Cal-Washington State preview: What to know before kickoff Saturday
CAL at WASHINGTON STATE
Records: Cal 3-1, 1-0 in the Pac-12; Washington State 3-1, 0-1 in Pac-12
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Gesa Field in Pullman, WA
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Radio: KGO (810 AM)
Series history: Cal leads 48-29-5 with the teams trading wins over the past six meetings. WSU won 21-6 last season in Berkeley. Their most recent scheduled game in Pullman, in 2020, was canceled because of COVID-19 issues within the Cal program.
Cal storylines: The Bears will try to start 2-0 in the Pac-12 for the first time since 2015. A victory sends them into a bye week before they hit the road to face Colorado, the Pac-12’s worst team, on Oct. 15 . . . Cal is coming off a 49-31 win over Arizona in which the Bears outscored the Wildcats 28-7 in the second half. The 49 points matched the most Cal has scored in a Pac-12 game in six seasons under coach Justin Wilcox . . . Cal ran for a season-high 354 yards last week but WSU’s defensive front is stout so the Bears may need to throw the ball downfield to exploit the Cougars. Quarterback Jack Plummer passed for 245 yards and three touchdowns against Arizona and has eight TDs vs. two interceptions on the season. . . . Cal is one of one FBS teams still without a lost fumble this season and has lost just two in its past 19 games, dating back to 2020.
Washington State storylines: The Cougars opened the season 3-0, including a 17-14 road win against then-No. 19 Wisconsin. They held a 27-15 lead entering the fourth quarter at home last week against Oregon before the Ducks scored 29 fourth-quarter points to win 44-41 . . . Coach Jake Dickert took over in Week 7 last season when Nick Rolovich was fired for failing to meet a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for state employees. Dickert is WSU’s first head coach with a defensive background since Bill Doba in 2003 . . . Quarterback Cameron Ward, who passed for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns last season at FCS Incarnate Word, already has 1,102 passing yards and 10 TDs for the Cougars. Dickert, referring to Ward’s improvisational skills, said he “has magic in his hands” . . . Another transfer, senior linebacker Daiyan Henley, leads the Pac-12 with 8.5 tackles for loss and recently was projected by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. as a first-round NFL draft pick next spring.
Stats that matter: Cal and WSU each have scored exactly 120 points and given up the identical totals of 82 points . . . WSU leads the FBS with 38 tackles for loss and is tied for fifth with 14 sacks . . . According to College Football Film Room, 70 percent of Jaydn Ott’s 274 rushing yards against Arizona came after contact.