Northwestern @ California preview

The Sonny Dykes era kicks off at California on Saturday night as the Golden Bears host No. 22 Northwestern, a squad that hopes to build on a 10-3 finish in 2012 that included a 34-20 victory over Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl. It's only the second all-time meeting between the two schools. The first one came in the 1949 Rose Bowl, with Northwestern posting a 20-14 victory.

Dykes takes over for Jeff Tedford, who was fired after finishing 3-9 in his 11th season. Dykes will incorporate the same type of pass-happy spread offensive attack that he used with great success at Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs led the nation in both total offense (577.9 yards) and scoring offense (51.5) last year en route to a 9-3 finish.

TV: 10:30 ET, ESPN2 LINE: Northwestern -5 1/2

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (10-3, 5-3 Big Ten Legends Division): Pat Fitzgerald enters his eighth season already as the program's winningest coach (50-39) and with a contract extension that runs through 2020. The Wildcats return 15 starters including running back Venric Mark, who had eight 100-yard rushing games in 2012 and earned All-American honors as a return man. The Wildcats will once again use a two-quarterback system featuring junior Trevor Siemian and senior dual-threat Kain Colter, who started 12 of 13 games a year ago and also saw time at wide receiver.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA (3-9, 2-7 Pac-12 North): Dykes is turning the keys to the Bears' new offense to a freshman, Jared Goff, who doesn't turn 19 until October. Goff, who graduated early from Marin Catholic High School in nearby Kentfield, will be counted on to make reads at the line of scrimmage for an offense that averaged 44 passes per game at Louisiana Tech under Dykes. The Bears, who finished 11th in the Pac-12 in pass defense and ninth in run defense a year ago, are switching from a 3-4 to a new 4-3 alignment under Dykes.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Fitzgerald is 7-0 in season openers, including a 42-41 win over Syracuse in 2012.

2. Goff is the first freshman to start a season opener at quarterback for California.

3. Northwestern will wear white helmets for the game, the first time since 1980 that the Wildcats haven't donned their traditional purple ones.

PREDICTION: Northwestern 42, California 31