Arizona Football travels to Berkeley, faces feisty Cal Bears team

Now into week eight of the college football season, the Arizona Football team has their next test against a feisty Cal Bears team in Berkeley.

The Arizona Football team is rolling, at least for now. Winners of their last two games, things are looking a bit promising in Tucson.

Now at 4-2 (2-1) the season, the Wildcats are playing well, especially offensively, however, this week will once again be another tough test for this young squad.

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Cal is going to be a tough opponent! Newly hired coach Justin Wilcox has the Golden Bears playing well, and confidence will likely be sky high for the Bears, especially after knocking off the then, eighth ranked Washington State Cougars last week.

Sophomore quarterback Khalil Tate, by and large has been a big surprise to some, but a lot will be riding on how successful he can be this weekend. So far, he’s off to an incredibly hot start! Following his record-breaking game against Colorado, Tate once again proved his worthy hype against the UCLA Bruins, hopefully, that trend can continue.

With Cal upcoming this week, it is worth noting, that they have been inconsistent to say the least, but the team is still very skilled, and very dangerous. At 4-3 (1-3) on the season, anything is possible come Saturday, especially between these two programs.

Know Thy Foe:

Team: Cal Bears (4-3, 1-3); coming off a big win over then eighth-ranked WSU 37-3

Conference: Pac-12

2016 Record: 5-7 (3-6); Beat UCLA 36-10 in final game of the season.

Last Meeting vs Arizona: Arizona won 49-45 in Tucson, AZ on the ‘Hill Mary Pass’.

Head Coach: Justin Wilcox: 4-3 (1-3) as head coach, previously an assistant at Wisconsin.

Key Returners/ Starters: QB Josh Bowers, RB’s Vic Enwere and Patrick Laird, WR’s Vic Wharton, Kanawai Noa and Jordan Veasy. Defensively, the Golden Bears are pretty stout, ladened with numerous, key players including; LB Raymond Davison, DB’s Camryn Bynum and Quentin Tartabull, and a defensive line that creates tons of pressure. As a team, Cal has 20 sacks on the season so far.

Key Injuries: LB Devante Downs (out for the season), and Laird could miss Saturday’s action vs Arizona.

Game Information:

When: Saturday, October 21st, 2017

Time: 5 PM MST

Where: California Memorial Stadium (Berkeley, CA)

Spread: -3.0 Arizona

Overall Series Record: 16-14-2 Arizona. The Wildcats have won the last three match-ups between these two schools, and of course as we remember, Arizona won in 2014 off the Hill Mary pass, 49-45 final.

Our Prediction: Arizona 38 Cal 31. This is an intriguing match-up. Cal has a good squad, but they have been inconsistent at times. Last week was a great win for the Golden Bears, and could elevate their confidence into this week. However, was that five-turnover game by Luke Falk indicative of Cal’s strength, or was it a bit of luck? Adversely, a lot of questions remain for the Wildcats. Arizona has played well of recent, but will Tate be able to keep up the sterling performance for a third, straight week?

We think Arizona does just enough, continuing to run the ball well, and score points. Defensively, the young Wildcats will be tested again, but they hold up against a turnover-prone Bowers at QB. Wildcats win in a close one.

Listen to Rodriguez, as he breaks down his teams’ preparation for Cal.

Must Read: More on Arizona Football

At Zona Zealots, we’re excited for the game against Cal, and of course hope for a Wildcat win! Bear Down, Arizona!