Cal Bears Look To Extend Home Winning Streak vs UCLA

Information submitted by Cal Athletics:

Cal looks to extend its’ home winning streak in the series against UCLA to eight this week. The last time the Bruins defeated the Golden Bears in Berkeley was in 1998. Cal was a 43-17 winner over the Bruins the last time they met in Berkeley in 2012 on the same evening that Memorial Stadium was rededicated.

Cal has a winning record at the halfway point in the season for the first time since 2009 when the Golden Bears were also 4-2 and went on to win six of their first eight contests. Cal finished 8-5 that season and played in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Cal is among NCAA and Pac-12 leaders in several categories. The Bears rank in the top 15 nationally in team passing efficiency (3rd, 171.59), passing offense (4th, 382.5), scoring offense (10th, 42.8), third-down conversion percentage (11th, 45-92, 48.9%), total offense (14th, 518.3 ypg), passing yards per completion (14th, 14.53) and kickoff return defense (15th, 17.00 ypr). Cal is second in the Pac-12 in scoring offense, passing efficiency, passing offense (382.5 ypg), third-down conversion percentage and kickoff returns (24.9 ypr).

National honors candidate quarterback Jared Goff ranks second in the Pac-12 in touchdown passes (22), passing yards per game (363.2 ypg), passing yards per completion (14.34 ypc) and passing efficiency (173.1), while ranking third nationally in TD passes and fourth nationally in passing yards per game and passing efficiency. Goff is also third in the Pac-12 in points responsible for (132), yards per pass attempt (9.39 ypa), points responsible for per game (22.3) and total offense (351.2 ypg), while ranking eighth, 11th, 14th and 15th nationally. In addition, he is fourth in the Pac-12 and 10th nationally in completions per game (25.33).

Cal has scored 50 or more points in a game three times in 2014 to mark the fourth time in school history that the Golden Bears have scored 50 points or more three times in a season (also 1922 and 2010). The 1920 team holds the school record with four games of 50 or more points.

Cal has 41 players that have played for the first time this season, including 22 freshmen and 10 true freshmen. The Bears have also used 19 other players for the first time in their career.

Running back Daniel Lasco scored Cal’s only touchdown last Saturday against Washington. Lasco currently ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in rushing (79.8 ypg). He has scored a team-high six total touchdowns this season (four rushing, two receiving).

Cal has played in the two highest scoring games in modern-era school history (since 1937) in two victories in 2014 against Colorado and Washington State with the teams combining for 115 points vs. Colorado and 119 points at Washington State.

Cal will honor its seven inductees in the 29th class of the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame this week. The seven inductees in the Class of 2014 are Tom Beach (men’s gymnastics), Natalie Coughlin (women’s swimming & diving), Anthony Ervin (men’s swimming & diving), Sarah Huarte (women’s golf), Grace Upshaw (women’s track & field), Ray Willsey (football), and Rick Cronk (Hall of Fame Service Award).

This week’s game will serve as the Joe Roth Game, as is the tradition whenever UCLA or USC come Cal. Roth was a first-team All-American quarterback in his second and final season at Cal in 1976 after leading the Bears to a co-Pac-8 championship in 1975. Shortly after graduating from Cal, Roth passed away from cancer on Feb. 19, 1977. Roth’s No. 12 is the only jersey ever retired by the school.

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