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Call it a hunch, but I think the 120th Big Game between Cal and Stanford on Saturday in Palo Alto has potential to be truly memorable.

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Pac-12 football in need of repair: Here’s a radical solution In a rivalry that dates back to 1892, Cal and Stanford hold an annual battle to see who takes home the Stanford Axe. It’s the seventh oldest rivalry among FBS programs. Stanford won the first Big Game 14-10.

There have been some memorable games in this series. The two teams battled to a 0-0 tie in the 1932 Big Game. College Football’s greatest finish occurred in the 1982 Big Game when “The Play,” a five-lateral, 57-yard kickoff return ended with a Kevin Moen touchdown over a Stanford trombonist to give Cal an improbable 25-20 victory.

Historical Trends: Advantage Stanford

In recent years, Stanford has dominated the matchup, winning the last seven and eight of the last 10. Cal’s last win in the series came in 2009 when Shane Vereen rumbled for 193 yards on 42 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead the Golden Bears to a 34-28 victory. The series has been so one-sided that Cal has led for a total 5:35 in the last five.

Incentive: Even

Both Cal and Stanford have plenty of incentive to win beyond the rivalry. Stanford is (7-3) after upsetting #9 Washington last week and needs a victory over Cal and a Washington win over Washington State in The Apple Cup to vault themselves into the Pac-12 Title Game versus USC on Dec. 1 at Levi’s Stadium. Cal (5-5) needs one more victory in their final two games to become Bowl eligible in Justin Wilcox’s first season as head coach.

Running Game: Advantage-Stanford

Both teams will attempt to run the ball to take pressure off of young quarterbacks KJ Costello and Ross Bowers. Stanford’s offensive line played exceptionally well versus an excellent Huskies front seven last week. They are opening run lanes for college football’s most explosive running back, Bryce Love.

Love has had an amazing campaign. He leads the nation, averaging 180.2 yards-per-game. Love has 15 rushing touchdowns and averages over 9 yards-per-carry. He has surprising power in his 5-foot-10 196-pound body and consistently runs through arm tackles. Love demonstrated his toughness last week versus Washington, when, on a sprained ankle, he averaged 7.2 yards-per-carry in the 2nd half.

Cal’s defense has done a nice job recently defending running backs Phillip Lindsay and Ryan Nall, but Love’s talent is on a different level. Cal’s top runner is former walk-on Patrick Laird and he’s coming off of an impressive 33-carry, 214-yard rushing performance versus Oregon State, prior to the bye. Stanford’s run defense has shown itself to be fallible this season.

Injuries: Advantage Stanford

Cal comes into Saturday’s game short handed, having lost eleven players to season-ending injuries including stalwarts in linebacker DeVante Downs, wide receiver Demetris Robertson, and running back Tre Watson. Stanford will play without their star freshman left tackle Walker Little.

Turnover Factor: Advantage Cal

Cal has repeatedly stolen possessions on defense this season by forcing turnovers. Cal’s defense has produced 22 takeaways and has scored three touchdowns. They have 13 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries. The extra possessions have been huge for Cal. The Bears are 4-0 this year when they win the turnover battle.

Schedule: Advantage Cal

The Bears are coming off their bye week, so they have had an extra week to prepare and rest up for Stanford. Will Stanford get caught looking past Cal after coming off an emotional win over Washington last week and hosting Notre Dame next week?

Venue: Advantage Stanford

Cal has really struggled on the road, losing 11 consecutive Pac-12 games away from Memorial Stadium, and Stanford is 4-0 at home, averaging 42.7 PPG.

Coaching: Advantage Stanford

David Shaw is 7-0 versus Cal, but Wilcox is a bright young coach who has done a terrific job of maximizing his team’s talent.

Quarterback: Advantage Cal

I think the wildcards are the two quarterbacks. Costello is a redshirt freshman who will be making only his fourth collegiate start. I expect Wilcox to challenge Costello with multiple fronts and blitz packages. Bowers is coming off of a game where he completed 80% of his passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns.

Prediction: Stanford, 38-24

The Cardinal gets its 8th straight win in the series, but Cal will force Costello into a couple of turnovers and it will be enough to keep the 120th Big Game close.