Should We Be on Upset Alert for the Washington Huskies?
By Charles Jay
Last year’s meeting between the Washington Huskies and California Golden Bears didn’t take place. It was postponed and the date was never made up. But BetAnySports customers will have a chance to revisit that Pac 12 rivalry as these two teams meet up at Husky Stadium in Seattle on Saturday night (9:30 PM ET kickoff).
This is one of those games where the favored team really has to be on alert. In 2018, U-Dub was an 11.5-point favorite but lost 12-10 at Berkeley. A year later, Washington laid 13.5 points and went through a 2.5-hour weather delay. But they were upset again when Cal converted a field goal with eight seconds left to win 20-19.
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Cal vs. Washington — What they’ve done thus far
The Washington Huskies didn’t get off to a good start, as they lost the opener 13-7 to Montana, an FCS squad that held them to 291 yards in the process. They failed to rebound a week later when they were thrashed 31-10 to Michigan, allowing 343 yards on the ground.
They took their frustrations out on Arkansas State last week, winning 52-3. What that proved on their part was uncertain.
California had an FCS opponent last time out, and they took care of business against Sacramento State. That followed losses to TCU and a good Nevada team that came by a total of seven points.
Cal vs. Washington — Let’s look at the numbers……
In the college football betting odds that have been posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, the Huskies are the favorites at home:
Washington Huskies -7.5 (-115)
California Golden Bears +7.5 (-105)
Over 47.5 points -110
Under 47.5 points -110
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Cal vs. Washington — About the Bears
Maybe it’s appropriate to call Chase Garbers a “game manager” for Cal. He’s been intercepted just twice in 99 attempts. It looks like there may be some big-play capability in the receiver corps; wide receiver Trevon Clark is averaging 22.7 yards on ten catches and tight end Jake Tonges is at 19.8.
But the best work is done in the backfield. The Bears are averaging a little more than six yards per carry. Damian Moore leads the way (5.8 ypc). Garbers contributes on the ground (106 yards over the first three games).
Head coach Justin Wilcox has been a defensive coordinator at a number of different schools, including USC, Tennessee, Boise State and Wisconsin.
Cal vs. Washington — About the Huskies
Dylan Morris was one of the more highly-touted QB recruits coming out of high school, so great things were expected of him. And the Huskies are still waiting for those things to take shape. He’s just a 57% passer,and has thrown five interceptions already. That makes eight in seven games in his collegiate career.
The ground game has yet to pick up any steam (3.2 ypc). On the plus side, Washington’s opponents have completed only 47% of their passes.
Head coach Jimmy Lake was hired from within; he had been the defensive coordinator for four years under Chris Petersen, and was elevated when Petersen departed.
Cal vs. Washington — Conclusion and our pick
One thing that has been relatively consistent for Cal during Wilcox’s tenure is its ability to perform as an underdog, with a 19-7 ATS record while getting points. Washington was expected by many observers, including quite a few national magazines, to walk away with the Pac 12 title. At the moment, they look like a rather under-achieving bunch.
They don’t impose themselves on opponents offensively, and California, which comes with a pretty experienced offensive line, should hold its own at the line of scrimmage. We’re grabbing the points.
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