A preview looking at Oregon State, as Cal takes on the Beavers Saturday at 4 PM in California Memorial Stadium
Notes
Where: California Memorial Stadium
When: Saturday, October 30th, 4:00 PM
TV: Pac-12 Network
Radio: KGO 810 AM
Spread/Line: Oregon State -1.5, O/U 55
Other Notables:
- Cal will be honoring Jeff Tedford during the game against the Beavers. Tedford, Cal's head coach from 2002 to 2012, is the Bears' winningest coach of all-time, with an 82-57 record over 11 seasons in Berkeley. He retired from the coaching profession after a three year stint at Fresno State
- Cal OLB coach Keith Heyward was a teammate of Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith during their time at Oregon State, where they faced Justin Wilcox and Peter Sirmon in the rivalry game formerly known as the Civil War
- Oregon State offensive line coach Jim Michalczik coached at Cal in two stints, from 2002 to 2009, then again in 2011 to 2012
- Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave is the nephew of Cal OC Bill Musgrave
Cal vs. Oregon State, By the Numbers | Recruiting Visitor List, Oregon State | Behind Enemy Lines, Oregon State
Injuries
Cal - Out Long Term: DL Brett Johnson, OLB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, OLB Patrick Hisatake, OL Dylan Jemtegaard, ILB Blake Antzoulatos, S Craig Woodson
Out: OLB Kuony Deng
Day to Day: RB DeCarlos Brooks
Oregon State - Out for the Year: DB Alton Julian
Out: DL Isaac Hodgins, QB Tristan Gebbia, OLB John McCartan
Back from Injury: OL Jake Levengood, WR Makiya Tongue, DL Simon Sandberg
Players to Watch
Cal:
WR Kekoa Crawford - Crawford had his top receiving performance at Cal last season against Oregon State, and the Bears will be counting on him, Trevon Clark, Jeremiah Hunter, and Nikko Remigio to produce big plays against a pass defense that has been somewhat succeptible in Corvallis, with 275 yards per game allowed through the air
OL Will Craig - Craig was one of three linemen ruled out of the Oregon State game a year ago due to contact tracing. This year, Cal has all of their starting linemen available to play, and the Bears' left tackle will have a couple strong edge rushers in Riley Sharp and Andrezj Hughes-Murray to contend with
OLB Braxten Croteau - Cal needs Croteau to set some good edges in the run game, as Croteau also missed last year's Oregon State game due to contact tracing. Croteau gets less attention than Cam Goode and Marqez Bimage, who have put up bigger numbers, but Cal needs a solid performance from the junior from Arizona.
Cal's ILB group - More than any specific player, the young ILB quartet of Mo Iosefa, Trey Paster, Femi Oladejo, and Nate Rutchena needs to shed blocks and tackle well against a talented Oregon State front.
Oregon State
RB BJ Baylor - Baylor picked up where Jermar Jefferson left off and is leading the Pac-12 in rushing, as a hard nosed runner capable of making cutbacks in Oregon's zone scheme and breaking arm tackles. Baylor isn't the only back, with Deshawn Fenwick and Trey Lowe being notable players, but Baylor has been the most productive and arguably the best running back on the west coast this year.
ILB Avery Roberts - The Pac-12 leader in tackles and someone who could be a QB spy on Chase Garbers on 3rd downs. Roberts, a Nebraska transfer, doesn't miss many tackles while being an every-down linebacker for the Beavers
CB Rejzohn Wright - Of Last Chance U fame from his time at Laney College in Oakland, Wright's height sets him apart from other corners, as both him and his brother Nahshon (who is now in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys) have been standouts for the Beavers. Cal threw away from Nahshon in the matchup last year, we'll see if they treat Wright with the same respect.
TE Teagan Quitoriano - One of Oregon State's two main TEs with Luke Musgrave, and both are good blockers with massive frames to boot. Quitoriano has been more effective in the pass game this year, as Cal struggled early in the season to cover the tight end position.
Keys to the Game
Run Containment - Oregon State is going to get something on the ground, as that's what they're built to do and Cal hasn't been good enough against good run blocking teams to prove they can stop it. However, it's about containing the run at the right times, getting into longer down and distance scenarios, and not allowing many yards after contact.
Third Downs - Oregon State is among the nation's leaders in 3rd down conversions, converting on 53% of their tries, though they're allowing 48% of opponent's third down tries to be successful. This is simplifying a more complex piece to Cal's core game plan every week, which is to control the ball, get the opposing offense off the field, and score consistently.
Post-Halftime - Cal's third quarter production has not been up to par, with only 10 third quarter points against FBS competition. Oregon State's offense is leading the conference in scoring, and Cal will have to find a way to keep up with the Beavers after the half.
Score Prediction
Oregon State 21, Cal 20
