ESPN is in town and the exciting is building for the next matchup in Oregon’s quest for a third straight conference title. The Bears played Washington, Colorado and Fresno State close on their way to a 3-1 record, and they have the talent to be dangerous tonight.
One place that Cal regularly beats Oregon is in the recruiting wars on the defensive line. Bear d-line coach Tosh Lupoi is a masterful recruiter with a knack for connecting with kids, and over the last few years he seems to get the biggest and best in the region for his defensive line. Last February he got a signature from Vliami Moala, 6-2, 350 lbs., a defensive tackle who has already broken the Cal bench press record. He benched 495 pounds in high school. So far he has just one tackle, against Fresno State in the opener, but look for him to have four productive years at Cal. Lupoi lands more than his share, and this year he’s among the favorites to sign 4-star defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy, a player Jerry Azzinaro would love to convince to come to Oregon. He’s quick and disruptive in the middle, with a good motor, already 300 pounds and athletic enough to be a standout baseball player as well. Once again the Cal position coach seems to have made himself one of his favorites.
Winning tonight, with national television, a packed house and new uniforms makes a positive impression on recruits and coaches around the country. Oregon has a chance to shine tonight, making an impression on poll voters, Heisman voters and the rest of the PAC-12. All Chip Kelly cares about is winning the game, but this is one where the style points matter. Oregon ought to win with style and execution. Anything less would be disappointing.
Please leave your pregame comments and impressions in the livefyre comments section below. I’ll be checking in throughout the afternoon and live blogging and tweeting during the game.
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