Saturday preview capsules
California at Washington
When: 8 p.m. at Husky Stadium, Seattle.
TV/radio: Fox Sports 1, cable Channel 408; AM 1550.
Records: UW 4-3, 1-3; Cal 1-6, 0-4.
Plot: Washington looks to rebound after dropping three straight. The Huskies have a good chance to do that against a young Cal team that has allowed nearly 45 points per game.
UW player to watch: Quarterback Keith Price’s ailing thumb has hampered him the past three games. He completed just 16 of 39 passes in last week’s loss at ASU. Coach Steve Sarkisian said Price looked good in practice this week, but UW fans are anxious to see how he looks on the field.
Cal player to watch: Chris Harper leads the pass-first Golden Bears with 52 catches, averaging 13.4 yards per reception.
Line: UW by 28.
UCLA at Oregon
When: 4 p.m. at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Ore.
TV/radio: ESPN; AM 750.
Records: UCLA 5-1, 2-1; Oregon 7-0, 4-0.
Plot: This could be a preview of the Pac-12 title game. No. 2 Oregon, however, has aspirations beyond a conference title. Two of the Pac-12’s best quarterbacks will face off under a national TV spotlight.
Oregon player to watch: Marcus Mariota is a leading Heisman contender. The sophomore has thrown for 2,051 yards, 19 touchdown and no interceptions. His top offensive weapon, De’Anthony Thomas, is expected to play after missing three games.
UCLA player to watch: Brett Hundley has thrown for 1,661 yards and 13 touchdowns, but was held to a season-low 192 yards passing last week at Stanford. Injuries on the Bruins line have been a worry.
Line: Oregon by 23.5.
Stanford at Oregon State
When: 7:30 p.m. at Reser Stadium, Corvallis, Ore.
TV/radio: ESPN; AM 620.
Records: Stanford 6-1, 4-1; OSU 6-1, 4-0.
Plot: Oregon State, winner of six straight, looks to join the Pac-12’s elite. Defending champ Stanford needs a win to stay in the hunt for the Pac-12 North.
OSU player to watch: Sean Mannion is the nation’s leading passer with 2,992 yards. Twelve of his 29 touchdowns have gone to Brandin Cooks.
Stanford player to watch: Tyler Gaffney rushed for 171 yards last week against UCLA. The Cardinal rushing game must make up for the loss of No. 2 receiver Devon Cajuste, who suffered a bruised knee last week.
Line: Stanford by 4.5.
North Dakota at Portland State
When: 1 p.m. at Jeld-Wen Field, Portland.
Webcast/radio: www.watchbigsky.com; AM 970.
Records: North Dakota 2-5, 1-3; Portland State 3-4, 0-3.
Plot: The Vikings look to right the ship after dropping their first three Big Sky games. Portland State plays three of its next four at home.
PSU player to watch: Senior safety Dean Faddis had 10 tackles for a defense that only allowed 183 total yards last outing against Southern Utah. He is the Vikings leading tackler, averaging 7.7 per game.
North Dakota player to watch: Senior Dominique Bennett leads the team with five sacks. He looks to disrupt a Portland State offense that, despite leading the Big Sky with 537 yards per game, had five turnovers its last outing.
Micah Rice
Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.