The Stanford Cardinal and Cal Golden Bears are preparing for the 114th edition of the Big Game this weekend. Stanford looks to rebound from a disappointing 53-30 loss to the Oregon Ducks last week and improve its BCS ranking while Cal hopes to play the role of spoiler and hand Stanford its first losing streak in two seasons. Both sides have motivation to win, but Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck may have more on the table than most others involved in this game.
To date, Luck is 1-1 against Cal. He lost 34-28 at home to the Golden Bears back in 2009, during his first season as a starter.Luck completed just 33.33% of his passes (10-of-30) in the game for 157 yards and one interception.
Last year, Luck got revenge by completing 80% of his passes (16-of-20) to help Stanford cruise to a 48-14 victory. Luck passed for 235 yards and two touchdowns while leading his team to scores on all eight of the possessions that he was on the field for.
Saturday's game presents Luck with a chance to secure a winning record over rival Cal. It also gives Luck the chance to bounce back from last week's loss to the Ducks in a big way.
Cal has experienced its fair share of struggles this year but enters this contest with a two-game winning streak. The team has outscored opponents by 40 points during that stretch and will be motivated against a Stanford squad that just endured a big loss.
Both teams will be focused and ready on Saturday. For Luck, winning Saturday's game could help secure his legacy at Stanford as one of the best- if not the best- quarterback in Cardinals history.
For more on Luck and Stanford, click through to Rule of Tree. For more on Cal, check out California Golden Blogs.