With two convincing victories over UCLA and Washington following its loss to Arizona, Oregon finds itself very much back in contention for a playoff spot. But with Cal looming, Oregon is preparing to face another air-raid style offense that has caused it problems in the past.
At the brand new Levi’s Stadium — home of the San Francisco 49ers — Oregon’s trip down south will mark the first ever college football game played at the stadium. Here are some key players and matchups to watch out for:
Matchups to watch
Jared Goff vs. Oregon Secondary
To say Cal is a pass-happy offensive team would be an understatement. The Bears struggle running the ball, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. Meanwhile they average 9.1 yards per pass attempt — only behind Oregon’s 10.4 average in the conference.
Goff is quickly becoming one of the elite quarterbacks in the Pac-12. Now as a sophomore, Goff has the second highest passer rating in the conference (167.3) while averaging 354.6 pass yards per game.
The last time Oregon played against an arm like Goff’s was against Washington State when Connor Halliday threw for 436 yards and four touchdowns. Though the secondary has looked better in their past two games, giving up less than 200 yards through the air per game, they’re going to have their hands full with Goff.
3rd Down Defense vs. 3rd Down Offense
Both Oregon and California succeed offensively on third down, converting on 51.7 and 47.2 percent of those downs, respectively.
Oregon who leads the conference in converting third downs is dead last in allowing. Meanwhile, Cal has allowed just 44 conversions in its 118 tries — a 37.3 rate. Being successful on third downs means the field goal unit, assuming it is in range, would stay on the sidelines. Which, for both teams, is an area in need of improvement.
Players to watch
Oregon: QB Marcus Mariota
The Bears’ defense is known to struggle. Not only do they allow more yards on defense than any other Pac-12 team not based in Colorado, but they give up 391.7 yards through the air per game. They also have allowed more passing touchdowns than any other team in the conference (26).
Which bodes well for Mariota, who doesn’t typically struggle. He has the highest passer efficiency rate in the conference (191.0). In his 188 pass attempts this season, Mariota has yet to throw an interception while completing over 70 percent of his passes. With the offensive line becoming healthier and protecting Mariota far better than they had been before UCLA — where Mariota wasn’t sacked at all — watch for a big game from No. 8.
California: Todd Barr
One of Cal’s leaders defensively, Barr has been a threat off of the defensive line so far this season. Barr has two sacks on the season, four tackles for loss and has also forced a fumble. With the offensive line of Oregon not at full strength even after the return of Jake Fisher, Barr could be awaiting a big game.
Follow Andrew Bantly on Twitter @andrewbantly