Colorado @ California preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 16, 2013 ) California 24, Colorado 41

California's Sonny Dykes must be wondering what it takes to win a Pac-12 game, but it could come in a visit from Colorado on Saturday. The Golden Bears first must find a way to put last week behind them after they blew an 18-point lead entering the fourth quarter and allowed 36 points in the final period of a 49-45 loss at Arizona - capped by a Hail Mary touchdown pass as time expired. "We’ve got to figure out how to be the team that played the first three quarters for the entire football game,” Dykes told reporters after falling to 0-10 in conference games since becoming Cal coach in 2013. “If we can do that, we’ll have a good team.”

The Buffaloes are coming off a 21-12 victory over Hawaii in which they didn't score in the second half and must produce more on offense if they are to hang with the Golden Bears, who average nearly 43 points per game. "If we want to win some of these Pac-12 games, we're going to have to execute at a high level for all four quarters,'' Colorado wide receiver Nelson Spruce, who has scored a touchdown in six straight games and has a nation-best seven in four contests this season, told reporters. The Buffaloes yielded an average of nearly 36 points in their first three contests and could be without standout linebacker Addison Gillam (concussion).

TV: 4 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: California -14

ABOUT COLORADO (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12): Sefo Liufau's sophomore season is off to a promising start as he has completed 64 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns against five interceptions. Christian Powell leads an improved running game by averaging 5.1 yards on 49 carries. Gillam, who led the Buffaloes in tackles as a freshman last season, had not practiced as of Wednesday and was to be further evaluated before a decision comes on his playing status.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA (2-1, 0-1): The Golden Bears' high-powered offense scored five touchdowns of 26 yards or more last week with Bryce Treggs recording an 80-yard touchdown catch from Jared Goff and Khalfani Muhammad breaking free for a 50-yard touchdown run. Goff completes 65.1 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions while Daniel Lasco and Muhammad rushed for a combined 218 yards and three touchdowns against Arizona. California struggles on defense and especially against the pass, allowing 316.7 yards per contest - 118th among the 125 FBS teams in the nation.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Golden Bears outscored opponents 56-0 in the first quarter this season.

2. Colorado has lost six straight games in the state of California and is 2-16-1 in the Golden State, defeating Washington in the 1996 Holiday Bowl and UCLA in 2002.

3. California leads the series 4-3 with the teams splitting two games since Colorado joined the Pac-12 to start the 2011 season. The Buffaloes prevailed 41-24 in 2013 - their only conference victory of the season - while the Golden Bears won 36-33 in overtime in 2011.

PREDICTION: California 52, Colorado 28