Saturday’s match-up: Cal at Arizona

vs.

Saturday’s game in Tucson, AZ is a potential “trap” game against a resurgent Wildcats team. While Arizona is one of the perennial bottom-dwellers of the Pac-10, the Wildcats just defeated Washington State on the road with the return of their starting quarterback Willie Tuitama. With the media focusing on next week’s game against USC in the Coliseum to determine the Pac-10 champion, the Bears have many potential distractions from the game at hand.

However, it appears that Coach Jeff Tedford is well aware of a potential letdown in this match-up and has prepared the Bears accordingly. In addition, history is on the side of the Bears as Arizona under head coach Mike Stoops has been shut out against the Bears with zero points scored.

If Cal come to Tucson ready to play, this should be a blowout – a statement game that will boost the confidence of the Bears before the big day on November 18. Hopefully this will be the case for the Bears.

Here are the media rounds for the game.

ESPN: “Pac-10 Notebook”

So this is the Arizona team that folks imagined in the preseason — the one that welcomed back 17 starters and appeared on the cusp of earning a bowl berth. While improving to 4-5 with a surprising 27-17 victory over Washington State isn’t anything to go crazy about, it’s worth noting that four victories is the program’s most since 2002.

…

California owns Arizona. They’ve won the last three meetings by a combined score of 108-14, the last two meetings being Bears’ shutouts. That means coach Mike Stoops has never seen his offense score against Cal.

…

Cal is trying to record its ninth consecutive victory. The program hasn’t done that in a single season since starting 9-0 in 1950.

Daily Cal: “With Three More to Go, Bears Take Show to Arizona”

Arizona was coming off a victory against Oregon State and sporting a 2-4 Pac-10 record going into its third-to-last regular-season game a year ago against then-No. 7 UCLA. Against all odds, the Wildcats managed to pummel the Bruins 52-14, at Arizona Stadium.

It may be a different season, but the situation is eerily similar in 2006.

“Those are reminders of what can happen if you’re not ready to play,” Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. “We always talk about the challenges that we have each and every week. It’s no different this week.”

Sports Network: “Pac-10 leading California heads to the desert”

Defensively, is where Arizona has had the most success and last week’s win over Washington State was certainly an example of that, holding the Cougars to a mere seven points in the game. On the year, UA is allowing 19.7 ppg, on 309.3 yards of total offense. The rush defense has allowed just 105.8 yards per game, while the pass defense is yielding 203.6 yards per outing.

…

The Wildcats will need to carry over momentum from last week’s win in order to keep this game close. Although the Wildcat defense has played its best against the better offenses it has faced, this Bears’ unit is clicking on cylinders most teams don’t even have. Sports Network Predicted Outcome: California 33, Arizona 14

USA Today: “Weekend Forecast”

You can forgive the Golden Bears a little if they are looking ahead to next week’s showdown against Southern Cal that would likely give them their first Rose Bowl trip since 1959. They’ve got enough talent, though, to win in Tucson with less than their best. California 28, Arizona 14.

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman: “Picks”

No. 8 Cal 28, Arizona 10: The Bears haven’t been quite as sharp the last few weeks, playing down to the level of UCLA and Washington at home. Almost as if they were coasting. They have shutout the Cats the last two seasons, and I don’t see too many reasons why it’ll be much different this weekend even though Zona is coming off its game of season last week after upsetting Wazzu on the road. In that game the Cats still only managed 275 total yards. Thing that has me sold: The struggling UA offense.