California’s Joey Mahalic is not your normal football player.

Mahalic spent five seasons as a minor league pitcher for the Cleveland Indians before beginning his college career at Cal at the age of 23. Though an injury kept him off the baseball field, he was still able to throw a football and “always wanted to play college football,” so he turned to the Bears for the opportunity.

He took the time to speak with the Emerald this week.

Tell me about your baseball career and how that transition to football was. There had to be some rust you had to shake off.

Yeah definitely, I didn’t even play football my senior year of high school because I wanted to focus on baseball. I had a five year career at Cleveland, and then I blew out my elbow and tried to rehab it without surgery, it didn’t really work. So basically I couldn’t throw a baseball that well anymore, and it didn’t hurt that much to throw a football. So I was like, okay I can try and get Tommy John or I can try and hop into one of the better schools in the country and try a new sport and develop in a lot of ways I didn’t get to as a baseball player from an academic standpoint as well as being a leader and an older, more mature player on the team.

Tell me about that, how is it different than coming out of high school? 

Well, it’s definitely different. I don’t really know what it’s like to be an 18-year-old freshman in college. I think that coming in when I came in, I was far more level headed. I knew what to expect in terms of dealing with adversity, success and opportunity to where I could really take everything in and not be negatively or positively affected by anything that happens.

As a Portland, Oregon native growing up, were you a fan of Oregon Football?

I was not (laughing). I never have been to be honest with you. I am very well connected to the university, pretty much all my best friends went to the University of Oregon, and I was always going to games and watching them play and kind of rooting against them a lot because all my friends loved it.

How was Duck Football different when you were growing up?

It has been really cool to watch them turn into a powerhouse. Just from what everything Nike and Phil Knight has been able to do. I was a Nike athlete in baseball, so I could see the influence that Nike has had on the program, it has been awesome to see. I think it has been really good for the state of Oregon. It’s fun watching the Ducks, whether you love them or hate them. They’re one of the most fun teams to watch in the country.

Are you excited to see them play on Friday?

Yeah, these are always pretty special games to me when we play Oregon. Just because I’m from there and I’ll have a bunch of friends coming down to watch the game and to be a part of that rivalry. It’s something I’ll really cherish for the rest of my life.

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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.

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Oregon’s defense may’ve played its most complete game of the year Saturday in its win over Washington. Limiting the team to just 317 yards of total offense and forcing two turnovers, it appeared that from the secondary to the front seven, the Duck were improving in all the areas that had headlined their performances throughout the early part of the season.

With that said, Redshirt sophomore safety Reggie Daniels spoke with the Emerald after practice on Tuesday, discussing Oregon’s upcoming game against Cal at the new Levi’s Stadium and how they’re preparing for another strong-armed quarterback in Jared Goff.

The defense looks a lot better since the loss to Arizona. Does it feel like it is playing better?

Yeah, I feel like we’re playing better. We’re tackling better, playing perimeter defense a lot better. We’ve really been doing a better job at stopping the run. That’s really been the big emphasis: stopping the run. But yeah, I feel like we’re playing better.

Is there a mental difference in the the way you guys are approaching games?

Yeah, I feel that after the loss we kind of have a chip on our shoulder. That we have to prove that we are still the same Oregon Ducks team. We’re going to play every down as hard as we can and our defense is going to play as hard as we can. We just try to come out every game now and play at our best.

You’ve really earned your spot this year standing out as one of the best tacklers on the team. How do you think you’ve played so far this season?

I feel like I’ve played alright. You can never be satisfied with how you’re playing. I can always do better, tackling-wise, and making turnovers and stuff. I feel like I’ve been doing a pretty good job contributing to this defense and I’m going to just try and help us win any way possible.

Are there any other goals you’re trying to attain? You mentioned turnovers, you have one on the year, is there a number you’re trying to get?

A couple more picks would be nice. I really just do anything to help our team. I’m not too big on having goals, personal goals. I rather help the team win.

You got Jared Goff on Friday and he’s going to be throwing the ball a ton. How are you approaching that?

Practice. We’ve been practicing really hard this week. A lot of deep balls, a lot of balls thrown at us. It’s going to be a real test on Friday, he’s a good quarterback. We’re going to see what we can do on Friday … I feel ready.

Is there anything you learned from Connor Halliday at Washington State that you can take into this game?

Definitely. They have similar schemes with great receivers. We’re definitely going to have to go back and look at that film and see how things work. Maybe adjust a couple things. Hopefully knock these guys down.

Are you excited for Levi’s Stadium? Any expectations?

Yeah I’m excited, I’m excited to play in that stadium, it’s brand new. That should be pretty fun. That’s where the big guys in the big leagues play so that’s a good feeling.

