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The Washington State Cougars and the California Golden Bears are even-steven against one another since October of 2015 (3-3), but not for long. Washington State will play host again and welcome the Golden Bears to Clarence D. Martin Stadium, where kick-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. These two teams have set a high bar for this game after stand-out offensive performances in their previous games.
Washington State scored first but ultimately less than the Oregon Ducks in their matchup last week. It was close but no cigar for the Cougars as they fell 44-41 to Oregon. No one had a standout game offensively for Washington State, but they got scores from a handful of players including WR De'zhaun Stribling, RB Nakia Watson, and LB Francisco Mauigoa. That was the first 300+ yard effort for Ward this season.
Meanwhile, California was hampered by 85 penalty yards against the Arizona Wildcats last week, but luckily for them that wasn't the tale of the game. The Golden Bears took down Arizona 49-31. RB Jaydn Ott went supernova for California as he rushed for three TDs and 274 yards on 19 carries. One of the most memorable plays of the contest was Ott's 73-yard touchdown rush in the first quarter. Ott's sharp performance set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
Washington State is the favorite in this one, with an expected 4-point margin of victory. Those interested in the spread don't face an easy decision since they are 2-0 ATS and the Golden Bears 2-0.
The Cougars and California now sit at an identical 3-1. A couple defensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: Washington State enters the game having picked the ball off five times, good for 20th in the nation. California is completely their equal: they also come into the game with five interceptions.
