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No. 6 Oregon favored big Friday at Cal
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Published: 10/24/2014  at  5:21:00 AM
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OREGON DUCKS (6-1)
at CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS (4-3)

Levi's Stadium - Santa Clara, CA
Kickoff: Friday, 10:00 p.m. ET
Line: Oregon -17.5, Total: 78.5

No. 6 Oregon is back in playoff contention, and will look for a third straight win on Friday night with a visit to California in Santa Clara, CA.

Since losing to Arizona to start the month, the Ducks (3-4 ATS) have responded by winning their past two games by 18.5 PPG. The Golden Bears (5-2 ATS) are coming off a tough 36-34 loss to UCLA last weekend. In that game, California had its chances to pull off the upset, but surrendered 567 yards in the loss. Oregon has one of the elite scoring teams in the country at 43.6 PPG, and the Bears have struggled against teams that can score. California is 6-17 ATS in the past three seasons when giving up at least 28 points. On the other hand, Oregon has shown the ability to be successful on the road, going 10-2 ATS in the same time period when scoring 28 points. Last season, the Ducks were able to build a 27-point lead after the first quarter en route to the 55-16 victory against California. The weather played a big role in the game, as the two teams combined for seven turnovers, while also totaling 20 penalties. With Oregon has no major injuries to be concerned with, California lost a pair of defensive backs with season-ending knee injuries last week (Griffin Piatt and Joel Willis) and have three offensive players questionable for this matchup (WR Chris Harper, WR Trevor Davis and OL Chris Borrayo).

Can Oregon cover the big road spread in this Pac-12 showdown? For the answer, connect to College Football Best Bets for all the StatFox Experts picks throughout the 2014 regular season and bowl season. StatFox Gary is heating up with an 83% ATS mark (5-1) in Best Bets over the past two weeks.

The Ducks have bounced back nicely from that loss to Arizona, and the team once again has one of the best offenses in the country. QB Marcus Mariota (1,957 pass yards, 289 rush yards, 24 total TD) is the leader on an offense that ranks sixth in FBS scoring (43.6 PPG), 15th in passing (309.7 YPG) and 32nd in rushing (217.3 YPG). What makes Mariota so impressive is not only does he make the big play, but he also does a tremendous job of limiting the mistakes, as he has thrown zero interceptions all season. The ground game got things going last week against Washington, rushing for 218 yards. RB Royce Freeman (114 carries, 636 yards, 11 TD) is a load at 230 pounds, but he also has the speed that makes him one of the toughest runners to stop in the country. Unlike the past few seasons, Freeman gives the Ducks a guy that can run up the middle and get the tough yards. RBs Thomas Tyner (66 carries, 279 yards, 1 TD) and Byron Marshall (677 total yards, 9.9 yards per touch, 9 TD) are the home-run threats at the running back position. WR Devon Allen (23 catches, 440 yards, 6 TD) is a track star on the outside, giving the Ducks an elite playmaker at the receiver position. TE Pharaoh Brown (18 catches, 314 yards, 3 TD) is a big threat for Mariota, and is especially dangerous in the red zone. The Oregon offense has shown that it is going to be able to score with most teams, but the defense still needs to step forward. The unit currently ranks 48th in the nation in points allowed (23.7 PPG) and has given up 448 total YPG, including 526 total YPG in two road contests. But the Ducks still have the playmakers to be a solid defense. LB Derrick Malone (44 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 QBH) is the leading tackler on the team. DB Troy Hill (29 tackles, 8 PD, 2 TFL) has been a great player in the secondary, while fellow DB Erick Dargan (42 tackles, 4 INT, 2.5 TFL) is the playmaker in a unit that will face an explosive Cal offense.

The Bears offense is one of the best in the country, ranking 3rd in passing (372.1 YPG), and 10th in scoring (41.6 PPG), but is ranked only 108th in rushing (124.4 YPG). QB Jared Goff (2,482 pass yards, 24 TD, 4 INT) is only a sophomore, but has shown he can throw the ball as well as any quarterback. At running back, Daniel Lasco (102 carries, 523 yards, 6 TD) does a good job of forcing defenses to respect the ground game, which obviously helps Goff and the passing game. Goff does a nice job of spreading the ball out to all his receivers, as seven players have at least 15 catches. WRs Bryce Treggs (33 catches, 401 yards, 5 TD) and Kenny Lawler (28 catches, 387 yards, 6 TD) are the two guys that Goff goes to the most. This unit could be down a receiver, as WR Chris Harper (25 catches, 334 yards, 4 TD) may miss the game due to an injury. The offense of the Bears has the opportunity to score some points, but the defense will have to be ready to try and slow down the Ducks. The defense has struggled all season, allowing 38.4 PPG (120th in nation) and 525 total YPG. CB Cameron Walker (36.5 tackles, 5 PD, 1 INT) is the leader on this defense, but the star of this unit is S Griffin Piatt (32.5 tackles, 9 PD, 3 INT). Piatt has a knack for the ball, and gives the Golden Bears a true playmaker on defense.


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