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Back at Autzen Stadium for the first time since their loss to Arizona the Ducks flew past Washington 45-20. The victory bumped Oregon’s ranking up to No. 6 and the team now sits alone atop the Pac-12 North standings.

Perhaps the biggest upset of the week was at Milan Puskar Stadium, where West Virginia beat No. 4 Baylor 41-27. After the loss ,West Virginia got into the AP Top 25 at No. 22 while Baylor fell to No. 12.

At home No. 2 Florida State came from behind to beat No. 5 Notre Dame to maintain their perfect 7-0 record.Notre Dame dropped to No. 7 and Florida State remains the No. 2 team in the nation.

Elsewhere, a deflated No. 22 Texas A&M team simply didn’t show up against No. 7 Alabama. The Aggies were held scoreless while giving up 59 points to the Crimson Tide. Texas A&M dropped out of the Top 25 and Alabama rose to No. 4.

Here’s a list of the top 10:

1 -Mississippi State (43)

2 – Florida State (14)

3 – Mississippi (3)

4 – Alabama

5 – Auburn

6 – Oregon

7 – Norte Dame

8 – Michigan State

9 – Georgia

10 – TCU

Click here for the rest of the rankings.

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Oregon’s Arik Armstead and Washington’s Shaq Thompson represent the north and south side of the Pacific Northwest, just as they did representing north and south Sacramento. However, their journeys to their respective schools brought to light a friendship that “no rivalry is going to break up,” Armstead said.

Living about 30-45 minutes away from one another, these Sacramento natives didn’t know of each other until their sophomore year in high school, but the word on Thompson was out from an early age.

“When Arik was younger there was always this legend of Shaq Thompson,” Arik’s father Guss Armstead said.

The two met at a football camp at Stanford. Even though they didn’t get a chance to play each other in high school, the two used each other as support and paid attention to what each other had been up to on Friday nights.

“Arik was a really big fan of Shaq,” Guss said. “He always wanted to see what Shaq did.”

After meeting during their sophomore year, the two embarked on a pursuit toward finding the perfect fit as to where to play in college. But they wanted more than that. They wanted to attend college together.

“We were pretty much talking to all the same schools,” Arik said. “We were trying to figure out where to go together.”

Following their senior seasons, the two were invited to play in the U.S. Army All-American game, which was held in San Antonio, Texas. It was the first time that they played together in a game and they both had the same game plan: represent the city of Sacramento.

“Both being from Sacramento we had a chip on our shoulder,” Arik said. “People kind of sleep on Sacramento so we always are trying to put our city on the map, represent where we’re from.”

During the visit, the two spent a lot of time together as they always had, and dealt with what Guss said was the “height of recruiting.”

“You got everyone on you. Notre Dame wants to see you, Oregon wants to see you, USC wants to see you,” Guss said. “They were going through all those things together.”

On January 29, 2012 Armstead announced his commitment to Oregon.

“We talked about both coming here together,” Arik said. “It just came down to the best decision for him.”

It was only days later when Thompson made his decision.

“We were supposed to go to the same school,” Thompson said. “But we decided to go our separate ways. Arik always said go where you feel most comfortable. Washington was where I felt most comfortable.”

But they’re not giving up on the chance to play together just yet. They still plan to take another step after their college careers.

“It didn’t happen in college, but maybe it’ll happen someday,” Arik said.

Three years later the two will reunite again come Saturday. The two will hold their conversation until the end of the game Saturday, where they will be “enemies” said Thompson.

But after the game, well “it’s all love” said Arik.

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Following the loss against Arizona, Oregon has a lot of work to do to prove that they will not only be deserving of a playoff spot but also be able to attend the Pac-12 championship game at the end of the regular season. So as No. 12 Oregon heads down to Southern California to the Rose Bowl to face No. 18 UCLA, the stakes are high. The game, to both programs, is a must win. Here is how Oregon and UCLA stackup:

OFFENSE:

Oregon:

A week ago, Oregon entered their game versus Arizona off a bye week and it didn’t seem to help the offensive line –the biggest question mark offensively. The fact is that there is no way to know if this offensive line will be able to hold off any defense. Senior offensive lineman Jake Fisher’s status is still unknown. But if Fisher were to return to the offensive line against UCLA it would provide tremendous help. A simple summary of the Oregon rushing attack this season: There hasn’t been a single 100 yard rushing performance all season long from a single Duck. Yes, Oregon has a ton of weapons. But we haven’t seen them in their full power, yet.

