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FACTS & STATS: Site: Memorial Stadium (73,347) -- Berkeley, California. Television: Local. Home Record: WSU 1-2, Cal 2-1. Away Record: WSU 0-2, Cal 2-1. Neutral Record: WSU 0-1, Cal 0-0. Conference Record: WSU 0-4, Cal 1-2. Series Record: California leads, 40-25-5.

GAME NOTES: The Washington State Cougars and the California Golden Bears will clash at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley this weekend.

Washington State has lost its last three games to fall to 1-5, but the poor record isn't much of a surprise considering the horrendous 2008 season that the club endured. The Cougars posted their only victory over SMU, but they needed overtime to do it. All five losses have come by double figures, and the hope is that new head coach Paul Wulff will be able to turn things around over the next few years.

As for Cal, it opened the season with three consecutive impressive victories and appeared to be a legitimate contender in the Pac-10. Unfortunately, back- to-back losses to Oregon and USC by a combined score of 72-6 changed the outlook immediately. Last weekend, the Golden Bears managed to get back on track with a 45-26 romp over UCLA on the road and they are obviously heavy favorites this weekend.

California owns a 40-25-5 series lead over Washington State, including four straight wins over the Golden Bears.

To say that Washington State has struggled offensively would be an understatement. The team is only averaging 14.8 ppg and 269.3 total ypg. While the Cougars have made an honest attempt to establish a solid ground attack, very little success has been achieved. In fact, the club is rushing for only 75.5 ypg and 2.3 yards per attempt with four touchdowns. No player has reached 200 rushing yards for the season yet, as Wulff is still in search of a workhorse back. Three different players have seen significant time under center for the Cougars, but Marshall Lobbestael has taken the majority of the snaps. He has only completed 46.7 percent of his passes, however, with two touchdowns against five interceptions, so he may not be the best choice to lead the Cougars. All of the quarterbacks have been under tremendous pressure, as the team has surrendered 30 sacks. Against Arizona State two weeks ago, Washington State was held to 181 total yards, including a staggering minus-54 rushing yards. The fact that the Cougars allowed 12 sacks totaling 82 yards in losses is downright pitiful.

Like the team's offense, Washington State's defense has struggled significantly this season. Opponents are racking up 35.0 ppg against the Cougars, who are yielding 489.7 total ypg. they have been weak against both the run and the pass, and there really aren't any obvious reasons for optimism. Foes are racking up 5.4 yards per rushing attempt against WSU, and the fact that 289.8 ypg are being giving up through the air is highly concerning. Sure, the fact that the Cougars have 18 takeaways to their credit is impressive, but that is where the positives stop. While the Cougars did allow 12 sacks to ASU last time out as mentioned, they managed just one of their own sacks while yielding 410 total yards to the Sun Devils. ASU posted four offensive touchdowns, including three rushing scores, and finished with 220 yards on the ground.

All talk of the California offense begins with tailback Jahvid Best, a true burner who has rushed for 616 yards and nine touchdowns thus far. Best was sensational through the first three games and was the leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy in the opinion of some fans and analysts. Unfortunately, opponents have begun to stack the line in an effort to stop Best, so his production has cooled significantly. The team's starting quarterback, Kevin Riley, has thrown eight touchdowns against one interception, but his 52.7 percent completion rating suggests that there is some room for improvement. No player on the team has more than 15 catches, so the Golden Bears clearly lack a go-to guy. Cal is scoring 32.8 ppg this season to go along with 408.7 total ypg. In the victory over UCLA last time out, Shane Vereen spearheaded a dominant Cal rushing attack with 154 yards and a score on 17 carries. Best did rush for 102 yards and a touchdown, but 93 of those yards came on one play. Otherwise, he had nine net yards on 17 attempts. As for Riley, he threw for three scores with no picks, and Marvin Jones was on the receiving end of two of the touchdown tosses.

Opponents are posting 23.2 ppg and 374.8 total ypg against a Cal team that has been mediocre defensively. The Golden Bears have been strong against the run, permitting just 3.5 yards per carry, but the pass defense could certainly stand some improvement. There are some solid players on the defensive side of the ball, and Tyson Alualu stands out from the pack. He has 4.5 sacks to his credit this season and is tough to block with just one lineman. Cal allowed 448 total yards to UCLA last weekend, including 311 yards through the air. However, the Golden Bears permitted only two touchdowns, forcing the Bruins to settle for field goals on many occasions.

Cal is wildly inconsistent, and while Best is a dynamic talent, he needs to prove capable of getting some tough yards rather than relying solely on big plays. The Golden Bears will win rather easily at home this weekend, but that isn't saying much considering the weakness of the Cougars.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: California 41, Washington State 13