Arizona State @ California preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 25, 2011 ) California 47, Arizona State 38

Arizona State heads north to Berkeley to face California in the second weekend of Pac-12 play. Under new coach Todd Graham, the Sun Devils have impressed on both sides of the ball, despite losing quarterback Brock Osweiler to the NFL. Current Arizona State quarterback Taylor Kelly has been effective and efficient with a 72.5 completion clip while throwing for six touchdowns and amassing 188 yards on the ground. The Golden Bears are looking to right the ship coming off of consecutive losses to ranked opponents. While California quarterback Zach Maynard has a strong efficiency rating of 130.95, inconsistent play has led to him throwing as many touchdowns (four) as picks this season. The key for California’s offense (ranked 70th in the country with 27.8 points per game) will be protecting Maynard from an aggressive Arizona State defense that ranks 14th in the country with 12.8 points surrendered per contest.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, FX. LINE: California -2

CALIFORNIA (1-3, 0-1 Pac-12 North): A bitterly close loss at Ohio State two weeks ago and a defeat at the hands of conference rival USC this past weekend leaves the Bears with a lone victory over FCS opponent Southern Utah. California's offense ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in scoring (27.8) and total offense (411.0 yards), but the key issue has been poor performance in the red zone, a reality that limited their efforts versus the Buckeyes. California has scored six touchdowns on 15 visits to the red zone and will need to establish a better conversion rate versus the surprisingly stingy Arizona State defense. In order to offset the Sun Devils’ effective pass rush, look for bell-cow tailback Isi Sofele, who has 239 yards on 53 carries this season, to carry the load along with big-play back Brendan Bigelow.

ARIZONA STATE (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12 South): For a team expected to languish in the bottom of the conference this fall, the Sun Devils have been the talk of the Pac-12. With a rising offensive attack that ranks 15th in the country with 41.3 points per game and has racked up 1,872 total yards, the Golden Bears’ defense will be put to the test. Most impressive has been the Sun Devils’ results in the second and fourth quarters this season, having outscored opponents 89-10 in those quarters with a 40-0 edge in the pivotal fourth frame. The Sun Devils will need to maintain their pressure on the pocket - they’ve tallied 14 sacks - in order to disrupt a talented California offense. Defensive standouts Chris Young, Carl Bradford and Will Sutton will be asked to pressure Maynard and corral the versatile Bears' backfield.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Arizona State is 3-9 away from home over the last three years while the Golden Bears are 9-5 at home over the last three campaigns.

2. The Golden Bears are 6-0 against the spread in the last six meetings in California.

3. The point total has gone over in four of Arizona State's last five games on the road.

PREDICTION: Arizona State 31, California 27