No. 6 Oregon at California

When:

7:15 p.m., Friday, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.

Records:

Oregon (6-1, 3-1 Pac-12); California (4-3, 2-3)

Golden Bears this season:

After going 1-11 in Sonny Dykes' first season as head coach, this year's 4-3 mark should be considered a success. And while it most certainly is, it's also created heartburn in Berkeley with two of Cal's losses coming in nail-biting fashion. The Bears' first loss was on a Hail Mary at the buzzer to Arizona despite leading 31-13 entering the fourth quarter. Then on Saturday, the Bears lost to UCLA, 36-34, when a long last pass of their own was intercepted at the 1-yard line in the final moments. The Bears own the nation's third-best passing offense at 372.1 yards per game, but are a sieve defensively in pass coverage -- they third from the bottom in FBS with 391.7 allowed passing yards per game. The Bears' turnaround has had a lot to do with getting healthier and the improvement of sophomore quarterback Jared Goff, but the defense, under new coordinator Art Kaufman, often puts the offense in a shootout by allowing 38.4 points.

Star power:

Quarterback Jared Goff ranks in the top 10 nationally in passing yards, touchdowns, completions per game and efficiency. Oregon will want to put this game out of reach before the second half, where Goff's 1,233 passing yards in the final two quarters is third-most in FBS.

Did you know:

Friday's game will be the first college football game held at Levi's Stadium, the brand-new home of the San Francisco 49ers.

Threat level (1-5 scale):

2. It's a much improved Cal team, but its porous defense often sets a trap that the Bears can't get out of.

Early prediction:

Oregon 55, Cal 31

-- Andrew Greif |