A preview with what you need to know about tomorrow night's matchup between Cal and Washington, as the Bears take on the Huskies in Seattle
Notes:
Where: Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA
When: 6:30 PM, Saturday September 25th
TV: Pac-12 Network
Radio: KGO 810/KALX 90.7
Spread/Line: Cal +7.5, O/U 46.5
Other Notables:
- A heavy crossover between the staff of the two teams, every member of Cal's defensive staff, except for Andrew Browning, coached for or played for the Huskies. Justin Wilcox, Peter Sirmon and Keith Heyward coached in Seattle from 2012-2013, while Tre Watson played at the school from 2011-13. Washington DC Bob Gregory held the same role at Cal from 2002 to 2009, and was Justin Wilcox's position coach at Oregon in 1998-99
- Sirmon's son Jackson is the leading tackler and one of the starting inside linebackers for the Huskies
- Cal has won the last two matchups between these teams by a combined 3 points, with the last game played being a 20-19 Cal win that ended around 1:30 AM on a Sunday in 2019. The last two times Cal has opened Pac-12 play at Washington, they've won (in 2019 and 2015)
- Five Cal players list the state of Washington as their home, with Matt Cindric, Justin Baker, Orin Patu, Dylan Jemtegaard, and Collin Hamilton hailing from the Evergreen State
READ: Running the Numbers, Cal vs. Washington
Injuries:
Cal
Likely to play: WR Kekoa Crawford, ILB Trey Paster
Doubtful: DL Aaron Maldonado
Out: OLB Kuony Deng
Out for the Season/Long-Term: OLB Patrick Hisatake, OLB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, DL Brett Johnson, ILB Blake Antzoulatos, S Craig Woodson, OL Dylan Jemtegaard
Washington:
Still out: OLB Zion Tupuola-Fetui
Players to Watch:
Cal
WR Jeremiah Hunter - Hunter had his first touchdown catch against Sacramento State and is listed as the starter at the X wideout position. He'll go against some of the Pac-12's best DBs against Washington, with Cal looking to continue their deep passing success.
OLB Cameron Goode - Cal's pass rush was not great a week ago, and Goode (who had two sacks against TCU), will need to spearhead the charge against a Washington OL that has struggled in the early part of the year.
DB Lu-Magia Hearns - Hearns got his first start a week ago and may start again against a UW squad that was successful through the air against Arkansas State. Hearns held up well against Sac State (2 of 11 targets allowed per the Cal staff, 3 of 12 per Pro Football Focus) and will get a bigger test this week depending on how much he plays.
C Matthew Cindric - Michigan in particular had success against Washington while running the ball, and Cindric will be at the center of Cal's efforts to run against the Huskies.
DL JH Tevis - Tevis had five QB pressures against Sac State but none ended in a sack. He'll need to finish for the Bears, as they need the play up front to improve on 3rd and long settings.
Washington:
TE Cade Otton - One of the best all-around tight ends in the conference, Cal will have to cover Otton better than they've done with two other tight ends they've had on the schedule so far
DB Trent McDuffie - A 'sticky' coverage guy, McDuffie is tough to throw on, though Cal will likely attempt a few deep shots on the Huskies. Whether Cal can win the contested catches against McDuffie and company is something to watch.
WR Jalen McMillan - McMillan was the recipient of a couple deep shots from Dylan Morris in UW's win a week ago, and his return has been key for the Huskies. Against a Cal secondary that hasn't done well against deep balls, McMillan could be a threat for the Huskies
RB Richard Newton - Only rushing for 3.5 yards per carry, Newton can be an explosive back, and he'll look to get back on track against a Cal defense that was good against the run against Nevada and Sac State, but faltered against TCU.
ILB Jackson Sirmon - Sirmon plays a lot like his dad, consistent tackler from the inside linebacker position, and Cal may look to go after him in the pass game.
Keys to the Game
No Fades - Both a defensive backfield necessity and something Cal can't do in the second half, as they've been outscored in the second half of all three of their games so far.
Up Front - Cal's run game is averaging 6.1 yards per carry, going up against a Washington defense that struggled to stop the run against Michigan, and Cal will have to run the ball consistently to win in a hostile environment. They'll also have to win some one on one battles in the pass rush game, as their lack of pressure has led to zone breakdowns on the backend.
Keep it Routine - Cal didn't have any special teams breakdowns a week ago, making all six PATs and returning a kickoff for a score. A non-offensive touchdown would help, but the Bears need some consistency across the board as the schedule gets harder.
Score Prediction
Cal 28, Washington 27.
