The California Golden Bears had the week off in Week 7 after dropping a high-scoring affair against Oregon State the week before. The problem this year has not been their offense, but their defense, which struggled to corral Ryan Nall and the Beavers rushing attack. Their game this week against Oregon is going to be a good test for the Bears, who are trying to move up the standings in the Pac-12 North Division.
The main cog in the wheel this season has been quarterback Davis Webb, who has looked very good replacing former starter Jared Goff. Goff was the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, but has yet to play a snap for the Los Angeles Rams. Webb injured his thumb in the first quarter of the Bears loss to Oregon State, and wound up having one of the worst games of his career.
Webb’s favorite target this season has been Chad Hansen, a former walk-on who ranks in the top-five in the country in four statistical categories. Oregon and Cal have two of the worst defenses in all of college football, so the game on Friday could turn into a shootout. A healthy Webb will be the difference, as Cal gets back on the winning track.
What a disappointing season it has been for the UCLA Bruins. The team started the season as a favorite to challenge the Stanford Cardinal for the top spot in the Pac-12, and like the Cardinal, they have not played up to their potential. An early season loss on the road to the Texas A&M Aggies was just the beginning of what has been a very inconsistent season for a very talented team.
The Bruins ran into a Washington State team that has been playing great football as of late, and had to do it without their star quarterback. Sophomore Josh Rosen hurt his shoulder and leg against Arizona State last week, so the Bruins were forced to play Mike Fafaul. Fafaul was making his first collegiate start, and though he played well, the Cougars were way too much on this night.
The problem with the Bruins this season has been their running game, and on Saturday, they showed once again that they have none. On 25 carries, the Bruins rushed for only 43 yards, making it the fourth time this season they have not cracked the 100-yard barrier. UCLA will take on No. 19 Utah this week, and without Rosen, it could get ugly.
The Stanford Cardinal picked up a huge non-conference win on Saturday night, as they went into South Bend and defeated the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame, like Stanford, is not having the kind of year many expected, so this game was a coin-toss going in. Playing without star running back Christian McCaffrey, the Cardinal relied on a cast of supporters to get the job done, and they did just that.
Coming into the Notre Dame game, the Cardinal had lost three straight games for the first time in nearly a decade. Even more, McCaffrey had not scored a touchdown in weeks, which is surprising considering he scored at will last season. Notre Dame looked to be in control early on, but a huge interception from Quenton Meeks turned the tide in Stanford’s favor.
Once ranked eighth in the country, the Cardinal are now 4-2 on the season. The team expects to have McCaffrey next week when they return home to face the upstart Colorado Buffaloes. The offense has struggled all season long, so hopefully a fully healthy McCaffrey can be just what the doctor ordered against a Colorado team that can put points on the scoreboard.