Oregon @ California preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2013 ) California 16, Oregon 55

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota threw a career-high six touchdown passes at California two years ago and the Heisman Trophy candidate will return to California's Memorial Stadium for the first time since that performance when the No. 7 Ducks face the Golden Bears in a Pac-12 game Friday night. Mariota will also attempt to remain error free in the interception department as he has thrown 238 consecutive passes without being picked off, a streak that dates back to last season. The streak is the second longest in conference history behind the 353 Mariota made without an interception during his first two years.

California also has a gifted signal caller in Jared Goff, who owns the second-best quarterback rating in the Pac-12 behind Mariota and has thrown 24 touchdown passes against four interceptions while eclipsing the 300-yard barrier in five straight games. Bryce Treggs and Kenny Lawler continue to be solid options for Goff at the wide receiver position, but Stephen Anderson appears to be gaining favor as well, catching at least four passes in each of the last four games. Mariota will likely continue looking in the direction of wide receiver Devon Allen, the NCAA defending champion in the 110 hurdles who has six touchdown receptions.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Oregon -17.5

ABOUT OREGON (6-1, 3-1 Pac-12): The Ducks and Golden Bears have played the same two teams in their last two games. Oregon beat a solid UCLA squad by 12 and followed up with a 35-point victory last weekend against Washington, while Cal lost to the Huskies by 24 and was edged by two points last weekend against the Bruins. Oregon running back Royce Freeman continues to dominate, rushing for at least 100 yards in the last two games, owning 11 touchdowns and sitting within 76 rushing yards of breaking the freshman program for a season.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA (4-3, 2-3): The Golden Bears will definitely need to improve on defense if they expect to keep up with the Ducks. California enters the game giving up an average of 38.4 points, which ranks 117th out of the 125 FBS teams. One of the bright spots was safety Griffin Piatt, the team’s leading tackler who also has a team-high three interceptions, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Washington.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oregon DE Arik Armstead expects to play after briefly appearing in last week’s game before suffering a setback with an ankle injury, which had kept him out of the UCLA game.

2. The Ducks have 33 plays of 25 yards or more this season with 12 going for touchdowns. They had 67 such plays in 2013, with 21 resulting in scores.

3. The Golden Bears have scored at least 50 points in three games this season, one short of the school record set in 1920.

PREDICTION: Oregon 58, California 38