What to know before Cal Bears kick off against Oregon State
CAL vs. OREGON STATE
Records: Cal 3-4; Oregon State 4-3
Kickoff: 1 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Berkeley
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 810 AM
Series history: Cal leads 39-37. Oregon State has won the past two meetings and four of the past five.
Cal storylines: Cal takes a much-needed break from its first venture in the ACC. The Bears are 0-4 with losses by a combined margin of just nine points . . . RB Jaydn Ott practiced this week and was listed as day to day to play after missing the past two games and three altogether this season with a nagging ankle injury. Ott rushed for 1,315 yards last season but has carried the ball just 47 times for 135 yards at just 2.9 yards per attempt . . . The Bears have rushed for an average of just 90 yards the past four games, although that figure includes significant losses via sacks. Fernando Mendoza has passed for nearly 289 yards per game over those four outings but the Bears rank 93rd nationally in scoring at 24.0 points per game.
Oregon State storylines: The Beavers are playing an independent schedule in the wake of the dissolution of the Pac-12. Guided by first-year head coach Mike Bray, an alum and long-time OSU assistant, the Beavers opened the season 4-1 (including a 49-14 loss to Oregon) but have dropped their past two games . . . Gevani McCoy, who passed for 269 yards against Cal last year when he played for Idaho, has thrown for 1,297 yards and rushed for 312 yards and five touchdowns . . . RB Anthony Hankerson has rushed for 700 yards, including games of 155 vs. Idaho State and 154 vs. Nevada, and has scored 13 total touchdowns.
Stats that matter: Thanks to a run game that ranks No. 7 nationally at 239.0 rushing yards per game, Oregon State leads the nation in time of possession, averaging 35:29 per game . . . Cal inside linebackers Teddye Buchanan and Cade Uluave have combined for 135 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and eight quarterback hurries.
— JEFF FARAUDO