UCLA:

Well if there was one team to matchup with Oregon’s offensive line, it is UCLA. The Bruin offensive line has allowed 23 sacks through their first five games alone, only worse than, you guessed it, Oregon (15), in the Pac-12. In their lone loss of the season against Utah last week, Hundley was sacked 10 times, but somehow Hundley still finds a way. He ranks fourth nationally with 10.5 yards per pass attempt. Sophomore Paul Perkins leads UCLA’s rushing attack with 540 yards on the season on 94 carries, averaging 5.4 yards a carry.

Yet UCLA has shown that if they get an opportunity in the red zone, they’re dangerous. So far this year they’re a perfect 15-15 with 12 touchdowns within their opponents 20.

Advantage: UCLA

DEFENSE:

Oregon:

From week-to-week, Oregon’s defense has continued to have a lone line of question marks circulating around its play on the field. The unit sits second-to-last in pass defense in the Pac-12 and aren’t much better against the rush. Expect Don Pellum’s rush three, drop eight scheme to continue but it will also be on the players to execute better. They have glimpses of how good they could be, it’s just whether or not they can be consistent.

Being successful on third down will be most important for Oregon, whose opponents’ third down conversions  average is 45.7 percent – worst in the conference.

UCLA:

UCLA’s defense averages 25.8 points allowed, 2.6 points worse than Oregon’s. In their recent loss against Utah at home, the Utes rushed for 242 yards against the Bruins. They also can’t seem to get to the quarterback, which bodes well – at least on paper – for Oregon’s depleted offensive line. UCLA’s defense has only sacked the quarterback seven times this year, the worst in the Pac-12.

Advantage: Oregon

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If one were to watch Oregon women soccer players Bri Pugh and Kristen Parr attempt what looks like a high-five, you’d notice that the execution between the two is mutually amiss. That is because they prefer to slap wrists to emphasize their shared inspiration with a note on the inside of both of their wrists that reads : Like a boy.

At the end of last winter Pugh and Parr wanted to find something to bring them closer together: a shared bond.

“In the past couple of years their growth as individuals and as athletes has been tremendous,” assistant coach Christie Welsh said. “It’s awesome to see them interact with each other the way they do.”

Their symbol brings to mind the contrast of gender. But after being let into the know of “like a boy,” which took multiple attempts, Pugh and Parr described that they’re inspired by the way they’ve seen boys play both professionally and in college rather than trying to be someone they’re not.

“Boys do these amazing shots and these amazing things and we were like, ‘Why can’t we do that?’” Pugh said. “Not that girls don’t do this, but I think that’s where our inspiration came from.”

It was one day at practice when the two forwards decided to put their catch phrase into affect. The two were “bagging” their shorts and decided to play as they imagined they could.

“It was more to bring something like, how can we impact the game to the best of our ability,” Pugh said.

And the result of applying their new, inspired play?

“We ended up playing really well,” Parr added.

Since playing “like a boy”, the two have supported each other in a way in which they don’t shy away from any opportunity. The mindset where either Parr or Pugh might have hesitated on opportunities is behind them. Now, they have each other to support one another to play the way they want.

“Guys take crazy shots and I think girls kind of get complacent about it,” Pugh said. “We were like, screw that. We’re going to play like a boy and we’re going to take a crazy shot and it’s going to go in.”

Every time before they play they remind each other.

“I’m going to hit your arm right now and we’re ready to go and I’m going to have your back,” Parr said.

To them, there is nothing to lose. And what has come from their bond has not only been heightened by support and confidence on the field, but it has also brought the two even closer off the field.

“It’s just kind of something we do together, something we can fall back on,” Parr said. “It symbolizes the two of us and we know that we have each other’s back.”

Pugh echoed similar thoughts.

“You have your teammates to talk to but it’s always just the one person that is going to tell you the right thing and get you back into check,” Pugh added. “Like a sister.”

The two “equal” each other out, a perfect fit. And when things “hit rock bottom” and they have each other to turn to, that’s the true meaning of their “like a boy.”

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When the game was tied during the final minutes of the fourth quarter of Oregon’s 31-24 loss to Arizona, Oregon outside linebacker Tony Washington sacked Arizona’s Anu Solomon on third and goal for a nine-yard loss. But following the play Washington bowed and was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty — A nine yard penalty that also gave the Wildcats a first down. Washington talked to Emerald sports reporter Andrew Bantly about his mistake:

What were you trying to do and what was going through your mind when you bowed against Arizona?

It was an emotional point in the game, I was just really excited. That was kind of just my reaction to it. It was a selfish move.

What does bowing symbolize to you?

First off, it is a sign of respect. Second, it’s bowing down to the lord and thanking him for giving me so much. Giving me talent and allowing me to go out and play for him. That’s all it is. It wasn’t meant for disrespect. It came in a bad time of the game, it was a selfish move. I need to celebrate with my teammates and not solo myself out.

What did you think of the call from the referee?

