Cal Bears (7-3) vs. Stanford Cardinal (7-3)
Saturday, November 21, 4:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Stanford -7.5

Sam’s Take (46- 18):

The 112th edition of the Big Game will kickoff at 4:30 pm on Saturday, and Stanford is pulling out all the stops in order to win back the Axe (Tiger Woods will be the Cardinal’s honorary captain). I’m sure Stanford fans will have one eye on the Oregon-Arizona game, as it will be going on concurrently, and imagine the scene on the Farm if the Cardinal and Wildcats win their respective games at around the same time!

As well as Jim Harbaugh’s team has played in recent weeks, it is important to remember that Cal has won six of the last seven in this series. It is also worth mentioning that the Bears have a lot to play for, as a win in the Big Game would keep Jeff Tedford’s club in the hunt for a third place finish in the Pac-10.

The Big Game will also have an impact on the Heisman Trophy race. Who would have thought before the season started that #7 in red would be on the verge of an invite to New York while #4 in white watches from the sideline? In a year where none of the usual suspects seem to want the trophy, Toby Gerhart’s stock is soaring. A big day rushing in the Big Game may impress voters enough to give him a realistic shot (although it would really help if Stanford can sneak into the Rose Bowl).

While I was impressed by Cal last week against ‘Zona, I don’t think Bob Gregory’s defense has the size to stop the powerful Cardinal rushing game. Right now I believe Stanford can run its power plays on any D in America, and even when you know its coming there is now way to contain it. Throw in a red hot Andrew Luck, and its easy to see why Stanford has scored 106 combined points in its last two high-profile games (UO, USC).

It wouldn’t surprise me if Cal scores in the high 20’s or low 30’s against Stanford, as QB Kevin Riley has played pretty well in his last few games and RB Shane Vereen is more than capable of carrying the running load. But I just don’t think 24-30 points is going to be enough to keep up with the powerful Cardinal.

I expect a competitive game in the first half, but then Stanford’s well-oiled offensive machine will take over.

Prediction: Stanford 40 – Cal 27

Cal Player to Keep an Eye On: DB Bryant Nnabuife - Nnabuife was excellent in his first career start last week, and he will have to be even better this week in order to prevent Andrew Luck and the Stanford passing attack from establishing a rhythm.

Stanford Player to Keep an Eye On: CB Richard Sherman - I am assuming the Stanford offense will do its thing, but the defense will need to make a few plays too. Sherman is a true playmaking corner who loves to bait quarterbacks (as he did last week vs. ‘SC).

Dave’s Take (49 – 15):

I knew the win over Oregon was no fluke. That said, after the massive workload that Gerhart had in that game, and the emotional overload of becoming bowl eligible, I thought the Cardinal would come out flat against USC.

Instead, they built on the effort, putting up 50+ for the second straight week in destroying the Trojans on their home turf.

Now, with the Big Game and a potential Rose Bowl bid on the line, why should we expect anything less than another fantastic effort?

I expect Cal to be at their very best this Saturday, too. While it has been a disappointing season in Berkeley, what better way to salvage it than to crush your hated rival’s shot at a Rose Bowl berth and Toby Gerhart’s shot at the Heisman in one fell swoop?

Should be a fun game to watch with plenty on the line for both sides, but if both teams are at their best, I just can’t see Stanford losing this one. They are playing at another level on offense right now, and the defense is feeding off of the energy as well. Cal won’t go down easy, but look for Stanford to take care of business in their last game of conference play.

Prediction: Stanford 41 – Cal 28

Cal Bears 7-3 Overall (4-3 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Cal 24 – Arizona 16

Next Week’s Opponent: @Stanford

I wasn’t sure what to expect out of Cal last Saturday, as it has been difficult to read this team all season. I was pleasantly surprised to see the Bears come out with more energy than I have seen all year, and it seems fair to suggest that Jahvid Best provided the extra inspiration.

This was a payback game for Jeff Tedford’s club, and not just for the beat down in Tucson last season. I’m sure I don’t have to remind Cal fans about the 2006 debacle (also in Tucson) that prevented a potential Rose Bowl birth. Saturday, it was Cal who may have shattered ‘Zona’s Rose Bowl hopes.

While there was a lot to like about this performance, I must first give a shout out to defensive coordinator Bob Gregory. Gregory has been taking a ton of heat in Berkeley, and I can understand why. After all, this is one of the most physically gifted defenses in the conference, but the unit has struggled for most of the year.

Arizona possesses one of America’s most potent offensive attacks, and the ‘Cats really hadn’t been contained since Nick Foles took over at QB. Yet somehow, Gregory’s D was able to overwhelm Arizona with absolutely tenacious physical play.

