On Saturday at 3:30 PM PT on Pac-12 Networks and KNBR 1050 AM radio, the Stanford Cardinal will welcome the California Golden Bears to The Farm for the 126th Big Game. Stanford comes in at 3-7 overall and 2-6 in the Pac-12 while Cal comes in at 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: Stanford fell to Oregon State 62-17 last weekend on the road in Corvallis.
RECAP: Cardinal get blitzed by Beavers
On Cal: The Golden Bears are led by redshirt freshman quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who has stepped into the starting role over the past few games. Mendoza has thrown for 975 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions on a 61.11 completion percentage. His favorite target is junior wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter, who has 46 receptions for 538 yards and four touchdowns. Redshirt junior wide receiver Taj Davis has 32 receptions for 351 yards and three touchdowns while redshirt sophomore wide receiver Trond Grizzell has 26 receptions for 362 yards and three touchdowns.
On the ground, sophomore running back Jaydn Ott has 1094 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 172 carries. He’s been amazing this season. Redshirt senior running back Isaiah Ifanse has 365 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 70 attempts.
On defense, redshirt sophomore linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr is leading the Bears in total tackles with 78.0 (43 solo). Redshirt junior defensive back Craig Woodson (67.0 total tackles) and senior defensive back Patrick McMorris (66.0 total tackles) are both key anchors of the defense as well. Outside linebacker David Reese leads the team in tackles for loss (4.0) and sacks (4.0) while junior defensive back Nohl Williams leads the team in interceptions (2).
As for special teams, the Bears have been using a pair of kickers in Michael Luckhurst and Mateen Bhaghani. Collectively, they are 9-14 from the field. Luckhurst is 3-4 from inside the 40 yard line while Bhaghani is 1-2. However, from 40+ yards out, Luckhurst is 0-5 while Bhaghani is 1-1. Neither has attempted a kick of 50+ yards. Bhaghani has a long of 43 while Luckhurst has a long of 39.
CardinalSportsReport.com Podcast: Talking Cal with Cal
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is contain Ott. He’s such a big part of this Cal offense. If they can slow him down and not allow him to go wild, that’ll force Cal to rely more on the passing game and just in general, it will take away a big part of what they do.
The second thing Stanford needs to do is force more turnovers. I feel like this is a game where the turnover battle could decide this thing. If Stanford wins that battle, they’ll have the edge. The Cardinal have been doing a better job of forcing turnovers lately, so this is a trend that should continue against the Bears.
Third, Stanford needs to win the quarterback battle. If Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson collectively play better than Fernando Mendoza, I like Stanford’s chances to win. If it’s the other way around, I think Cal has the edge. Quarterback play is always important, but it feels especially so in this one.
Finally, Stanford needs to blitz effectively on defense. They’ve blitzed well before behind creative schemes from defensive coordinator Bobby April III. If Stanford does this well against Cal, that will really boost their chances.
Prediction: I got Cal winning 37-33. I just think the Bears are a slightly better team and then they also have more on the line. They’re playing for a bowl game and head coach Justin Wilcox is on the hot seat. In a lot of ways, the Bears need this one more. Though that isn’t to say Stanford wants The Axe to remain across the bay in Berkeley for another year. Winning the first Big Game of the Troy Taylor era is plenty of motivation for Stanford. Especially since Cal is his alma mater. I just think Cal has a slight edge.
CardinalSportsReport.com on Facebook & X (Twitter): @StanfordRivals
Ben Parker on Facebook, Instagram, & X (Twitter): @slamdunk406
Email: slamdunk406@yahoo.com
