The Stanford Cardinal jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter after California Golden Bears QB Brock Mansion fumbled his second snap in three tries. Stanford took over at the Cal 26 but the Cal defense stepped up in a big way. After a 15 yard pass interference call put Stanford on the 11, the Cardinal were unable to move any further and settled for a field goal.
Last week’s Cal-Oregon game showed how tough the Bears defense can be, and they’ll need to be tough if they’re going to have a chance at upsetting the Cardinal. The Cal offense is rather one dimensional as QB Brock Mansion has struggled since replacing Kevin Riley. The team will be relying heavily on running back Shane Vereen.
The game off to a somewhat expected chippy start as the two teams had a bit of a stare down at midfield before the game. There was some smack talk and then Stanford wide receiver Rashad Patterson punched a Cal player’s helmet and was immediately ejected from the game.