Washington State Cougars: Game 4 vs. Cal – injuries, weather, odds, and more
Washington State Football continues this week as the Cougars host PAC-12 North rival, Oregon. Pacific Northwest Sports has all you need to know.
The Washington State Cougars are back home after last week’s disaster in Los Angeles. PNWS has Cougs fans covered as they watch their team take on Pac-12 North Division rivals, the California Golden Bears.
Details
Who: University of California Golden Bears (1-3) at Washington State Cougars (1-2).
Where: Martin Stadium – Pullman, Washington
When: Saturday, December 12, 2020 – 1:00 PM PST.
TV: FOX. Announcers: Alex Faust, Petros Papadakis.
Weather: The weather won’t be anything like it was in sunny Southern California last week. For Saturday’s game, expect overcast skies and temperatures will struggle to break 30 degrees. There should be a very light wind and a very slight chance of precipitation. (weather.com).
Line: Washington State +2. Over/Under: 53 (Odds Shark).
Interesting Trends: The Washington State Cougars are adept at defending their home turf. They have a 17-3 record in their last 20 games at Martin Stadium. The under looks like a good play. Wazzu’s total has gone under four in four of the previous five games against Cal. Additionally, the Cougs haven’t beat the over in five of their last six December games.
Although California hasn’t been world-beaters of late, they are 5-2 against the spread, including 4-2 against Pac-12 opponents. The Golden Bears struggle to cover in December, as evidenced by their 3-6 record against the spread.
Injury Report
Washington State Cougars
Questionable – RB Max Borghi (back), DB Chau Smith-Wade (undisclosed), DB Chad Davis Jr. (undisclosed), Jaylen Watson (undisclosed), Armauni Archie (undisclosed).
Notes – The four defensive backs missed last week’s game against USC. Cougars Head Coach Nick Rolovich didn’t give a reason why the quartet missed the trip. So their availability this week can’t be guaranteed. Borghi said he would play in a game this season. This might be his last opportunity.
Last Week
USC 38 – Washington State 13
It was an ugly first quarter. After canceling games against Stanford and Washington the past two weeks, it’s understandable that Washington State would be a little rusty. Further, the Cougs group of defensive backs was painfully thin due to what we think were COVID-19 concerns. Even with those factors, USC’s four Kedon Slovis to Amon-Ra St. Brown was totally unexpected.
After another Trojans touchdown in the second quarter, something cool happened. Wazzu stood up for themselves. They started hitting as hard as USC was hitting them. Then the Cougs defense clamped down on their hosts. The unit held Southern Cal to only a field goal the rest of the way.
California 21 – Oregon 17
Cal got its first win of the year. Impressively, the victory was an upset over 23rd ranked Oregon. A third quarter, 28-yard touchdown pass from Chase Garbers to Nikko Remigio was the only score in the second half. It gave the Golden Bears a lead they never lost. Cal’s defense held UO to 368 yards and under 20 points.
Outlook
Cougs freshman quarterback Jayden de Laura had several “teachable moments” against USC last week. He flat out made some questionable decisions. Expect the young man to bounce back from that disappointing performance. He should have the usual supporting cast of skill position players and possibly Max Borghi. Washington State will look to establish themselves early and move the ball before the visitors can get settled in.
Although California’s defense is better the past two weeks, they haven’t faced a dynamic receiving group like the one Wazzu has. Even if they can somewhat limit the passing game, it would be hard to also slow down running back Deon McIntosh, as well. There are only so many things a defense can do at one time.
While the Washington State offense does its thing, their defense has to keep the Golden Bears in check. Garbers has six touchdown passes in four games against just three interceptions. He likes to spread the ball around to different receivers. Hopefully, Wazzu’s defensive backfield will be close to full strength.
Related Story: Latest PAC-12 Football Power Rankings
Catch up with PNWS on Sunday when we present our biggest takeaways from the game.