Personnel, prediction, and more on the ASU matchup

Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said that Mickey Pimentel will be starting Saturday over Justin Moye at linebacker (who will also get snaps). Pimentel looked good against Portland State and recorded a sack with Brandon Mebane.

The Contra Costa Times also has a nice article about linebacker Worrell Williams. The combination of Pimentel, Williams, and Desmond Bishop is a mean one, and they should live up to the preseason hype against ASU.

Also, Marcus O’Keith got a well-deserved feature article in the Daily Cal today. O’Keith has definitely taken advantage of the limited opportunities he’s had on the field. He’s been named the starter at kickoff returns (instead of Marshawn Lynch) for ASU, as well.

Finally, here are some more quotes (in addition to the last post) on the Cal/ASU matchup on Saturday.

Contra Costa Times’ Jay Heater:

Pressure would seem to be a crucial aspect of this game. ASU 18 sacks, Cal 5 sacks. However, Cal faced a running team in Minnesota and the Portland State game was a blowout and can be discounted. Even so, it will be interesting to see if the Bears can put the screws to ASU sophomore QB Rudy Carpenter.

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman:

This one figures to be one of those traditional Pac-10 offensive shows. There is a very intriguing matchup here between the improved Sun Devils’ run defense (third in the Pac-10, allowing 2.6 yards per carry) and the great Marshawn Lynch. I’m not very sold on the ASU D and I still expect Lynch to run wild. Plus I like the home field edge.

Thing that has me sold: Marshawn Lynch.

Scouts Inc.’s ASU-Cal Edge:

Expect a close game but Arizona State will come up just short on the road. The Sun Devils will keep the game close thanks to their offensive balance. However, Cal’s run defense is strong enough to put Carpenter in more third-and-long situations than Koetter would like to see. That pressure will cause Carpenter to make some uncharacteristically poor decisions and/or errant throws that end drives.

The Sun Devils will have some success getting to Longshore as well, but their corners will have a hard time matching up with Cal’s deep corps of receivers. Cal will have consistent success moving the ball on the ground and don’t be surprised to see their backs break some long runs. In addition, the Bears have the home run threats in the return game to win the battle of field position.

ESPN’s Craig James:

Q: Does Tedford and the boys have any shot against a high powered Arizona State offense this weekend?
A: I think they do…and that they will beat ASU. The Cal debacle at Tenn earlier was just a snowball they couldn’t stop. This weekend we should see the real Cal team

Also interesting to note:

In the last 28 Pac-10 games, only USC (27-1) has a better record than Cal (21-7) and ASU (20-8). … ASU leads the series against Cal 13-12, but the Bears have won four of the past five.