Oregon will be playing host to Cal this week following a bye week. Last game out, Oregon got a win over Stanford for the first time since 2015. This week will be a different test. Cal started the season 4-0, featuring one of the top defenses in college football. However, they lost quarterback Chase Garbers last game, and he will not be playing at Autzen Stadium this weekend.
Cal vs Oregon: Keys For Oregon
Shutdown the Running Game
Cal has not been able to run the ball this season, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry. Now, they are down Chase Garbers, who was a threat to run from the quarterback position with 127 yards this season.
Devon Modster will be stepping in, and he is a running threat as well. However, he isn’t the passer that Garbers is and Garbers isn’t the best passer, to begin with.
With the way Oregon has played defensively and the way Cal has played offensively, there’s no reason for Oregon not to shut down this offense. With that being said, shutting down the running game will ensure the Cal offense doesn’t do much.
Dominate On the Ground
Despite having an extremely talented offensive line, this is something that has yet to happen for Oregon this season. The team is only averaging 4.4 yards per carry this season.
This weekend will be the most important for Oregon to establish a running game since the Auburn game. Cal has one of the top secondaries in the country, which will make passing the ball downfield tough.
With that being said, there’s a good chance Brenden Schooler will be back and Mycah Pittman will be making his college debut.
Mario Cristobal said this week that Juwan Johnson has made strides with his recovery. However, he was listed as just a second-teamer on this week’s depth chart, which is the first time that’s happened this season after consistently being listed as a starter this season.
The presence of Schooler and Pittman will increase the depth at receiver. However, as mentioned, Cal has one of the top secondaries in the country, making it difficult to hit downfield passes.
Cal vs Oregon: Oregon Keys Continued
Protect Herbert
The offensive line has been very good in pass protection this season. However, they allowed four sacks against Stanford. Jake Hanson will be back at center, allowing Calvin Throckmorton to move back to right tackle. Those moves alone should help beef up the pass protection. However, they still need to perform better as a whole in that department.
If Cal can start getting pressure on Herbert, it will make passing downfield even more difficult. That will allow the Cal front seven to focus more on the run game, which is something you don’t want Evan Weaver and the rest of the Cal front seven to be able to do.
Cal has some guys that can get after the passer, but as a team, they aren’t the most elite pass-rushing team. They don’t have the pass-rush capabilities that Auburn did, but they probably have more capability than Stanford.
Make a Play on Special Teams
Oregon has been bad on special teams this season. The only bright spots have been in the punting game. Blake Maimone has been very strong at punter and Jevon Holland has been great as a punt returner.
When it comes to kick returns, they’ve been pretty average. Kickoffs haven’t been as deep as you’d like to see, and the team has yet to make a field goal. Camden Lewis is 0/2, with one of those being a 20-yard attempt. Granted, against Stanford, Lewis missed a field goal on what was a bad snap and he doesn’t deserve blame for that one.
This game is likely going to be a defensive battle. Field position is going to matter, and as a result, special teams is going to be huge.
Oregon can’t have any dumb plays on special teams that come in the form of a muffed punt or a punt hitting a member of the return team who has his back turned, allowing Cal great field position.
Maimone is going to have to be on with his punts, which he’s shown the ability to be reliable with this season.
There’s also a chance Oregon will have to make a field goal in this game. They have shown nowhere near capable of doing that so far this season. If the game features an important field goal from Oregon, fans will be holding their breath.
Cal vs Oregon: Overall Thoughts
Even with Chase Garbers Oregon should win this game. Cal has a great defense, but Oregon’s has been better this season. On top of that, Oregon had the better quarterback and offensive line before the Garbers injury, now Herbert gives them a gigantic edge at quarterback, especially with them playing at home.
Special teams will be important and the defense being able to stop the run and put Cal in third and long situations will be huge. If that happens, Cal will be facing a lot of three and outs, giving the offensive line a chance to lean on a very strong Cal defense.
Having Schooler and Pittman with a good chance of being back is huge. Johnny Johnson and Jaylon Redd have been good this season stepping up into huge roles. But more depth is always a good thing.
If any team is going to be able to hit some passes downfield against Cal, Oregon with Justin Herbert should be able to do it. This offense has shown this season though that anything is far from a guarantee. Them having some new wrinkles coming off of a bye will be important going against such a good defense and defensive staff.
Cal will be able to stay in this game because of their defense. With that being said, there’s no reason for Oregon to not win this game by double-digits. They are coming off of a bye while Cal is not, and they are facing a backup quarterback on their home field.