Cal Football: For a Change, Bears Face a Top Defense, Not an Elite Offense at OSU

The Beavers were stout enough to allow high-scoring USC just 17 points.

After three consecutive games facing the best of the Pac-12 Star Transfer Quarterback Club, Cal will be greeted by a different challenge this week.

There will be no Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix or Caleb Williams under center on the other side of the line scrimmage on Saturday night in Corvallis, Oregon.

Oregon State, in fact, has gone with freshman Ben Gulbranson at quarterback the past four weeks. Starter Chance Nolan may return to face the Bears if he’s sufficiently recovered from a neck injury he suffered at Utah back on Oct. 1.

Either way, the Beavers’ chief weapon is their defense, which was good enough to limit USC to 17 points. The Trojans scored 41 against Cal last week.

OSU is the only team in the Pac-12 ranked among the top four in the conference in rush defense, pass defense, total defense and scoring defense.

They are ninth nationally in pass-efficiency defense, in large part due to a secondary that has picked off 11 passes.

"The secondary is very good. They can play man-to-man and they’ll get up and challenge people. A lot of bump,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. “And when you have the ability to play man-to-man like that you have a chance to play good defense.”

While Cal has two true freshman — cornerback Jeremiah Earby and defensive end Nate Burrell — in its current starting lineup, the Beavers counter with experience. Every starter on their defense is playing at least his third college season.

Five OSU defensive players are former All-Pac-12 honorable mention selections, including safety Jaydon Grant and cornerbacks Rajzohn Wright and Alex Austin. Those three have combined for seven interceptions and 21 pass breakups this season.

Linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown last week against Washington..

“It’s a veteran group of guys that know how to play together,” Wilcox said of he entire OSU defense.

The Bears will have trouble running the ball if performance to date is any indication. Cal is last in the Pac-12 in rushing offense and the Beavers are allowing just 74 rushing yards per game over their past four outings.

Cal has had much better success lately throwing the ball. The Bears rolled up a season-best 406 passing yards against USC in a 41-35 loss.

OSU coach Jonathan Smith is familiar with Cal quarterback Jack Plummer, who last year completed 71 percent of his passes and threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead Purdue past the Beavers.

“That guy will stand in there and throw it,” Smith said. “They’ve gotten better. I think they’ve found some things that they really like offensively over the last couple weeks. He’s a good player that can make a lot of throws.”

Still, the Bears will have to contend with that Oregon State pass defense.

Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon, who devotes much of his energy studying opposing offense, is impressed by the OSU secondary.

“They’re aggressive,” he said. “The DBs are staying attached to routes and they’re playing competitive in the pass game.”

Plummer believes his primary Cal receivers — J.Michael Sturdivant, Jeremy Hunter and Mavin Anderson — can win some of those one-on-one battles when the Beavers are playing man-to-man coverage.

“We definitely have talented wide receivers so it’s going to put stress on their defense,” he said.

Cover photo of Oregon State linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold by Joe Nicholson, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo