Meeting with Bears is first since 2002

It’s been a long three years since Washington State and California have faced one another.

When the two teams last played, the Cougars were in the midst of a Rose Bowl run and the Golden Bears were coming off of a one-win season. Fast forward to 2005, though, and it’s the Bears coming off of a major bowl appearance and the Cougars trying to rebound from a sub-.500 year.

Since that last meeting, Cal coach Jeff Tedford – in his first season when WSU beat his team 48-38 – has helped deliver a renaissance in Berkeley as his team spent much of 2004 in the top five.

“We had good personnel at the time who were really eager to change the way that things were done,” Tedford said of his early days at Cal. “And the big thing was to instill confidence and self-esteem because they were really down.

“Our staff did a nice job of creating an environment for them, and they kind of flourished from there.”

Even if the Cougars and Bears have been on different paths in recent seasons, the last month has been eerily similar, a point coaches on both sides have noted.

Both Cal and WSU have dropped close games to UCLA and Oregon State in recent weeks, games both teams think they should have won.

And both played a soft schedule early, leaving many still scratching their heads wondering just how good each team is.

“I think their football team’s pretty similar to where we’re at right now,” WSU defensive coordinator Robb Akey said. “They could look at their last two weeks the way we look at our last few games. We could have easily been the victors; we just need to make some of those things happen.”

Still, the Bears appear to be in much better shape than the Cougars right now. At 5-2 and with a bye week coming up after playing this Saturday, Cal has the luxury of knowing a hot finish could put them in the upper echelon of the conference.

That’s the case despite spotty play from quarterback Joseph Ayoob and a surprise contributor at tailback in Justin Forsett. Marshawn Lynch, expected to be the primary threat offensively for the Bears, missed two weeks with a broken finger this season and Forsett is 12th in the nation in rushing.

Meanwhile, Cal’s defense – expected to be a weak point this year – is tops in the Pac-10. For Tedford, known primarily for his expertise in the passing game, it hasn’t been a conventional season.

“I’m sure Coach Tedford is scratching his head a little bit,” his WSU counterpart, Bill Doba, said. “He’s an offensive guru. … Their offense is second in the conference in rushing and ninth in passing, so I’m sure he’s wondering what the heck is going on. But they’re winning.”

Because they haven’t played in so long, Cal and WSU coaches won’t be able to rely on many tendencies from previous head to head matchups, perhaps adding an element of intrigue Saturday night.

But even if they haven’t seen each other in the same stadium since 2002, rest assured: These teams will know each other well enough come kickoff.

“Our guys pay attention to the league all the time,” Akey said. “While they didn’t play against them, they did watch. … You’re not preparing to attack them but you’re always seeing them.”