PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Chase Garbers, a redshirt freshman, protected the football well and struck for three touchdown passes in his winning start against Oregon State. Garbers completed 17 of 26 passes for 234 yards and was not intercepted. Seven different receivers had at least one reception for Cal, led by Vic Wharton III (five catches for 80 yards) and Kanawai Noa (five for 73 and a TD). Garbers did lose a fumble.
–LB Evan Weaver was at the forefront of Cal’s season-high seven sacks against Oregon State. Weaver, who along with fellow linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk has been a heartbeat of this defense, had 1.5 sacks against the Beavers. Washington QB Jake Browning does not have the elusiveness of other quarterbacks in recent Pac-12 history, and forcing him into a mistake or two could make or break this Saturday.
–RB Patrick Laird showed the exact kind of moxie that led him to be the surprise of 2017, as the former walk-on took 22 carries for 193 yards and two touchdowns, including a season-long 53-yard run, against Oregon State. This was Laird’s premier game of 2018, as he only had 384 yards before the Oregon State win.
–DE Tevin Paul, who said Cal’s players-only meeting the night before the Oregon State game made a big difference, performed well in Corvallis. Paul had a sack and 2.5 tackles for a loss. Paul could be a boon for a defensive line that has struggled to establish its presence in the way the linebacker corps has for the Golden Bears.
SERIES HISTORY: Washington leads the all-time series with Cal 54-39-4, and Washington has won the last two matchups.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Awesome. I think there were a few 20-yard runs where I wasn’t touched. It was awesome. They were fired up throughout the game, and we were kind of feeding off each other’s energy.” — Cal running back Patrick Laird, lauding the Cal offensive line after his 22-carry, 193-yard, two-touchdown performance against Oregon State. That was the sixth 100-yard rushing game of Laird’s career.