Can the Cougars keep up with Jared Goff and high-flying Cal?

Jared Goff threw for 527 yards and five touchdowns to lead Cal past Washington State 60-59 in 2014. (AP)

No one who watched last year’s game between Cal and Washington State will ever forget it for many reasons.

For the first time in college football history, a quarterback threw for 744 yards. It might happen again, but it’s unlikely that the quarterback will be on the losing team like Connor Halliday was.

Cal beat the Cougars 60-59 after Quentin Breshears missed a 19-yard field goal that would have won it for the Cougs in the final seconds. Mikey, one of my twin sons, cried himself to sleep that night, and I remember going to bed being proud of him for caring that much. I was also thinking: “Poor kid, he’s just getting his first taste of heartache; I’ve been dealing with it for 42 years!”

I also remember going to brush my teeth and having Mikey explode into the bathroom to tell me Cal had just scored on a kickoff return. A few minutes later, I went back into the bathroom to finish brushing my teeth, and Mikey exploded in again to tell me Cal had scored again on a kickoff return, the same guy even.

That was all part of a 28-28 third quarter when punters weren’t needed on either team. Mike Leach fired his special-teams coach after the game, which made sense at the time, but frankly, the new guy isn’t much better – Rutgers nearly beat us with a punt return in the final two minutes two weeks ago. Every time we kick or punt, I hold my breath, expecting the worst, and the Cougs frequently deliver.

(As a quick aside, I’ve probably established over the last three-plus years that I’m not a big Leach fan, but one thing I do like about him is his constant gambling on fourth down. I know it’s hurt us at times, but I like that he goes against the book, and for every time it’s hurt us, there are a bunch of times it’s helped us out.)

A year later, we’re 2-1 and Cal is 4-0. Last year we were evenly matched teams. This year not so much. Cal looks vastly superior. The Golden Bears, led by the NFL’s top prospect at QB, Jared Goff, look like they have a chance to win the Pac-12 North. In fact, I’m guessing it might come down to the Big Game against Stanford to determine the Pac-12 North champion this year.

Cal is averaging 44 points a game, and Washington State has the offense to keep up, and there is some thought that because of our pass rush, we might be able to bother Goff and make a game out of it. I like to think that’s the case, too, but if I were a non-Coug, I would give Washington State as much of a chance as oddsmakers in Las Vegas – Cal is a 17 ½-point favorite.

Looking at this game without the crimson-colored glasses on, we have lost to Portland State, barely beaten a Rutgers team in disarray and outlasted a Wyoming team that is one of the worst teams in the country.

This game we’re about to play reminds me of a horse race at Emerald Downs. We’re OK when we’re running in these claimer races against other so-so horses or “nags” if you want to call them that, but now we’re moving way up in class, and typically when that happens, the horse that was doing pretty well against fellow claimers gets its doors blown off by the better horses.

Unless I’m missing something, that’s what we’re talking about here, plus we’re on the road, further lessening our chances to win.

But there is some good news in the Pac-12 this year. In light of recent developments with the Ducks not being nearly as good as they used to be, along with apparent downturns in the Arizona and Arizona State programs, the Cougs still have a shot at six wins and a bowl game this year. Plus we have winnable games at home against Oregon State and Colorado.

But we won’t get our third win this week. I like Cal in a blowout.

Line: Cal by 17 ½.
Prediction: Golden Bears 59, Cougs 24
Season record against the spread: 1-2.

The Go 2 Guy also writes for SeattlePI.com and KitsapSun.com. You can reach Jim at jimmoorethego2guy@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @cougsgo.