Cal 2021 Football Opponent Previews: Bears Face Arizona in Week 9
* Ninth in a series of stories taking an early look at Cal's 2021 football opponents (cover photo: Jordan McCloud)
GAME 9: CAL AT ARIZONA
Date: Saturday, Nov. 6
Arizona 2020 record: 0-5 overall, 0-5 in the Pac-12/6th in Pac-12 South.
Series record: Arizona leads the series 18-14-2. Arizona has won the last five meetings between the two teams, but Cal and Arizona have not played each other since 2018. The Wildcats have beaten Cal five times in a row in Tucson, Ariz., and the Bears have not won there since 2004. Since Cal’s 1991 victory in Tucson, the Bears are 1-8 in road games against the Wildcats.
Wildcats coach: Jedd Fisch (first full season as a head coach, 1-1 as interim head coach at UCLA in 2017)
Top players: Junior CB Christian Roland-Wallace (two-year starter, 26 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 3 pass breakups in 2020); senior K Lucas Havrisik (6 of 7 on field-goal attempts, long of 51 in 2020, career long 57); junior DL Jalen Harris (13 career tackles for loss, 7.0 career sacks; 2.5 tackles for loss in 4 games in 2020); senior WR Stanley Berryhill III (23 receptions, 227 yards, 3 TDs in 2020); junior QB Jordan McCloud (South Florida transfer, 61.9% completion, 9 TD, 2 interceptions in 2020); junior RB Drake Anderson (Northwestern transfer, 634 rushing yards in 12 games in 2019, 256 rushing yards in 7 games in 2020)
Strengths: The Wildcats have an entirely different look, with a new coaching staff and a lot of new faces on the roster via transfers. Such changes for a program that has struggled mightily in recent years is a prerequisite to changing the attitude and leading to eventual improvement. . . . New coach Jedd Fisch plans to bring a pro-management style to Arizona . . . The Wildcats have the elements of a good running game, with some talented offensive linemen and two promising running backs -- Bam Smith, who had 203 rushing yards and 181 receiving yards in 2019 before opting out of the 2020 season, and Michael Wiley, who averaged 7.2 yards per carry last season. . . . The addition of two transfer quarterbacks (Jordan McCloud and Gunner Cruz) gives Arizona some options at the critical position.
Weaknesses: Arizona lacks the elite players needed to compete for championships at the Power 5 conference level. No Arizona player was named to the all-Pac-12 first team or second team in 2020, and no Arizona player is expected to be named to the 2021 preseason all-conference team . . . Quarterback Grant Gunnell, who became a starter for Arizona as a true freshman in 2019, transferred to Memphis in the offseason. The starter this season is expected to be Jordan McCloud, who was a two-year starter at South Florida, which went 5-16 in those two seasons. He does not figure to be one of the best quarterbacks in the Pac-12 – if he wins the starting job. . . . Head coach Jedd Fisch is entering his first season as a head coach at any level, so it remains to be seen whether he can handle the rebuilding job needed . . . . The Wildcats ranked last in the Pac-12 in both scoring offense and scoring defense last season, so they have a long way to go. . . . This is Brennan Carroll’s first shot at being an offensive coordinator and it remains uncertain how he will handle the play-calling chores.
What you should know about Arizona: New head coach Jedd Fisch is trying to recapture the atmosphere of Arizona's glory days by adding several former Wildcats stars to his staff. All-Americans Ricky Hunley and Chuck Cecil will coach the defensive line and defensive backs, and Tedy Bruschi will be a consultant to Fisch. . . . Arizona’s roster has changed significantly by way of the transfer portal. Fourteen players left Arizona via the transfer portal, the most important being quarterback Grant Gunnell. So far 12 players have transferred to Arizona during the offseason, the most significant being quarterback Jordan McCloud (South Florida) and running back Drake Anderson (Northwestern). . . Fisch had been an assistant coach at five colleges and seven NFL teams before landing his first head coaching job at Arizona. In 2020 he was the quarterbacks coach for the New England Patriots . . . Arizona’s 0-5 season in 2020 represented the first winless season in school history. The Wildcats started playing football in 1899. . . . The 70 points Arizona gave up in its 70-7 loss to archrival Arizona State in last season’s finale were the most points allowed by Arizona since a 78-7 loss to USC in 1928. . . . The Wildcats have had three straight losing seasons. They have finished a season ranked in the top 25 only once in the past 22 years. That was 2014, when Arizona wound up ranked No. 19 and lost to Oregon 51-13 in the Pac-12 championship game. . . . Other than Pac-12 newcomers Utah and Colorado, Arizona is the only team in the Pac-12 that has never played in the Rose Bowl. Arizona joined the conference in 1978. . . . Arizona averaged 17.4 points per game last year, which ranked 118th of 127 Division I schools. The Wildcats gave up 39.8 points per contest, which ranked 120th.
Arizona spring football status: The Wildcats’ quarterback situation was not resolved. Washington State transfer Gunner Cruz seemed to have an edge over Will Plummer, but neither was outstanding. The man many expect to be Arizona’s starting quarterback, South Florida transfer Jordan McCloud, did not participate in spring ball. He was scheduled to join the team on June 7. . . . Spring practice ended on April 24 with the spring game, which was more about trick plays than anything substantial. Tedy Bruschi and Rob Gronkowski coached the competing teams . . . Freshman running back Steve Rocker Jr., an early enrollee who participated in spring ball, shared first-team reps with Northwestern transfer Drake Anderson and was impressive. Running back Michael Wiley was a limited participant in the spring.
Arizona 2021 season projection: The Wildcats are expected to finish last in the Pac-12 South again. ESPN’s Power Football Index gives the Wildcat a 0.0% chance of winning the Pac-12 championship in 2021. Online betting sites Draft Kings and BetOnline.ag both place the over/under for Arizona’s 2021 win total at 2.5. Nonconference games against BYU, San Diego State and Northern Arizona present only one likely victory, and the Wildcats must face both Oregon and Washington from the Pac-12 North.
Cal-Arizona game prediction: Cal 31, Arizona 21
Click here for preview of Game 1: Nevada
Click here for preview of Game 2: TCU
Click here for preview of Game 3: Sacramento State
Click here for preview of Game 4: Washington
Click here for preview of Game 5: Washington State
Click here for preview of Game 6: Oregon
Click here for preview of Game 7: Colorado
Click here for preview of Game 8: Oregon State
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Cover photo of Jordan McCloud by Reinhold Matay, USA TODAY Sports
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