Cal Football Preview Box: Bears Host Arizona in Pac-12 Opener

It's Homecoming for Cal, which hopes to reverse last year's result

Cal opens Pac-12 play with a Saturday afternoon home game against Arizona, which recorded its only win of 2021 by beating the Bears in Tucson.

In that 10-3 loss to the Wildcats last year, the Bears played without quarterback Chase Garbers and several other starters and assistant coaches because of COVID protocols.

Saturday's game is Homecoming for Cal.

Here are the facts about Saturday's game:

CAL (2-1) vs. ARIZONA (2-1)

SITE: Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, Calif.

WHEN: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

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 3 points. Over/under is 50.5 points.

WEATHER FORECAST: Saturday afternoon will be mostly sunny in Berkeley with a high temperature of about 86 degrees and humidity at 55% with just a 6% chance of rain. Temperatures will go down to about 57 degrees Saturday night.

CAL-ARIZONA HISTORY: Arizona leads the alltime series 19-14-2. The Wildcats have won each of the past six games against Cal, including a 10-3 victory over the Bears last year in Tucson, when Cal was without quarterback Chase Garbers and several other starters because of COVID protocols. All six of those games was decided by seven points or fewer. Cal’s last victory over Arizona was a 24-16 win over the Wildcat in 2019 in Berkeley.

CAL STORYLINES: The Bears will try to bounce back from a disheartening 24-17 loss to Notre Dame last week in this pivotal Pac-12 opener. Cal is 1-1 this year in games decided by seven points or fewer and was 0-5 in that category last year . . . Cal has won its last five home games (Colorado, Oregon State, USC last year, UC Davis, UNLV this year) . . . .This game is one Cal needs to win to get the six victories it needs to become bowl-eligible . . . Cal is hoping to win its conference opener for the first time since 2019 . . . Cal needs to provide better pass protections for quarterback Jack Plummer, who was sacked six times against Notre Dame and was harried several other times. Cal has allowed 12 sacks, and only three of the 131 FBS schools have allowed more. Plummer injured his wrist in the loss to Notre Dame, but does not think it will be an issue against Arizona . . . Cal’s wide receivers have been impressive, especially Jermiah Hunter and J. Michael Sturdivant . . . . Freshman running back Jaydn Ott made his first collegiate start against Notre Dame, but he was limited to 33 yards rushing on 13 carries, an average of 2.5 yards per carry, and two catches for 11 yards . . . Damien Moore was Cal’s starting running back in the first two games, but did not play against Notre Dame. How Cal will utilize him against Arizona remains to be seen. . . . Cal ranks 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring (23.7 point per game) and is ahead of only Colorado.

ARIZONA STORYLINES: The Wildcats are coming off a 31-28 win over FCS powerhouse North Dakota State . . . Arizona is looking to improve to 3-1 for the first time since 2019, when it started 4-1, but wound up 4-8 . . . Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura has the ability to make something out of nothing, but he sometimes makes the wrong decision. He has thrown four interceptions, the most by a Pac-12 quarterback . . . Wildcats wide receiver Jacob Cowing leads the Pac-12 in receptions with 20 and is third in receiving yards per game. He is tied for conference lead in touchdown catches with five. He has had at least one catch in 35 consecutive games . . . Michael Wiley, DJ Williams and Jonah Coleman share the running back duties; Wiley is averaging 6.2 yards per carry, Williams is averaging 4.6, and Coleman 3.5 . . . Arizona has forced six turnovers over its first three games; it had six takeaways for its entire 12-game season in 2021.

---Arizona beat writer answers five questions about the Wildcats---

CAL PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Jack Plummer (showed an ability to scramble out of trouble against Notre Dame); RB Jaydn Ott (Big games in Cal’s first two contests, a non-factor against Notre Dame); WR Jeremiah Hunter (16 catches, 223 yards, 1 TD); RB DeCarlos Brooks (team-leading 43 yards rushing on five carries against Notre Dame); WR J.Michael Sturdivant (14 receptions, 165 yards); ILB Jackson Sirmon (team-leading 32 tackles, 3 tackles for loss).

ARIZONA PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Jayden de Laura (Washington State transfer, 6 TD passes, 4 interceptions); WR Jacob Cowing (5 TD catches, tied for the most in the country); WR Dorian Singer (15 receptions, 12.27 yards per catch); RB Michael Wiley (6.2 yards per carry, 9 receptions); LB Jerry Roberts (10.3 tackles per game); DL Hunter Echols (Pac-12 co-defensive lineman of the week after getting eight tackles, including two for loses, and forcing a fumble against North Dakota State)

CAL STATISTICS: Click here

CAL NOTES, DEPTH CHART: Click Here

ARIZONA NOTES, STATISTICS, DEPTH CHART: Click here

JAKE's PICK: Cal 20, Arizona 17

JEFF'S PICK: Cal 27, Arizona 21

MICHAEL LEV’S PICK (Arizona Daily Star): Cal 24, Arizona 23

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Cover photo of DeCarlos Brooks is by Darren Yamashita, USA TODAY Sports

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