NCAA football preview: California looking to rebound after tough loss
The California Golden Bears (Cal) will be trying to get into the win column after a tough loss to Oregon last weekend. They will be playing Pacific 10 (PAC-10) and in state rival number six ranked Stanford Cardinals.
Cal’s season so far
The Golden Bears started their season with two straight victories, first against the University of California-Davis and then Colorado.
They lost in week three against Nevada and were defeated in week four against former no. 14 Arizona, 10-9.
Cal got into the win column with a victory in week five over UCLA, but fell the following week to USC.
After a 50-17 victory over Arizona State, the Golden Bears were once again defeated by the Beavers from Oregon State.
They rebounded against Washington State, but the heart breaking loss last weekend to the undefeated Oregon Ducks is still fresh in their minds.
After the loss to Oregon, defensive tackle Derrick Hill reflected on the game.
"It's very hurtful that we let it slip away," said Hill according to espn.go.com. "There's no consolation, because you're left with an L."
The Golden Bears sit at 5-5 overall and 3-4 in conference. They need a victory over Stanford or in their final game against Washington to reach a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game.
Stanford’s previous games
The Cardinals started their season with a four-game winning streak over Sacramento State, UCLA, Wake Forest and Notre Dame. The Cardinals scored more than 30 points in each victory.
In week five, Stanford ran into the Oregon Ducks and received their first loss of the season, 52-31.
Since the loss, the Cardinals have been on a five-game winning streak with victories over USC, Washington State, Washington, Arizona and last weekend’s emotional come from behind win over Arizona State.
Stanford is sitting at 9-1 and is a lock to finish second in the PAC-10 that is unless Oregon loses both of its remaining games.
Cal’s keys to victory
The Golden Bears are deadly when they play at home, outscoring their opponents 202-49.
Their offence however comes in at 88th in the passing game and 53rd in the rushing game. Quarterback Brock Mansion, who has taken the reins after starter Kevin Riley fell victim to
injury on 6 November, has to find his accuracy. His 10 completions in 28 attempts that he earned in last week’s loss will not be good enough.
Running back Shane Vereen has the ability to carry the offence to victory. His 998 yards and 13 touchdowns are a big reason why Cal was hanging around last week against Oregon, and he will need an even bigger
performance this weekend against Stanford’s stingy defence which allows only 20 points per game.
Stanford’s keys to victory
The Cardinals need quarterback Andrew Luck to not have a game like he did against Arizona State last weekend. He threw an interception and fumbled the ball in the fourth quarter with the Cardinals down 13-10 to the Sun Devils, but it was the one yard
touchdown run by Owen Marecic that lifted Stanford to victory.
"When you have the best quarterback in the nation, a Heisman candidate on the other side of the ball, you just have do your job and keep them out of the end zone," cornerback Richard Sherman said according
to espn.go.com. "No matter how long it takes, he's going to get it done."
Stanford is scoring an average of 39.8 points per game, thanks in part to Luck but kudos also goes to his offence’s leading rusher, running back Stepfan Taylor. Taylor has 849 yards on 181 attempts with
11 touchdowns.
In order to be successful, Luck will need to count on not only Taylor, but his wide outs Doug Baldwin and Chris Owusu who have a combined touchdown total of nine.
Prediction
Cal stays hot at home and ruins the Cardinals hopes’ of reaching the Rose Bowl.
Cal 27 – Stanford 24
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