Cal enters the game 5-2 and is listed as an underdog against 2-5 Virginia Tech, with odds influenced partly by home-field advantage. Virginia Tech fired its coach after an 0-3 start and has lost two straight, but the Hokies retain talented players and coaches. Cal has secured late-game wins, avoiding fourth-quarter collapses and converting close outcomes into victories. A defensive takeaway and narrow results have kept the Bears above .500; one more win would make them bowl eligible for a third straight season, a milestone not reached this early since 2006.
"It wasn't exactly a surprise to Cal coach Justin Wilcox when told his 5-2 Golden Bears are underdogs Friday night against 2-5 Virginia Tech. In fact, the topic is just not on his radar. "I never look at that," Wilcox said. "It's not something I ever even know. Nobody tells it to me. It's just not something that concerns us at all.""
"As of mid-week, the Hokies - who fired their coach after an 0-3 start and have lost their past two games - were listed as 4.5-point favorites to win their ACC matchup at Blacksburg, Virginia. Home-field advantage accounts for some of that spread, but the rest? Wilcox says the Hokies have good players, good coaches. "That what we look at - not necessarily the record," he said. "I'm sure with a couple plays here and there, their record might be totally flipped.""
"But eliminate a defensive takeaway at the end of Cal's 28-24 win at Boston College and its 21-18 squeaker over North Carolina last Friday and the Bears could be 3-4, winless in three ACC games and riding a four-game losing streak. Asked if they have been lucky, tight end Mason Mini said, "I wouldn't say lucky. We don't give up in the fourth quarter.""
Read at The Mercury News
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