Berkeley, CA (Sports Network) - A pair of long time rivals close out their regular season campaigns this Saturday, as the Stanford Cardinal square off against the 21st-ranked California Golden Bears from Berkeley in Pac-10 play. It was been a simply awful season for the Cardinal, which has won just once in 11 tries. The team was last in action on November 18th, when it suffered a 30-7 setback against Oregon State in its home finale. The loss dropped Stanford to 1-7 in league play, with its only win coming against Washington (20-3) the previous week. As for Cal, it enters the contest riding its first losing streak of the season at two games. After winning eight games in a row and putting themselves in position to win the Pac-10, the Bears hit a major bump in the road and lost at Arizona (24-20) and than at nationally- ranked USC on November 18th. Despite the losses, Cal is still a solid 8-3 on the year and is headed to a fourth straight bowl game, which is a school record. The Bears and Cardinal have met 108 times previously, with Stanford holding a 54-43-11 series advantage. California however, has won the past four meetings, including a 27-3 win last season.
Offensively, Stanford is one of the most inept teams around, and that is no more evident than in the mere 10.0 ppg and 228.5 total ypg it is currently averaging. One of the major reasons for the team's lack of success this season has been its ground game, which is gaining a dismal 65.1 ypg on the season. In the team's last game, the Cardinal was held to just 210 total yards, including only 85 rushing, in a 30-7 loss to Oregon State. Anthony Kimble paced the team in defeat by rushing for 78 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. It was a solid showing by Kimble, who has amassed just 425 rushing yards and two scores on the year. T.C. Ostrander got the nod under center against Oregon State, but he threw for just 125 yards and an interception on 9-of-25 pass attempts. Ostrander has struggled to get things going all season long and he has completed just 44.9 percent of his throws with only one touchdown and five interceptions in nine appearances.
On the defensive side of the ball, Stanford has been equally as bad, allowing 31.9 ppg and 391.5 total ypg. The unit has been torched on the ground for 218.1 rushing ypg and 26 touchdowns, and it has forced just 14 turnovers on the season. In the squad's last outing, the Cardinal gave up 385 total yards of offense, including 208 via the run, in a loss to Oregon State. Trevor Hooper posted the team's only sack in the loss, while Michael Okwo recorded nine stops. On the season, Okwo leads the team in tackles with 86, and he also has five TFLs and two sacks to his credit.
California has been able to produce at a high level on offense this season and it enters the contest averaging a hardy 32.4 ppg and 416.6 total ypg. The unit has fared well on the ground (158.5 ypg), but has really thrived through the air (258.2 ypg). The Bears however, were completely shutdown by USC in their last game, posting just 275 yards of total offense with three turnovers. Tailback Marshawn Lynch rushed for 88 yards on 20 carries in the loss and he also caught five passes for 21 yards. It was a sub par effort from one of the most versatile backs in the Pac-10, who has rushed for 1,178 yards and nine touchdowns this season, in addition to catching 30 balls for 286 yards and four more scores. Quarterback Nate Longshore also had some problems against USC, completing only 17-of-38 pass attempts for 176 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. It was an uncharacteristic performance by Longshore, who has completed 60.2 percent of his throws for 2,569 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. DeSean Jackson has been his go-to-guy, as he leads the team with 47 catches, 852 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Defensively, the Bears have struggled this season and are giving up 20.4 ppg and 376.6 total ypg. The unit has had some problem trying to slow down the pass (249.2 ypg), although it has compensated for some of those yards allowed by recording an impressive 20 interceptions. In the team's last game, Cal failed to generate a single turnover, as it allowed 358 total yards to USC in a losing cause. Desmond Bishop guided the squad in defeat with 13 stops. Bishop leads the team on the season in both tackles (104) and TFLs (14), and he also three sacks on his resume. Another player worth nothing is Daymeion Hughes, who ranks second in the nations with eight interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. California is clearly the pick here and it should have no trouble routing a rather dismal Stanford club that is surely happy to see its season come to an end.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: California 35, Stanford 7
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