Cal needs defense to come up big against Washington State
WSU QB Minshew leads nation in passing yards
In its two most recent trips to Washington State, Cal allowed 56 and 59 points. And somehow, the Bears actually won one of those games.
Cal heads back to Pullman, Washington, for a game tonight against a Cougars team sitting at No. 8 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season.
If the underdog Bears (5-3, 2-3 Pac-12) hope to upset Washington State (7-1, 4-1), they will need a far better effort by their defense.
After four years of defensive ineptness under former coach Sonny Dykes, Cal is playing defense again. The Bears are allowing only 22.3 points and 312 yards per game and rank among the top 10 in the nation in fewest passing yards allowed, interceptions and defensive touchdowns.
They will need all of that against a Cougars offense that averages 40.8 points behind the stellar play of graduate transfer quarterback Gardner Minshew II.
Here are the major storylines as the Bears take their first shot this season at gaining bowl eligibility: DOES LAST YEAR COUNT? >> An unbeaten, eighth-ranked Washington State team visited Berkeley last year and, playing under the lights in a smoky haze created by the North Bay fires, Cal pulled off a stunner, winning 37-3.
The Bears sacked Luke Falk nine times and forced seven turnovers, including five interceptions. Repeating those circumstances seems a long shot against these Cougars, who have allowed six sacks and nine turnovers all season.
“Any time you have success that builds confidence, but nothing we did last year or last week guarantees
us anything moving forward,” said coach Justin Wilcox, referring to the Bears’ 12-10 win over Washington last week. “We have to step our game up because this is a totally different challenge this week.” SLOWING THE ‘STACHE >> Cal defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter calls this “our biggest challenge to date, obviously.” The assignment begins with trying to throw off the rhythm of Minshew, the mustachioed transfer from East Carolina, who has five games of at least 400 yards and leads the nation in passing yards.
The Bears are allowing only 165.5 passing yards per game, but they haven’t faced a team whose passing offense is as prolific and versatile as the Cougars’. Seven Washington State players have caught at least 20 passes, including James Williams, whose 48 receptions are the most by a running back in FBS.
Cal’s secondary, the strength of the Bears’ defense, will be in the spotlight tonight.
“Hopefully they’ll bring that edge, that chip on their shoulder that they’ve had all year,” DeRuyter said. “Because we’re going to really need it.”
“Obviously, they throw a lot,” safety Ashtyn Davis said. “We’re just excited for the opportunity.” SEEKING A BOWL BID >> One win in their final four games and the Bears will be eligible for their first bowl game since 2015. It has been a goal since August camp, but it was not a focal point of the Bears’ preparation this week.
“We’re closer. We all know what it is,” Wilcox said. “But talking about that doesn’t help us go out and execute the first play of the game.”