The refs called it unsportsmanlike so whatever they can say goes. I agree with them one-hundred percent. Like I said it was a bad time of the game, it shouldn’t happen. I should be celebrating with my teammates.

How are you going to learn from this move?

Just not do it.

Has it been hard on you or has it been easy to move on?

Initially it was tough because I felt like I put myself above my teammates. I’m not a selfish guy, I’m not a mean guy. I understand that when I make plays it’s not just because I’m out there. There are ten other guys out there helping me, whether it is great coverage and I’m sure that’s what happened on that play. The quarterback didn’t have anyone to throw to so it made him hold onto the ball a little longer so I was able to catch up to him.

How are you going to remember the Arizona game?

I’m going to remember it as a loss for the Oregon Ducks.

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-Going into their game last Thursday against Arizona the Ducks had 1405 votes in the AP Top 25, and 13 No. 1 votes. They were just 11 votes behind No. 1 Florida State. But after the colossal 24-31 loss at home against an unranked Arizona team, Oregon’s vote count suffered a decrease of 517, and now Oregon is ranked No. 12 — two behind, now, No. 10 Arizona.

-After a 3-1 loss against No. 1 Stanford, No. 11 Oregon responded against Cal sweeping the Bears in three sets. Maggie Scott and Liz Brenner led the Duck’s attack. Scott finished with 29 assists and Brenner with 15 kills and 10 digs — her ninth double-double of the season. Martenne Bettendorf was also in the action with 15 kills of her own.

-The Oregon women’s soccer team suffered a tough trip to the desert this weekend. On Friday the Ducks tied Arizona State 1-1 when the Sun Devils finally tied the game in the 87th minute. Oregon’s Kelsey Foo converted a penalty kick in the 71st minute for Oregon’s only score of the game. In their matchup against the Wildcats Oregon couldn’t come up with a goal to tie Arizona in their 1-0 loss. The lone goal of the game came 39 seconds after the opening whistle.

-Oregon Cross Country had six runners finish in the top 15 as the No. 3 Oregon Women’s team outran No. 4 Stanford to win the Washington Invitational 48-55 at Jefferson Park in Seattle, Washington. Senior Lindsay Crevoiserat finished fourth-place in the race to lead the Ducks.

-The Pac-12 conference now has five teams ranked in the College Football AP Top 25. Previously unranked Arizona leads the Pac at No. 10. No 12 Oregon and No. 18 UCLA are the next top ranked teams, and both teams are going to play each other next Saturday at the Rose Bowl. No. 20 Arizona State, No. 24 Utah and No. 25 Stanford are the remaining Pac-12 schools ranked.

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During their final preparations for Thursday night’s game, Arizona concluded its pre-game pep talk with a video of lightning striking a man twice in 30 seconds. The team chuckled, but the message was clear: do it again.

A year ago when Oregon played at Arizona, it was senior day. It was the final game some of Arizona’s head coach Rich Rodriguez’s players would play at home. They then took that feeling and produced a demolishing 42-16 upset win over then No. 5 Oregon.

Now in a different setting, the same song was written as Arizona dashed plenty of expectations laid out out for the second-ranked Ducks, winning 31-24 and putting them at 5-0 for the first time since 1998.

“We knew we were going to go into a battle,” running back Terris Jones-Grigsby said. “But that’s Arizona football.”

It was just 7-3 at halftime in favor of Oregon. Two high-scoring teams were kept quiet for 30 minutes, but when the Wildcats lined up to receive the ball to begin the second half, Arizona kicked into gear. Their opening drive of the half went for 80 yards on six plays for a touchdown. Then they scored again. And again. And all of a sudden Arizona had a ten point lead over the second ranked team in the nation in the third quarter.

“The defense came to play,” Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon said. “We got to help them by scoring.”

What the defense did was hold the Ducks to just 17 points in the second half, and when it mattered most, they came up big. Which then paved the way for Solomon, playing in his first true road test, to set aside any concerns critics may’ve had for him. The true freshman passed for 287 yards and one touchdown.

However, it wasn’t just Solomon performing.

“Our offense started executing better in the second half,” Rodriguez said. “They kept competing.”

Then in the fourth the game got close. Oregon was within one touchdown drive to retie the game. Oregon was rolling after consecutive first downs on a drive that started at their own nine-yard line. But on first and ten, Scooby Wright III came up with the play of the game, forcing and recovering a fumble off Oregon’s Marcus Mariota.

“It’s amazing what belief in our defense can do,” Solomon said.

Within the final two and a half minutes of the game, lightning finally struck, again.

“Arizona is here to play for the next couple years, and years to come,” Solomon said.

Follow Andrew Bantly on Twitter @andrewbantly