When the ASU football team looks itself in the mirror Saturday night, it may see what most expected out of the California football team.
The Golden Bears from Berkeley were supposed to be the undefeated team challenging for a Rose Bowl berth.
But after nail-biting losses to Oregon State and UCLA, Cal may not even be able to recognize itself.
"Anytime something like this happens, you always have to look in the mirror and say, 'What's going on,' " said coach Jeff Tedford at his weekly press conference Tuesday, according to Cal Media Relations. "I don't know that [our] confidence is wavering. I think it's a matter of being a little disappointed and really wanting to get back on the right track."
Cal (5-2, 2-2 Pac-10) will get that chance against ASU but consecutive defeats for a program ranked as high as second in the national polls this season is surely a dramatic change.
First, it was fill-in quarterback Kevin Riley who acted as a redshirt freshman should, mismanaging the final seconds of a Golden Bears drive that gave Oregon State a victory in Strawberry Canyon.
Oct. 13: Loss number one.
Then, even with junior quarterback Nate Longshore back in the fold despite a still gimpy foot, things went awry for Cal on the road in Los Angeles. Longshore threw two interceptions in the game's final three minutes, one of which was returned for a UCLA touchdown and led to Cal's defeat.
Oct. 20: Loss number two.
And now the 18th-ranked Bears must journey to face a third Pac-10 opponent and a third iffy game, this time against a team who sits at fourth in the BCS rankings.
Now, that's a role reversal.
"We don't really get caught up in that," said Cal junior wide receiver DeSean Jackson at the thought of being an underdog this weekend. "I honestly don't feel they have played a team like us. I feel very confident at beating ASU in their house."
Jackson represents one of many deep-ball threats on a team averaging 35 points per game.
The pro-style offense Tedford employs seems to fit with the squad's current personnel.
That starts with the receiving core, which is led by Jackson and senior teammates Lavelle Hawkins and Robert Jordan.
Jordan sat out against UCLA to nurse a shoulder injury, but with his expected return, Jackson said the wide receivers can carry the load.
"It's never too much pressure on our hands or on our shoulders," he said. "We're capable of doing some things."
Some things? Jackson does have 26 career touchdowns, six of those on punt returns.
While using a dink-and-dunk throwing attack and occasional deep, play action passes, the Bears also have a strong running game.
Senior running back Justin Forsett is the beneficiary of Marshawn Lynch's departure to the NFL and is the conference's second leading rusher, and true freshman Jahvid Best is a speedy change of pace.
Just as its receivers anchor the offense, the defense is run by the team's plethora of linebackers.
"It all revolves around us, because the rest of the defense feeds off of our energy," said senior Justin Moye, who has registered two starts so far this season.
Having the Dick Butkus-like attitude, Moye identifies ASU's running backs only by number.
"From the film, I know No. 26 (Ryan Torain) is real talented, No. 24 (Keegan Herring) is fast and No. 31 (Dmitri Nance) is tough to bring down," Moye said. "We don't underestimate any of them; they all run really well."
Fortunately for Cal, No. 26 Torain is out for the season with a foot injury.
But stopping the run doesn't come easy for the Bears, who gave up 142 yards on the ground to UCLA's Kahlil Bell last week.
Even so, every audible Cal player and coach stresses resurgence, regardless of this important game's "favorite" and "underdog" roles.
Oct. 27: Loss number three?
Jackson thinks not.
"We can go in there and knock them off, and we're right where we want to be," he said. "It's a big game in their house, and we can erase all the negatives."
Reach the reporter at: andrew.pentis@asu.edu.
