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Oregon State Beavers vs Cal Golden Bears Preview

Expect a riveting evening of action this Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif. When Oregon State and Cal get together, the action and intrigue regularly exist at an elevated level.

Two years ago, Cal brought a No. 2 national ranking and an unbeaten record into its home stadium, but the visiting Beavers--behind running back Yvenson Bernard--thoroughly outplayed the Golden Bears in Strawberry Canyon. With only three minutes remaining, OSU led by two scores, 31-21. An earthquake was about to rock the Pac-10, or so it seemed.

With 2:31 left, a backup quarterback named Kevin Riley--filling in for Cal starter Nate Longshore--threw a touchdown pass to trim the OSU lead to 31-28. After Cal got the ball back, Riley led another frantic downfield march, getting the Bears to the Beaver 12 with 14 seconds left. Overtime was likely, and a winning touchdown stood as a distinct possibility.

Then, however, came the moment from which Cal football has never truly recovered in the latter stages of this decade.

The Bears had no timeouts when they came to the line of scrimmage with 14 seconds left, the ball in range for a tying chip-shot field goal attempt. The one thing Riley--in his first collegiate start--needed to ensure was that he didn't get tackled in bounds short of the first down marker. Yet, when the play broke down and Riley scrambled toward the end zone, a sure-handed Oregon State tackle at the 10-yard line caused the clock to run out on the California comeback. On that day, then-No. 1 (and eventual 2007 national champion) LSU had just lost at Kentucky, meaning that a Cal win would have elevated the Bears to the nation's top spot. But after losing that wrenching battle against the Beavers, coach Jeff Tedford's team has never been able to reach similar heights in the college football world.

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Last season, Cal engaged OSU in another exciting battle at Reser Stadium, with the Rodgers brothers and Jahvid Best trading punches in a display of sprawling athleticism, but the Beavers once again had the last word, as their more consistent defense carried the home team to a 34-21 win over Tedford's troops. Mike Riley (no relation to Kevin) coached Oregon State to another satisfying win in this series, but in a closely-matched comparison, there's hardly any guarantee that OSU will be able to beat the Bears for a third straight season... especially not in Berkeley.

The appeal of this game lies not in its keys or its questions, but in the fact that the Beavers and Bears have recently produced some scintillating and sharp-edged slugfests brimming with playmaking potency and pronounced passion. It's hard to see this game being lopsided entering the fourth quarter; whoever rises to meet the moment will walk away with a very significant conference scalp.

The theater will be fabulous. The athleticism on display should dazzle in the cool of an early November evening. Bowl positioning is at stake.

Sit back, enjoy some fine food and drink, and savor the sights and sounds. Oregon State and Cal are back at it. Good times await college football connoisseurs.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Staff Writer