BERKELEY — Moose is in the mood for Duck.

“This Saturday we’ve got a good test ahead of us. But let’s start with Duck on Tuesday,” said Cal defensive tackle Mustafa “Moose” Jalil, unveiling a huge plate of roast duck from the Mandarin House restaurant near campus.

The Bears (5-3, 2-3 Pac-12) face the Oregon Ducks (5-3, 3-2) on Saturday night in Eugene, and Jalil’s news conference theatrics were intended to demonstrate that a three-game losing streak hasn’t dented his team’s confidence or resolve.

“It’s 100 percent Duck. We’re not joking about this one,” Jalil said. “Why not get the feast started?”

“That’s Moose,” shrugged Cal coach Sonny Dykes when told about the senior lineman’s stunt. “I don’t really like duck myself.”

Dykes was talking lunch fare, not his team’s Pac-12 opponent. But none of the Bears are particularly fond about a team they haven’t beaten since 2009.

Jalil said losses to Utah, UCLA and USC won’t derail the Bears’ season.

“We took three good punches in the face, but to start the season off we gave five good punches. We’ll see how good the team is when we come back Saturday and give them a punch.

“I think everyone’s jaw is a little bit hurt for the past three weeks. We’re trying to go out there mean and aggressive and truly show what 5-0 meant.”

Senior running back Daniel Lasco said Jalil’s mood permeates the team. “He’s excited like everybody else,” Lasco said.

Maybe, but Jalil was in rare form.

He said the Bears want to show they’re not just “another random team” in the Pac-12. “We’re here for real,” he said.

“We’re got to come out with our hair on fire and want this one like we haven’t wanted any other game,” Jalil said. “I know they want this one just as bad. I take that back: They don’t want this one as much as we do.”

No area on the Cal team has shown more improvement than the defensive secondary, which last season allowed an all-time FBS worst 42 touchdown passes, 31 by this point in the season. Through eight games this fall, the Bears have surrendered just eight TD passes — second-fewest by a Pac-12 team. “We’ve got more people to play back there, and I think all four starters in the secondary have played very well for us,” said Dykes, whose defense still ranks just No. 7 in the conference in pass defense efficiency. “The thing is, are they giving us a chance to win? They’re certainly giving us a chance to win.” The dropoff the past two weeks is a failure to generate turnovers. The Bears’ 12 interceptions are second-most in the conference, but they had none against UCLA or USC. Oregon coach Mark Helfrich, whose young secondary has given up more TD passes (27) than any team in the country, sees a huge difference in the Bears. “They’re tremendously improved on defense,” he said. “The guys that are returning are that much more confident, that much more seasoned, and they’re healthy.”

Cal junior Jared Goff is one of five Pac-12 players who made the cut among 17 semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback. Others are Stanford’s Kevin Hogan, USC’s Cody Kessler, Washington State’s Luke Falk, UCLA’s Josh Rosen.