BERKELEY, Calif. – Two teams headed in opposite directions meet Saturday as California hosts Colorado, which is riding a six-game losing streak and dismissed coach Mike MacIntyre following last week’s defeat to Utah. Quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper will lead the Buffaloes against a rested Cal team that had last week’s rivalry game against Stanford postponed due to poor air quality in the Bay Area.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Cal -12.5
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Inside linebackers Jordan Kunaszyk and Evan Weaver have recorded a combined 223 tackles for Cal, which has won three of its last four games and gained bowl eligibility for just the second time in seven seasons with a 15-14 win over USC on Nov. 10. The story of Cal’s season has been defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter’s unit, which has allowed an average of 90.5 rushing yards and 12.5 points over its last four games. Cal figures to have the edge against a Colorado team that needs to win to become bowl eligible and scored a total of 14 points in back-to-back losses to Washington State and Utah. “We have to find a way to get the playmakers involved and get everybody the ball,” wide receiver Juwann Winfree told reporters. “That’s the only way we're going to win. We’ve got to spread the ball. We have too much talent to be losing all these games.”
ABOUT COLORADO (5-6, 2-6 Pac-12)
Travon McMillian has been one of the few bright spots on offense with 951 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, but the senior was held to 48 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in last week’s 30-7 loss to Utah. Quarterback Steven Montez is expected to start against Cal after throwing for a season-low 84 yards last week before leaving in the second half with a leg injury. The Buffaloes’ offense crossed midfield just three times in 15 possessions against Utah despite a solid performance from Laviska Shenault Jr., who had nine catches for 64 yards.
ABOUT CAL (6-4, 3-4)
The unexpected week off came at a good time for Cal’s physical defense, which includes lineman Luc Bequette (career-high eight tackles against USC) and cornerback Traveon Beck, who has a total of eight tackles and an interception in his last two games. “Traveon has just gotten better and better,” coach Justin Wilcox told reporters. “He’s not big, but he’s got elite quickness, and he’s really smart. He’s probably one of the smartest, if not the smartest, on the defense.” The team’s offense revolves around senior Patrick Laird, who is 37 rushing yards shy of 2,000 for his career.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Colorado won last year’s meeting 44-28 in Boulder, but Cal holds a 5-4 edge in the all-time series.
2. Colorado has outscored its opponents 94-31 in the first quarter.
3. Cal has held five of its last six opponents to 180 passing yards or fewer.
PREDICTION: Cal 27, Colorado 13