GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: Washington State senior graduate transfer QB Gardner Minshew II has established himself as a Heisman Trophy contender leading the nation with 397.9 yards per game. He will be tested by Cal’s defense, which tops the Pac-12 allowing only 165.5 passing yards per game. The Golden Bears also are tied for the conference lead with 12 interceptions. Minshew has only six interceptions to go with 26 touchdowns.
DRAFT SLANT
–QB Gardner Minshew II, a graduate transfer from East Carolina, has emerged from nowhere to be a Heisman Trophy candidate and an NFL draft pick, according to NFLDraftScout.com’s Rob Rang. When asked by the Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman-Review last week about Minshew’s draft status, Rang said, “I think he’s probably fifth to seventh round right now, but I think a month ago he wasn’t even that and a month from now he could be more in that third to fourth round range.” Minshew, 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, leads the nation with 397.9 passing yards per game while completing 71 percent of his passes (294 of 414) with 26 touchdowns and six interceptions.
ROSTER REPORT:
–DE Nnamdi Oguayo, a former starter who’s been the primary backup to Logan Tago this year, missed four straight games because of a lower body injury. He returned last week at Stanford and recorded two tackles.
–LB Derek Moore is out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury. He is questionable to return against California this week.
–CB Sean Harper Jr., who started the first six games of the season, was held out of the game against Oregon and Stanford the last two weeks because of an undisclosed lower body injury. How long Harper will be out is uncertain.