EUGENE, Ore. – Saturday's Pac-12 North showdown between No. 13 Oregon and visiting California lost some of its luster when the Bears suffered their first loss last week, but the matchup still features plenty of intrigue. Cal linebacker Evan Weaver leads the nation with 78 tackles and presents a formidable challenge for Oregon, which has outscored opponents 133-15 since its season-opening loss to Auburn.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Oregon -17.5
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Cal leaned on its defense in wins over Washington and Ole Miss but allowed 365 yards of total offense in last week's 24-17 loss to Arizona State, which took control in the second half after Bears quarterback Chase Garbers exited with an injury. "They outplayed us in every aspect," Weaver told reporters. "You can't win games when you're not even making the simple plays, and we didn't. They played better than us; they beat us." Oregon had a bye last week following a 21-6 victory over Stanford on Sept. 21, when the Ducks held their third straight opponent without a touchdown. Quarterback Justin Herbert has thrown 13 TD passes over the past three games, but coach Mario Cristobal is still waiting for the team's running game to find its rhythm.
ABOUT CAL (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12)
UCLA transfer Devon Modster is set to start at quarterback in place of Garbers, who had the team's offense trending upward but will be out for an extended period due to an upper-body injury. With Modster finishing 5-for-14 for 23 yards and an interception against Arizona State, the Bears could rely on running backs Christopher Brown Jr. and Marcel Dancy on Saturday. The defense has allowed only two passing touchdowns in five games and boasts an experienced secondary led by Ashtyn Davis, Traveon Beck, Elijah Hicks and Jaylinn Hawkins, who has seven career interceptions.
ABOUT OREGON (3-1, 1-0)
The Ducks ended a three-game losing streak to Stanford last week with Herbert throwing two of his three scoring passes to tight end Jacob Breeland, who has found the end zone five times this season. Herbert will have even more options available soon with injured receivers Brenden Schooler, Juwan Johnson and Mycah Pittman all expected to return in the next two weeks. The defense hasn't allowed a touchdown in 26 first-half drives this season and boasts a budding star in true freshman outside linebacker Mase Funa, who has three sacks and five tackles-for-loss.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Oregon has won nine of the last 10 meetings against Cal, including five straight at home.
2. Cal has held 12 straight opponents under 25 points.
3. Oregon is looking to start 2-0 in conference play for the first time since 2013.
PREDICTION: Oregon 42, Cal 17