Fresh off their first bye week of the year, the 13th-ranked Oregon Ducks have returned to the practice field this week to prepare for Saturday’s game vs. the Cal Golden Bears. The matchup between the Ducks and Bears will serve as Oregon’s Pac-12 home opener inside Autzen Stadium, as well as an opportunity for the Ducks to maintain distance between themselves and the rest of the field in the Pac-12 North division.

Ranked in the top 25 a week ago, Cal tumbled out of the national rankings after suffering their first loss of the season to Arizona State last Friday. Adding injury to insult was the fact that the Bears also lost quarterback Chase Garbers to an apparent shoulder injury that will leave him sidelined for the next several weeks. Backup quarterback Devon Modster is set to replace Garbers in the Cal starting lineup, but engineering a win on the road against hot team in a hostile environment could be a tall order for the former transfer from UCLA.

With game day fast approaching, WFOD takes an in-depth look at Cal and the key players and items to be aware of come kickoff this Saturday.

Cal Golden Bears

2019 record: 4-1 overall, 2-1 in Pac-12
Last game: 17-24 loss vs. Arizona State
Ranking: N/A
All-time record vs. Oregon: 40-39-2
When and where to watch: Saturday, Oct. 5 at 5:05 p.m. (Pacific), FOX

Items of note:

• Oregon is one of seven FBS teams ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring defense and scoring offense
• An Oregon win would mark the first time since 2013 that the Ducks start the season 2-0 in conference play. It would also tie the all-time series between the two schools at 40-40-2.
• The Ducks have won nine of the last 10 meetings against Cal, including five consecutive at home
• Oregon has scored 40 or more points in eight straight games against the Golden Bears
• Justin Herbert’s streak of 174 consecutive passes without an interception is the longest in the nation

Five Cal names you should know:

5. Devon Modster (QB)

The redshirt junior isn’t listed here necessarily for what he has accomplished while wearing a Cal uniform, but more so because of the role he figures to prominently play in the outcome of Saturday’s game. Modster, who previously played at UCLA before transferring to Cal, will be making his first start as a Golden Bear in place of Chase Garbers, who will miss the next several weeks due to a shoulder injury suffered in last week’s loss to Arizona State. However, this won’t be the first time Modster has started a game at the collegiate level. In 2017, Modster appeared in five games for the Bruins, included one, ironically enough, against Cal in which Modster helped lead a Bruin comeback with Josh Rosen sidelined to due to an injury of his own. Modster proved to be steady enough while at UCLA, completing 64.6 percent of his passes for 671 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, though looked decidedly rusty in a tough spot against the Sun Devils last Friday. In that game, Modster completed just 5-of-14 passes for 23 yards and one interception, as the Cal offense, in general, had little luck generating momentum once Garbers exited the contest. Against what may be the Pac-12’s most talented defense in Oregon, Modster may have to play his best game yet to have a chance at engineering an upset victory on the road.

4. Chris Brown (RB)

With Garbers out of the lineup for the foreseeable future, the onus more or less falls to Chris Brown and Marcel Dancy to help generate momentum for the Bears on offense. Brown, in particular, has been a bright spot for what has been a floundering unit for Cal the past few seasons. Through five games in 2019, Brown ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in rushing yards (389) to go along with three rushing touchdowns. At 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, Brown is a load to wrestle to the ground and closely resembles Auburn’s Boobie Whitlow (who rushed for 110 yards against Oregon in the season opener) in terms of his physical running style.

3. Cameron Goode (LB)

Others may grab the headlines on defense for Cal, but there’s no questioning the tremendous impact that junior linebacker Cameron Goode has when he’s on the field. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Goode has flourished in his return from a season-ending injury in 2018. The Spring, Texas native is the leading sack man (3.0) for the Pac-12’s second-best team in terms of sacks (13.0) and is ranked tied for first on the team in tackles for loss (5.0) with the incomparable Evan Weaver. Weaver will certainly garner tons of attention on Saturday night, but Goode is a player who could just as easily put his stamp on this upcoming game.

2. Ashtyn Davis (DB)

Few players compare when it comes to the “rags to riches” story of Ashtyn Davis. A virtual non-entity on the recruiting scene coming out of Santa Cruz High School in 2014, Davis originally arrived in Berkeley as a track and field athlete where he quickly made a name for himself as an up and coming star for the Golden Bears. In 2015, Davis earned a spot as a walk-on football player during the spring but wouldn’t see the field until 2016 when he played in all 12 games (starting three) and was named the team’s Special Teams MVP. From that point forward, Davis’ legend has only grown, as he’s developed into not only one of the best defensive backs in the conference, but has also been regarded as one of the top draft-eligible safeties in the country for the 2020 NFL Draft. Currently ranked third on the team in total tackles (27) and first in fumbles forced (2), look for Davis to be a central figure in pass defense for the Bears on Saturday.

1. Evan Weaver (LB)

Some may be surprised at the number of Sunday football players the Cal Bears have on defense playing for them on Saturdays. However, there’s one player above all else who most obviously fits that bill in senior linebacker Evan Weaver. Simply put, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Weaver is a tackling machine and an all-around menace on the football field whose unrelenting style of play makes him one of the very best defenders in all of college football. As a second-team All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 player a season ago, Weaver ranked second nationally in total tackles (158) behind Washington’s Ben Burr-Kirven. Little has changed for Weaver in that regard since last season. In fact, the Spokane, Wash. native leads the FBS in tackles with 78 – a good 20 tackles more than the next closest player. Not only that, but Weaver is also tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (5.0), making him a true defensive weapon for Cal head coach Justin Wilcox. Consider it a mild surprise if Weaver isn’t in on just about every tackle that takes place Saturday.