Arizona @ California preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2014 ) California 45, Arizona 49

After pulling a stunning upset of Washington State last week, California faces another challenging matchup Saturday against visiting Arizona and emerging star Khalil Tate. The sophomore quarterback led the Wildcats to a 47-30 win over UCLA last Saturday in his first start of the season while Cal forced seven turnovers and recorded nine sacks in a 37-3 win over the Cougars.

One week after setting the FBS record for rushing for a quarterback with 327 yards against Colorado, Tate rushed for 230 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 148 yards and a score against the Bruins. The future is suddenly bright for the explosive Wildcats, who have won three of their last four games and sit tied with Arizona State for second place in the Pac-12 South after being picked to finish sixth in the preseason media poll. The Wildcats look to maintain their momentum against a Cal team that snapped a three-game losing streak with their surprising win over Washington State. The Bears had five interceptions in the victory but will need to adjust without inside linebacker and leading tackler Devante Downs, who suffered a season-ending injury against the Cougars.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Arizona -3

ABOUT ARIZONA (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12): Tate has received back-to-back Pac-12 offensive player of the week honors and helped open up a running game led by Nick Wilson, who posted his best numbers since the 2016 opener with 135 yards and two touchdowns against UCLA. Freshman Kylan Wilborn had four of the Wildcats’ five sacks against the Bruins while cornerback Jace Whittaker added two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. The defense has forced 13 turnovers but will be without tackle Parker Zellers for the first half Saturday after the senior was ejected for targeting last week.

ABOUT CAL (4-3, 1-3): Downs’ injury is a huge blow for the resurgent Cal defense and will place a greater burden on the front line and inside linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk, who was named Pac-12 defensive player of the week after recording 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one interception against Washington State. The Bears’ offense remains inconsistent but looked sharp against the Cougars as Vic Enwere replaced injured starter Patrick Laird and rushed for season highs of 22 carries for 102 yards with a score. Sophomore quarterback Ross Bowers has thrown 104 consecutive passes without an interception and hopes to build on a strong performance against UCLA.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Arizona has won the last three meetings by a total 10 points.

2. Cal is 12-4 in home games at Memorial Stadium since 2015 and 3-1 this season.

3. The Wildcats have scored 45 or more points in four of their first six games for the first time in school history.

PREDICTION: Arizona 38, Cal 27