"BERKELEY - The Cal football team, which doesn't seem to know what kind of season it's going to have, gets its highest-profile chance yet to make an impression when No. 15 Virginia visits Memorial Stadium for the first time on Saturday afternoon. If the inclination is to wonder if this is when the Bears (5-3, 2-2 ACC) head south for good with a third loss in four games, there is another side to the story."
"Picked to finish just 14th in the ACC, one spot ahead of Cal, the Cavaliers (7-1, 4-0) have won six games in a row for the first time since 2007 and are one of just two teams still unbeaten in the conference. And yet, the Vegas oddsmakers favor them by the modest margin of 4.5 points against the Golden Bears. Likewise, the ESPN SP+ ratings, a formula that judges how a team might fare going forward based on its body of work, rank Virginia just 52nd in the country, ninth among ACC teams."
"The Cavaliers won in overtime twice, double-overtime once and by a 22-20 margin over Washington State on the strength of a decisive safety in the final 3 minutes. Their 17-16 win at North Carolina last week wasn't secure until they stopped a two-point conversion inches shy of the goal line in overtime. "They're making the plays they need to win," Wilcox said. "They're a good team. They find ways to win.""
Cal enters the home game with a 5-3 overall record and 2-2 in ACC play while No. 15 Virginia is 7-1 and 4-0 in conference. Virginia has won six consecutive games but is favored by only 4.5 points and sits 52nd in ESPN SP+ rankings, ninth in the ACC. Virginia's recent victories have been narrow, including multiple overtime wins and a late safety that decided one game. Cal's season has swung between an early 3-0 start, blowout losses to San Diego State and Duke, close wins over Boston College and North Carolina, and a double-overtime loss at Virginia Tech.
Read at The Mercury News
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