cal needs three more wins to become bowl-eligible and those will be difficult to get with games against Oregon, USC and UCLA among the Bears’ final five games. . . Cal quarterback Jack Plummer ranks 10th in the conference in passer rating, and has been sacked 16 times. Only one Pac-12 team has allowed more sacks. Washington ranks second in the Pac-12 in sacks with 20. . . . Cal’s passing game will be critical against the Huskies, who rank 10th in the conference in pass defense, yielding 258.3 passing yards per game. . . . Cal freshman Jaydn Ott ranks second in the Pac-12 in rushing, averaging 96.5 yards per game, but he was limited to 70 rushing yards against Washington State and 42 yards against Colorado. . . Cal ranks second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, yielding 21.7 points per game. The Bears have given up more than 28 points only once, and that was in a 49-31 win over Arizona.

---Washington beat writer answers five questions about the Huskies---

WASHINGTON STORYLINES: The Huskies ended a two-game losing streak by beating Arizona 49-39 last week. . . . Washington is 5-0 at home this season and 0-2 on the road. . . . Washington is in its first season under head coach Kalen DeBoer, and the Huskies have already won more games than they did all of last season when they finished 4-8 . . . The Huskies have been outstanding on offense, ranking ninth in the country in total offense (512.3 yards per game) and eighth in the nation in scoring offense (42.1 points per game) . . . Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a transfer from Indiana, leads the nation in passing yards (365.7 yards per game), and last week against Arizona, he broke school records for passing yards in a game (516) and total offense (529). . . . The Huskies have a strong pass rush, collecting 20 sacks so far this season, but their biggest weakness is in the secondary. They rank 10th in the Pac-12 in pass defense and have given up 17 passing touchdowns, the most in the Pac-12 and the seventh-most in the country.

CAL PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Jack Plummer (9 TD passes, 3 interceptions); RB Jaydn Ott (580 rushing yards, 6.5 yards per carry, 19 receptions); WR Jeremiah Hunter (questionable for the game, 30 catches); OLB Xavier Carlton (3 sacks, 4 tackles for loss); WR J.Michael Sturdivant (29 receptions, 3 TDs); ILB Jackson Sirmon (team-leading 52 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble).

WASHINGTON PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Michael Penix Jr. (leads the nation in passing yards); RB Wayne Taulapapa (424 rushing yards); WR Rome Odunze (44 catches, 115.5 yards per game, 6 TDs); WR Jalen McMillan (37 catches, 75.7 yards per game, 5 TDs); EDGE Jeremiah Martin (5 sacks); EDGE Bralen Trice (4.5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss).

---Penix the first of three straight star transfer QBs Cal will face---

CAL STATISTICS: Click here

CAL NOTES, DEPTH CHART: Click Here

WASHINGTON NOTES, STATISTICS, DEPTH CHART: Click here

JAKE'S PICK: Washington 30, Cal 24

JEFF'S PICK: Washington 31, Cal 21

DAN RALEY’S PICK (Husky Maven): Washington 35, Cal 25

TICKETS: Click here. StubHub: Click here. TicketMaster: Click here.

CAL FOOTBALL PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION: Click here

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Cover photo of Washington's Rome Odunze by Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports

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