Chantel JenningsKyle Bonagura 9y

Oregon-Cal: Five things to watch

1. How much will Oregon get some targets to its less experienced receivers?

The Ducks spent the early part of the season relying heavily on Devon Allen and Keanon Lowe, though of late we've seen players like Darren Carrington and Dwayne Stanford have the opportunity to make big plays. Having that kind of a receiver arsenal is only going to improve Oregon's chances for the playoff, and the more chemistry quarterback Marcus Mariota can build with those receivers now -- in games in which the passing defense isn't quite as strong -- the more it will pay off down the road when the passing defenses are a bit more intense.

2. How will the Ducks' secondary hold up?

Cal has the No. 3 pass offense in the nation, averaging 372 yards per game, and Oregon's secondary has been less than stellar. Opposing quarterbacks average a 63.4 percent completion rate against the Ducks' defense (103rd nationally). And on third-down passing plays, opponents have converted 44.9 percent of the time. So, Oregon's defense hasn't been stout and it really hasn't been stout in crucial situations. Jared Goff is a much improved quarterback. Given the opportunity, he's going to air it out against Oregon and the Ducks are going to need to respond.

3. What kind of numbers will Royce Freeman put up?

Oregon's freshman running back is on quite the kick. He came in with a lot of hype and he has more than backed that up. In the past two games he has tallied six rushing touchdowns and 290 yards at 6.2 yards per carry. Those aren't freshman statistics. And those numbers were put up against two pretty good rushing defenses in Washington and UCLA.

Now enters: Cal. The Bears have a good rushing defense, giving up just 133.4 rushing yards per game at 3.8 yards per rush. But those numbers are a bit skewed considering how much more teams pass against the Bears than run (teams are averaging 53 pass attempts per game as opposed to just 35 rushing attempts per game). Could Freeman have a third consecutive 100-yard game? It seems silly to bet against him at this point.

4. How long will Cal keep pace?

When things are clicking, Cal's offense can be nearly as dangerous a unit as any in the country. The Bears rank No. 10 in the country in scoring (41.6 points per game) and are built to play in shootouts, but with minimal depth on defense, those types of games also are tougher on Cal than other teams the later they go. For Cal to make a game of it, its rotational guys on defense have to give them a chance.

5. How will Levi's Stadium fare as a college venue?

Fans at Cal had mixed reactions to moving a home game to the South Bay, to the new home of the San Francisco 49ers. On one hand, it's an impressive stadium that has all the amenities a fan could want. On the other, it's not Memorial Stadium, and playing a game off-campus changes both during and leading up to the game. There's also those pesky San Francisco Giants, who are playing in the World Series on Friday night, which will undoubtedly hurt the game's attendance.

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