Two 3-1 squads face off in Pullman, Wash., on Saturday afternoon, with the California Golden Bears taking on the Washington State Cougars.
The records are identical, as are the seasons stats -- both are now averaging 30 points per game and giving up 20.5 per contest.
And yet, there's really nothing similar about these two teams at all.
The Bears and Cougars are about as opposite as opposite gets, with Washington State a pass-heavy offense that often employs four- and five-receiver sets, while Cal loves to run the ball and keep tight ends in the game.
Washington State is off to an impressive start in Jake Dickert's first full season as head coach, with wins over Idaho (24-17), Wisconsin (17-14) and Colorado State (38-7). The Cougars almost made it to 4-0, leading No. 13 Oregon by 12 points late in the fourth quarter before the Ducks rallied late to steal the game, 44-41.
The Cougars have brought in plenty of fresh faces, both on the field with new star transfers on both sides of the ball, and on the sideline as Dickert has overhauled the coaching staff he inherited as an interim head coach last season.
This game should be a fun one to watch -- 2:30 p.m. PT Saturday on Pac-12 Network -- as two very different team philosophies clash in an important early-season Pac-12 showdown.
Let's take a closer look at the matchup ...
Washington State Cougars (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12)
Location: Pullman, Wash.
Coach: Jake Dickert (1st full season, 6-4)
Scoring Offense: 30.0 PPG (75th nationally)
Scoring Defense: 20.5 PAPG (42nd)
Total Offense: 372.2 YPG (92nd)
Total Defense: 386.8 YAPG (79th)
What the Cougars do well:
Wazzu really does a nice job of using the whole width of the field to their advantage on offense. Quarterback Cam Ward has a big and accurate-enough arm, but the Cougars are also extremely proficient at throwing screens and getting the ball in the hands of their best athletes as soon as humanly possible. Ward also does a nice job of keeping plays alive (though sometimes to his detriment) and directing traffic outside the pocket.
Defensively, the Cougars just possess so much team speed and can really get active in the run game. The defense relies on using that speed to its advantage as much as possible, with linebackers and defensive ends usually leading the charge in that department. The Cougars do not have the most sound defense (Oregon threw 446 yards and rushed for 178 against them), but they absolutely will make an offense adjust to how they play. Forcing runs to the outside is risky if they are not blocked well, as the Cougars really know how to trigger downfield.
