Cal Football Video: Beau Baldwin Confident Bears Can Win With Either Backup QB

Still no word on who will start at quarterback Saturday when Washington State visits.

We know it won't be Chase Garbers, although he has started throwing the ball in practice. But Garbers still is not ready to go after being injured against Arizona State in Week 5 of the season.

For now, it's either Devon Modster or freshman Spencer Brasch.

Modster sat out at Utah two weeks ago after being injured against Oregon State. Brasch, a true freshman, got the call against the Utes and the results weren't pretty.

Cal lost 35-0 to Utah and has scored just 24 points in the three full games since Garbers went down.

Still, this is what the Bears (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12) have for now going against WSU (4-4, 1-4). And offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin expressed confidence in both players.

"They're competing hard - that's the best thing I can say," Baldwin said after Tuesday's practice. "They're both working as a starter."

Baldwin allowed that walk-on Robby Rowell also is getting reps in practice, but it's going to be either Modster or Brasch. Coach Justin Wilcox suggested Monday there may be an announcement at some point this week, but I'm guessing we won't know until shortly before the 4 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.

Either way, the Cougars don't present nearly the defensive challenge the Bears saw in Utah, which is one of the nation's elite defensive squads.

Washington State, by comparison, scored 63 points in a game against UCLA this season . . . and lost. Barely a week after that 67-63 home defeat, defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys resigned his position.

While Cal is the Pac-12's worst offensive team (17.4 points per game), WSU ranks eighth defensively (29.8).