Quarterback
ASU senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter’s numbers have dropped off slightly the last two games, but he is still leading the Pac-10 Conference in passing yards (295.8 per game) and is the conference’s active leader in nearly every major passing category.
Carpenter is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes so far this season and has thrown for 1,183 yards and seven touchdowns.
Cal had a bit of a quarterback controversy during preseason training camp when sophomore Kevin Riley beat out senior Nate Longshore for the starting spot.
Cal coach Jeff Tedford then announced he would reopen the competition at the position this week and will not decide on a starter until game time.
Riley filled in for an injured Longshore last season and is the more mobile of the two. He has thrown for 735 yards and seven touchdowns in four starts so far this season.
Longshore ranks in the top 10 in Cal history in career passing efficiency, passing yards, passing touchdowns and wins, but he has not been the same player since returning from last year’s ankle injury.
The Golden Bears have two solid options at quarterback, but neither one of them have been as reliable as Carpenter.
Edge ASU
Running backs
ASU’s anemic running game will get a much-needed boost Saturday when senior Keegan Herring returns from a hamstring injury that has kept him out of three of four games this season.
The Sun Devils rank last in the conference and 110th in the nation in rushing (89 yards per game) and mustered just four yards on the ground against Georgia Sept. 20.
Cal ranks second in the Pac-10 in rushing yards per game (205.2), but will be without sophomore speedster Jahvid Best Saturday.
Best, who is averaging 7.1 yards per carry this season and ranks first in the conference in all-purpose yards (862), dislocated his elbow against Colorado State last week.
Redshirt freshman Shane Vereen will make his second career start in place of Best and has averaged eight yards per carry this season.
Even though the Sun Devils will not have to defend Best, Cal has still shown it is a much more proficient rushing team.
Edge Cal
Receivers
ASU ranks first in the Pac-10 in passing offense, and a big part of that is its talent and depth at wide receiver.
Fourteen different players have caught a pass for the Sun Devils this season, which is tied for fourth in the nation.
The Sun Devils have two receivers ranked in the top ten in the conference in receiving yards per game, with senior Michael Jones averaging 81.5 yards per game this season and sophomore Kerry Taylor averaging 67.8 yards.
Senior Andrew Pettes and redshirt freshman Dan Knapp have each caught one touchdown pass out of the tight end spot for the Sun Devils this season.
Cal’s wide receivers may not be young in age, but they are young in terms of experience.
Seniors Sean Young and LaReylle Cunningham are each in their first year of starting after Cal lost its top three receivers from a year ago, and the duo has just one receiving touchdown this season.
Junior tight end Cameron Morrah has had a breakout season for the Golden Bears so far, already setting career highs in receiving yards (165) and touchdowns (three) through four games.
While Cal gets more production from the tight end position, ASU has many more viable receiving options overall.
Edge ASU
Offensive line
Changes are on the way for the ASU offensive line, as junior Tom Njunge is expected to make his first career start at right tackle in place of redshirt freshman Adam Tello.
While the nine sacks allowed is an improvement from 2007, the Sun Devil line has not been much help to the run game all season.
Cal’s offensive line has only allowed 30 sacks during the Golden Bears’ past 30 games. It is also a big reason why they have had such a dangerous ground attack.
The anchor of the line is senior center Alex Mack, who is arguably the best center in the nation.
Shaking things up could give the ASU offensive line the shot in the arm it needs, but Cal’s line is much more balanced and consistent.
Edge Cal
Defensive line
ASU junior defensive end Dexter Davis still leads the Sun Devils with four sacks, though he has not brought the quarterback down since the Sun Devils’ game against Stanford Sept. 6.
ASU ranks in the bottom half of the conference in rushing defense, yielding 140.8 yards per game.
Cal’s defense, which is strong up front, has 10 sacks so far this season.
Junior defensive end Tyson Alualu is a returning starter and leads the defensive line with 18 tackles and one and a half sacks.
ASU will have the best pass rusher on the field Saturday, but Cal’s defensive line as a whole should be able to take advantage of the struggling Sun Devil offensive line.
Edge Cal
Linebackers
ASU suffered a huge blow this week when it was announced that junior starting middle linebacker Gerald Munns would miss the remainder of the season to deal with personal matters.
Senior Morris Wooten, who returned from suspension to play against Georgia, is expected to take over as the starter at middle linebacker.
Junior Mike Nixon currently leads the Sun Devils with 35 tackles.
Cal has a stout group of four fast linebackers that has not allowed a 100-yard rusher all season.
Senior Zack Follett ranks first in Cal history in career sacks and forced fumbles. Senior Anthony Felder had 101 tackles last season and senior Worrell Williams was a preseason All-American.
ASU’s linebackers are still the strength of the defense even without Munns, but Cal’s corps is more experienced, more stable and more talented.
Edge Cal
Secondary
ASU’s defensive backfield is allowing less than 200 passing yards a game, but it has only faced one elite quarterback so far this season (Georgia’s Matthew Stafford).
Sophomore cornerback Omar Bolden is tied for third on the team in tackles (18), but he has struggled with his coverage the past two games.
Cal’s secondary has already tallied eight interceptions through four games in 2008.
Junior Syd’Quan Thompson is a huge playmaker at cornerback, as he has 22 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions so far this season.
ASU’s secondary should be able to handle Cal’s receivers, but the Golden Bears will have more opportunities to make big plays and have shown they can capitalize.
Edge Cal
Special Teams
Sophomore kicker and punter Thomas Weber currently leads the Pac-10 in field goals (eight) and field goal percentage (88.9).
Cal freshman David Seawright has converted four of six field goals this season.
Thompson is also a dangerous punt returner, as he had 131 yards and a touchdown in the Golden Bears’ win over CSU last week.
Cal has also blocked three kicks this season, which should concern ASU’s struggling special teams unit.
As long as blocking isn’t an issue, Weber is still a lock to drill the ball through the uprights.
Edge ASU
X-Factor
This game will be ASU’s first road test of the season in a place where the Sun Devils have not won since 1997.
Cal is 2-0 at home so far this season, where the Golden Bears have outscored opponents 80-38.
ASU was 3-1 on the road last year, but beat just one team (UCLA) that finished in the top half of the conference away from Sun Devil Stadium.
Rain is also in the forecast for Saturday, which generally favors the team that is better at running the football.
Edge Cal
Overall Edge Cal
Reach the reporter at gina.mizell@asu.edu.
