Skip to main content

* Fourth in a series of stories previewing Cal’s six firm opponents on their revised 2020 Pac-12 schedule. This story, which appeared on Cal Sports Report in April, has been substantially updated, reflecting changes since then.

Game 4: STANFORD at CAL, Friday, Nov. 27

Original date: The Cardinal originally were scheduled to visit Berkeley for Game 10 on Nov. 21.

Stanford 2019 record: 4-8 overall, 3-6/tied 5th in Pac-12 North

Series record: Stanford leads 52-41-6. Cal won 24-20 last year at Stanford, snapping a record nine-game losing skid in the series. The Bears haven’t beaten Stanford in Berkeley since a 37-16 victory in 2008.

Stanford coach: David Shaw is 86-34 in his 10th season. Last year was Stanford’s first losing season under Shaw, who guided the Cardinal to bowl appearances in his first eight years, including three trips to the Rose Bowl. Stanford has won 10 games or more five times under Shaw, but the Cardinal is a relatively modest 22-17 the past three seasons.

Recent changes: Two of the program’s top players, redshirt juniors Paulson Adebo and Walker Little, opted out to prepare for the NFL draft. Adebo, a two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection at cornerback, waited until Oct. 1 to make his decision. Little, who made his announcement on Sept. 10, was an All-Pac-12 pick in 2018 before missing virtually all of last season due to a knee injury, Both are projected as first-round picks.

Top players: Redshirt junior quarterback Davis Mills (1,960 passing yards, 65.6 percent, 11 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 8 games); junior defensive end Thomas Booker (Honorable mention All-Pac-12, 50 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks) redshirt junior linebacker Gabe Reid (43 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks); linebacker Curtis Robinson (Honorable mention All-Pac-12, 64 tackles).

Strengths: The defense wasn’t up to usual Stanford standards last season, allowing 31.1 points per game and 45.2 percent third-down conversion to rank 112th nationally. But the Cardinal should be more stout in 2020. . . . The offensive line will miss Little but features honorable mention All-Pac-12 pick Drew Dalman and should be improved. . . . . Returning wideouts Michael Wilson, Conor Wedington, Osiris St. Brown and Simi Fehoko combined for 158 receptions for 2,007 yards and 12 TDs last season. Fehoko showed signs of stardom with a strong late-season performance. For the year, he averaged 23.6 yards per catch with six TDs.

Weaknesses: The Cardinal running game, a staple over most of a decade, has fallen off, partly because of injury. Stanford has ranked near the bottom in the Pac-12 in rushing the past two seasons, producing just 107.9 and 105.5 yards per game, respectively. Among those who will be in the mix to get playing time at running back will be incoming freshman EJ Smith, a four-star prospect from Dallas and the son of former NFL great Emmitt Smith. . . . While the Cardinal averaged just 3.7 yards per rush last season, its defense allowed 4.5 yards to rank just eighth in the Pac-12. That must improve.

What you should know about Stanford: Stanford has not suffered consecutive losing seasons since former coach Jim Harbaugh’s first two seasons in 2007 and ’08. . . . The Cardinal roster will have a dramatically different look after 15 players, including QB KJ Costello, DE Jovan Swann and RB Trevor Speights, entered the transfer portal in the spring. . . . QB Davis Mills completed 74 percent of his passes in a 290-yard performance against Cal last season but also was picked off twice. A week earlier he passed for a school-record 504 yards against Washington State. . . . Costello, who was mentioned before last season as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, suffered a head injury in the opener vs. Northwestern and had a spotty season. He transferred to Mississippi State, where he threw for an SEC-record 623 yards with five touchdowns in his debut under new coach Mike Leach as the Bulldogs upended defending national champion LSU.  . . . placekicker Jet Toner is back after missing the second half of last season with a leg injury. Toner is 47-for-57 on career field-goal attempts and has never missed a PAT.

Spring practice status: The Cardinal split its spring workouts into two separate sessions and managed to get in seven workouts before the sports shutdown for COVID-19. Stanford’s final seven practice and its spring game were canceled.

2020 Stanford Schedule: Nov. 7 at Oregon; Nov. 14 vs. Colorado; Nov. 21 vs. Washington State; Nov. 27 at Cal; Dec. 5 at Washington; Dec. 12 vs. Oregon State; Dec. 19: TBD.

2020 Season projection: Stanford should be better than last season when injuries devastated the roster (Costello, Little, Adebo, Toner), but the Cardinal was picked fourth in the Pac-12 North in the annual preseason media poll. . . . Lost to the pandemic is the traditional non-conference showdown with Notre Dame. Stanford plays the three toughest Pac-12 North opponents on the road, starting with division favorite Oregon on Nov. 7.

123rd Big Game prediction: Cal 27, Stanford 25

.

.

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

Click the "follow" button in the top right corner to join the conversation on Cal Sports Report on SI. Access and comment on featured stories and start your own conversations and post external links on our community page