First look: WSU at California
Time: 7:15 p.m. Saturday TV: FSN
The records: WSU (3-3, 0-3 Pac-10), Cal (5-2, 1-2 Pac-10)
Last week: WSU lost in overtime to UCLA 44-41, Cal lost to Oregon State 23-20.
Last time: WSU won 48-38 in Berkeley, Calif., on Sept. 28, 2002.
What it means for WSU: As obvious as it sounds, this is another opportunity for the Cougars to show they can win a game when, ostensibly, it counts for something. It will be awfully tough for WSU to make a bowl game, but if it’s to happen, a win this week is a must-have or else it’ll mean a near-certain 0-5 Pac-10 start with USC looming next week. The Cougars, for as well as they’ve played at times, have yet to show the heart or grit in fourth quarters of close games needed to be successful. Call it a leadership problem, call it inexperience, but WSU hasn’t figured out how to win games when the pressure is on. There’s little chance of this squad getting a blowout win at Cal, so it’ll have to prove it can win a close one or the slim prospects for a successful end to 2005 will shrink even further.
What it means for Cal: The Golden Bears have a lot to prove this week after losing two straight games, especially considering last week’s home loss to Oregon State. The Bears had designs on at least repeating last year’s second-place finish in the conference, but now with a 2-2 conference record winning out is a must to have a chance to do so. Cal obviously suffered a letdown last week after a tough loss at UCLA the week before, and you can bet this team will be fired up and ready to show that the Oregon State loss was a fluke. The Bears also have a bye after this game, so there’s little to worry about in terms of looking past WSU.
Cal’s best: Jeff Tedford has engineered a remarkable turnaround at Cal and is now 30-15 in his fourth year in Berkeley. The Bears won one game the year before Tedford arrived. … Quarterback Joseph Ayoob was expected to be the Bears’ starter when he signed out of junior college last winter but was beaten out by redshirt freshman Nate Longshore. But Longshore was injured in the first game, so Ayoob has been the starter ever since. He’s only been a 50 percent passer – low for a Tedford quarterback. Running back Marshawn Lynch is a star but a broken finger gave Justin Forsett two weeks as a starter and both are now proven commodities in the Bears’ backfield. … Defensively, Cal lost a boatload of starters from last season’s Holiday Bowl team but has rebounded to play solidly in all but one game thus far. Only UCLA has scored more than 23 points on the Bears, though they’ve played a weak schedule thus far. A teammate of Ayoob at junior college last year, linebacker Desmond Bishop leads Cal with 48 tackles. Junior Brandon Mebane is having a breakout year at defensive tackle, and in the secondary a third junior, Daymeion Hughes, leads Cal with four interceptions.
The numbers: WSU has been outscored 119-93 after halftime this year, while Cal is up 134-53 on opponents in the second half. … The Cougars have forced just eight turnovers this season, even though opponents have fumbled 14 times. (WSU has recovered just three of those fumbles.) … Jerome Harrison’s 1,001 yards is 240 better than USC’s Reggie Bush, No. 2 in the conference.
Glenn Kasses