The defensive line was phenomenal, especially against a UA rushing attack that was averaging about 200 yards per game (Arizona ran for 73 yards vs. Cal).  Gregory’s 3-4 scheme successfully stymied Sonny Dykes quick passing attack, and for the first time all season, Nick Foles seemed to have happy feet on a couple of plays.

The second shout out goes to RB Shane Vereen (30 carries 159 yards 1 TD). Technically, Vereen may be a backup tailback, but his performance Saturday reinforced the fact that he could start for most programs in the country.

Up next for Cal is you know who. The Big Game is even bigger this season, as there is a lot on the line for the boys from Palo Alto. The Bears are ranked 19th nationally in run defense, but their biggest test of the season awaits. Can Cal stop #7 in red? Should be a fun game.

Cal Bears 6-3 Overall (3-3 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Oregon State 31 – Cal 14

Next Week’s Opponent: Arizona

Saturday couldn’t have gone any worse for Bears fans. Sure, the team was vastly outplayed, and the ‘Furd had just celebrated a huge win over Oregon. But there was much more to it than that.

When RB Jahvid Best hit the ground on a 7-yard TD in the second quarter, I temporarily lost my taste for football. Injuries like that really take the air out of a game, and it was hard to think about the outcome on the field with Best’s status still unknown (thankfully it appears he will be fine).

From a football standpoint, Cal was beaten soundly in every phase of the game. Jeff Tedford had this to say in summing up a difficult evening in Berkeley: “First and foremost, without a doubt, the most important thing when something like this happens is the health of one of your players. It puts football in the right perspective. But we are also disappointed to lose a football game the way that we did. We got outcoached today. We got outplayed in every phase of the game. Give credit to Oregon State. They played great and we didn’t”.

The Bears ran for only 39 yards, and finished with a total of 239 yards of offense. QB Kevin Riley completed 19/34 passes for 200 yards (1 TD, 1 INT), but Cal never really threatened the Beavers after Best went down. Defensively, Bob Gregory’s unit did a great job containing ‘Quizz Rodgers (25 carries for 67 yards 1 TD) and the running game, but QB Sean Canfield tore the Bears up through the air (29/39 342 yards, 2 TDs 1 INT).

Next up for Cal is a home game with the scorching-hot Arizona Wildcats. The Bears will be without their star and emotional leader, but I expect Jeff Tedford’s squad to play inspired football on Saturday.

Cal Bears 5-2 Overall (2-2 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Cal 49 – Washington State 17

Next Week’s Opponent: @Arizona State

The Bears did exactly what they were supposed to, handling an over-matched Wazzu team with little trouble. Before the relatively scarce crowd at Memorial Stadium even had a chance to fully settle into their seats, Cal led 35-3 (early in the second quarter). But while the outcome of this game was never in doubt, there were plenty of positives AND a few negatives for Jeff Tedford to take out of the performance.

Let’s start with the good. This Bears offense is starting to kick it into high gear again, and for the second straight week we saw the explosiveness of Jahvid Best (13 carries, 159 yards 3 total TDs) and Shane Vereen (103 total yards 2 TDs) on full display. I was also happy to see QB Kevin Riley put together a solid effort (12/18 229 yards 3 TDs 1 INT), and hopefully his confidence is rising after the horrendous efforts against ‘SC and Oregon.

The receivers didn’t have to do much, but what a day from WR Jeremy Ross! Ross showcased his playmaking in multiple ways, electrifying the crowd on a 76-yard punt return for a TD, while also adding a big kick return and a long catch. Overall, the offense looked as sharp as anyone could have hoped for (totaling 560 yards), and if the unit continues to play with this kind of balance, Cal may not lose another game.

Defensively, the Bears left a lot to be desired on Saturday, as the much-maligned WSU offense generated over 440 yards of offense. While Wazzu QB Jeff Tuel is a promising young player, there is NO excuse for allowing him to go off for 354 yards and two touchdowns. The Cal D made Tuel look like Jason Gesser (or dare I say… Ryan Leaf), and this is now the fourth straight week that an opposing QB has put up good numbers against Bob Gregory’s unit.

I can’t fault the pass rush, which was strong all game, and the linebackers played pretty well too. I believe the problem is with the secondary, as the unit just seems to be a step too slow right now.

Next, Cal will head to Tempe, AZ to take on a struggling Arizona State team. The Cal D should have a chance to regain its confidence against a mediocre Sun Devil attack, and Jeff Tedford’s offense is hitting its stride in time to face an ASU D that may suddenly be lacking confidence.