Subscribe
Follow Us
Possibly the hardest thing a team can do is mentally move on from a gut-wrenching loss and gear up for another big matchup. California football has the opportunity to alleviate some of the anguish they endured after blowing a 25-point second-half lead to Miami in Week 6 when they face No. 22 Pittsburgh (5-0) on Saturday afternoon. But do the Golden Bears have any hope of exorcising their demons without one of their top playmakers?
“Sources: Star Cal RB Jaydn Ott will not play at No. 22 Pitt today,” ESPN's Pete Thamel reported more than an hour before opening kickoff. “He re-aggravated a lower-body injury against Miami that he’s been dealing with the entire season. Going into the Miami game he was considered 100-percent for the first time this year.”
The junior running back, who amassed 1,315 rushing yards in 2023, was originally listed as probable for this ACC face-off. This setback, coupled with the news that edge rusher Ryan McCulloch will also miss the game with a lower-body injury, portends much trouble for California.
Article Continues Below
Ott has struggled on the ground this season, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry, but he remains a valuable part of Cal's passing attack. The 2023 All-Pac-12 First-Team selection scored a 66-yard touchdown reception versus the Hurricanes last Saturday and ranks second on the team with 11 catches. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza will have to rely even more on his other impactful weapons, like wideout Nyziah Hunter and RB Jaivian Thomas.
The welcoming committee has been rough on California football during their first season as a member of the ACC. They narrowly fell to Florida State in September, lost in agonizing and controversial fashion to Miami to start October and now must take on an undefeated Pittsburgh Panthers squad on the road.
Head coach Justin Wilcox will need to fire up a legendary pregame speech if his Golden Bears are going to prevail in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
