Nevada @ California preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2010 ) California 31, Nevada 52

California coach Jeff Tedford enters 2012 on the hot seat. The quarterback guru hopes his newest pupil, Zach Maynard, as well as a return to familiar surroundings, will help turn down the heat. Maynard and the Golden Bears will try to take the first step in that direction when they return to the newly renovated Memorial Stadium on Saturday to face Nevada, which has aspirations of winning the Mountain West Conference in its inaugural campaign. This will be the first real home game in nearly two years for the Golden Bears, who played in San Francisco last season while the renovations - totaling $321 million - took place. California had been 22-1-1 all-time against Nevada before the Wolfpack rolled to a 52-31 home victory in 2010.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: California -10.5

ABOUT CALIFORNIA (2011: 7-6, 4-5 Pac-12): Maynard, in his second season after transferring from Buffalo, has a chance to help save Tedford’s job. After a rocky start, the senior finished last season strong, throwing five touchdowns against only two interceptions in the final five games with a 65.3 completion rate. Junior Keenan Allen, an All-Pac 12 selection last season, is the main threat outside. Allen was 10th in the FBS in receiving yards per game last season (103.3). He caught 98 passes for 1,343 yards and six touchdowns, which earned him a spot on this year’s Biletnikoff Award watch list. The Bears also have a strong rushing attack led by senior Isi Sofele, who ran for 1,322 yards (sixth most in school history) and scored 10 times in 2011. They will need to cut down on the mistakes (-0.8 turnover margin in 2011) to compete, though.

ABOUT NEVADA (7-6, 5-2 WAC): With legendary coach Chris Ault at the helm and 13 starters back, the Wolfpack has visions of winning the MWC in its first year. Reigning WAC Freshman of the Year Cody Fajardo excelled in running Ault’s famed “pistol” formation last season. He passed for 1,707 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions, led the team in rushing touchdowns with 11 and finished third on the team in rushing yards (694). Defensively, a unit that finished 58th (out of 120 FBS teams) in scoring (25.2) last season is woefully thin at several positions.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Ault is the only active coach in the College Football Hall of Fame.

2. Allen needs 58 catches to tie Geoff McArthur’s school record of 202 receptions set from 2000-04.

3. Tedford has compiled a mediocre 36-28 mark over the last five years after going 43-20 in his first five seasons.

PREDICTION: California 37-27