Cal Football Video: Oregon State WR Isaiah Hodgins Will Provide a Challenge
Cal offensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter is impressed by the Oregon State offense Cal will face on Saturday in Berkeley, and he is particularly impressed by the Beavers’ passing combination of quarterback Jake Luton and wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins.
DeRuyter notes that Luton has 14 touchdown passes with just one interception. In fact the Beavers have committed just two turnovers all season, tied with Appalachian State for the fewest in the nation.
However, the real star of the team is Hodgins, who is second in the nation in receptions per game (8.5) and fourth in receiving yards per game (118.2). His 51 receptions are easily the most in the Pac-12.
He will be a major challenge for Cal’s talented secondary. Cal cornerback Cam Bynum is one of the best cover men in the conference, and he will draw the assignment on Hodgins at least part of the time.
“Talented guy,” DeRuyter said of Hodgins. “He’s a long receiver. I think the best thing he does is make contested catches. Kind of reminds me of the guy Stanford had a year ago [JJ Arcega-Whiteside] that, you know, they throw a ball up, should be a 50-50 ball and ends up 90-10 his way.
“We’ve got to do a great job of having great body position and compete for the ball because he certainly does that. And having an awareness of where he’s at because he has a majority of their catches obviously.”
Oregon State also has two productive running backs in Jermar Jefferson and Artavis Pierce, although it is unclear whether Jefferson will play. He has missed the past two games with an ankle injury, and he is questionable for Saturday’s game. Jefferson rushed for 1,380 yards last season as a freshman, but Pierce has been effective this season, averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
