Colorado (2-4, 1-2 Pac-12) at Cal (1-5, 0-3 Pac-12)

1:30 p.m. Saturday, Memorial Stadium (Berkeley, Calif.)

TV/Radio: PAC-12 Network/850 AM, 94.1 FM

Line: Colorado +8, 43.5 over/under

Weather: 59 degrees, mostly cloudy

What to know

Air born. For the first time all season, the CU passing attack looked dangerous vs. Arizona last week. QB Brendon Lewis had three completions that went for 30-plus yards, including receptions of 62 and 31 yards from receiver Brenden Rice. Have Lewis and Co. finally found their footing? We’ll find out Saturday when they take on a Cal pass defense that ranks 111th in FBS at 274.2 yards/game. This is not the Golden Bears defense of coach Justin Wilcox’s first three seasons.

TFL fever. The disruptive Buffs defense that defined the first two weeks of this season finally returned in the 34-0 win over Arizona. Led by outside linebacker Carson Wells (one sack, four tackles for loss, one pick-6), the Buffs accumulated nine tackles for loss and two turnovers in CU’s first shutout of an FBS opponent since 2005. Was that more an indication of how far Arizona has fallen? Possibly. But Cal’s stuck-in-neutral offense, ranked 104th in FBS at 23.0 points/game, isn’t a whole lot better.

Deceptively bad. Are the Golden Bears as bad as their 1-5 record suggests? Maybe not. While they have yet to beat an FBS team this season, and are one of just 24 teams to not win a league game thus far, it’s not as if the Bears haven’t been competitive. Four of their fives losses have been by seven points or less, including a heartbreaking 24-17 defeat at Oregon last Friday that ended with QB Chase Garbers throwing incomplete on fourth-and-goal from the Ducks’ 2.

Bowl math. The Buffs’ postseason prospects are murky at best, but a win at Cal would offer a ray of hope. The remaining schedule includes road games at Oregon, UCLA and Utah, with visits from Oregon State and Washington interspersed in between. Lose to Cal, and CU will have to win four of those matchups. That’s an extremely tall order for a team that has just one win over FBS competition on its resume.

Key matchups

QB Chase Garbers vs. CU secondary. Bad as the Bears are, the fourth-year starting QB has been effective with 38 plays of 15-plus yards (31 passes, 7 rushes) as the Pac-12 leader in per game total offense (283.3 yards/game). The CU pass defense is coming off arguably its best game of the season. But that came against one of the worst offenses in the country. The Buffs will have to earn it against Garbers.

CU run game vs. Cal defense. More than halfway through the season, and we’re still waiting for a 100-yard game from Buffs RB Jarek Broussard. The Cal defense is better at stopping the run (50th nationally) than the pass (111th), but it sure would be nice for the Buffs to re-establish their identity as a physical running team. At an average of just 3.5 yards/carry, that has yet to materialize this fall.

Predictions

Kyle Fredrickson, sports reporter: Cal 24, CU 21

The Buffs fall behind early, rally to make it a one-possession game late, and clinch the loss with a Brendon Lewis turnover. That pretty much sums up the entire season.

Sean Keeler, sports columnist: Cal 21, CU 13

Few teams seem to have their confidence affected, in-game, the way these young Buffs do. A date with a laughable Arizona squad proved to be a welcome tonic. I’m just not convinced it was the cure.

Matt Schubert, deputy sports editor: Cal 27, CU 20

The Buffs discovered a few things against Arizona (namely, Brenden Rice), but they still have a ways to go before I trust them in a road conference game. Even one at sparsely-populated Memorial Stadium.