Oregon State @ California preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 8, 2016 ) California 44, Oregon State 47

After two energetic performances at home under interim coach Cory Hall, Oregon State heads out on the road Saturday to face a reeling California team. The Bears are looking to bounce back from last Saturday’s 44-28 loss to Colorado, their fifth defeat in six Pac-12 conference games after opening with three straight non-league wins.

Cal quarterback Ross Bowers completed 29-of-52 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns against Colorado, but the defense took another step back by giving up 200 rushing yards and allowing Buffaloes quarterback Steven Montez to throw for 347 yards. “This is not a fun feeling at all, and it’s not something that we’re going to accept,” Bowers told reporters. “This is when everybody talks about adversity and asks what you’re about. Now, we get to see who’s genuinely going to come to work and who’s going to show how much they care.” The Bears are facing an Oregon State team that seems rejuvenated under Hall, who took over for Gary Andersen on Oct. 8 and immediately placed a greater emphasis on the run game. The Beavers were outscored 180-54 in their final four games under Andersen but have shown marked improvement in back-to-back losses to Colorado (36-33) and Stanford (15-14).

TV: 5 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Cal -8.5

ABOUT OREGON STATE (1-7, 0-5 Pac-12): Senior linebacker Manase Hungalu has 61 total tackles and two interceptions to lead the Beavers defense, which held Stanford to 222 yards of total offense despite missing their three top cornerbacks because of injuries. Hall was pleased by the play of senior Landry Payne, who made his first career start at safety and finished with 10 tackles. Thomas Tyner and Ryan Nall combined for 139 rushing yards against Stanford, while quarterback Darell Garretson made his fourth start since Jake Luton fractured his spine and was solid if unspectacular while throwing for 126 yards.

ABOUT CAL (4-5, 1-5): The Bears lost their 11th straight conference road game last week against Colorado but have played better at home, where they’ve gone 3-2 including a dominant win over Washington State. Receivers Kanawai Noa and Jordan Veasy provided a spark against Colorado with a combined 14 catches for 219 yards and three touchdowns, but Cal lacks a consistent run game and Bowers has thrown a conference-high 11 interceptions. Linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk has averaged 13.7 tackles over the last three games to lead the defense, which has struggled without injured star Devante Downs.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The winning team has scored at least 45 points in each of the last five matchups.

2. Nall rushed 14 times for 221 yards and three touchdowns in last season’s 47-44 win over Cal.

3. The Bears are two wins away from bowl eligibility with two of their final three games at Stanford and at UCLA.

PREDICTION: Oregon State 24, Cal 20