Dykes’ gang hopes to deliver big upset
Having won seven in a row, No. 23 Washington State seems primed to land a top-tier bowl game. So does Pac-12 rival California stand a chance of giving Mike Leach’s group a scare?
The two schools butt heads tonight, with a 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Clarence D. Martin Stadium. Online sports book BetDSI opened the Cougars as 15-point favorites over the Golden Bears. The over/under is set at 79.
For the first time since 2002, Wazzu (7-2) has captured its first six conference contests. Last Saturday’s 69-7 dismantling of Arizona was particularly galvanizing. Quarterback Luke Falk threw for four touchdowns, pushing his season total to 28. The junior ranks second in the nation with 359.7 passing yards per tilt.
Cal coach Sonny Dykes deploys his own elite signal-caller in Davis Webb. Unfortunately, even the Texas Tech transfer bowed to Washington a week ago. The fourth-ranked Huskies gouged the Bears (4-5) for 704 yards of offense en route to a 66-27 victory.
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The Berkeley faithful should take heart, however, from how things shook out when these programs convened in 2015. Cal rallied from 14 down to prevail 34-28. Webb’s ever-improving skill set suggests a crazier affair this evening — provided his O-line can hold off WSU’s stout front four. Defensive end Nnamdi Oguayo recorded three sacks vs. the Wildcats, while senior Shalom Luani added another.
SATURDAY NCAA FREE PICK: CAL/WASHINGTON STATE OVER 79 POINTS