QB Jack Plummer Familiar With Cal's Next Opponent, Oregon State

Bears quarterback had one of his best games against the Beavers last year while at Purdue

Cal quarterback Jack Plummer is new to the Pac-12 this year, but he knows the Golden Bears' next opponent pretty well.

Cal (3-6, 1-5 Pac-12) plays a Saturday night game at Oregon State, and Plummer had one of the best games of his career in a victory over the Beavers last year while playing for Purdue.

"Yeah, it was a good game for me," Plummer said this week. "We kind of had a nice drive at the end of the game to kind of seal it.

Plummer was 29-for-41 for 313 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in that 30-21 Purdue victory. He was particularly effective in the fourth quarter, when he was 8-for-9 for 123 yards, two touchdowns and no picks.  And as Plummer mentioned, he led a late game-clinching drive that started with 3:13 left and covered 75 yards, ending with the touchdown pass shown here.

Seven of the 11 Oregon State defensive starters in that game are scheduled to start against Cal on Saturday, and that includes four returning starters in the Beavers' defensive backfield. Oregon State's defensive coordinator (Trent Bray) is different from the one Plummer faced last year, but the Beavers seem be attacking offenses in much the same way.

Will that familiarity be an advantage for Plummer this week?

"I think it can be," Plummer said. "They've got some guys returning that I played against last year and some familiar faces.

"The defense looks pretty similar to the way it did last year, similar structure, so, yeah, I think it's a little bit of an advantage for me."

Cal and Plummer will need every advantage they can get because Oregon State has an outstanding pass defense and plays its best football at home. 

The Beavers rank first in the Pac-12 and 10th in the country in passer-rating defense (also known as passing efficiency defense), and they own a 9-1 record in Corvallis since the start of the 2021 season, the only loss being a 17-14 defeat against USC this season.

Meanwhile, Cal is 1-9 away from home since the start of the 2021 season, including 0-4 this season.

Cal offensive coordinator is hoping Plummer's familiarity with the Beavers defense will be an advantage.

"I think it will be," Musgrave said. "He's one to not leave one stone unturned in his preparation, for sure."

Head coach Justin Wilcox is not sure whether that experience against Oregon State will make much difference.

"It doesn't hurt," he said, "but it doesn't change a whole lot in terms of our preparation."

.

Cover photo of Jack Plummer against Oregon State last year is by Nikos Frazier, Journal & Courier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

.

Follow Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport