Multiple Cal players are in COVID-19 protocol, will miss Arizona game

Multiple Cal players are in COVID-19 protocol and won’t be available for this week’s game against Arizona, the program announced Thursday.

Cal didn’t specify which players will be out, but the team might be shorthanded this weekend. The school said all players making the trip were tested and cleared to travel.

“Our primary concern is for the health of our student-athletes, and we continue to monitor the situation closely,” Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton said in a statement.

“As we know, this pandemic is not over. We need to respect it and understand that it can affect much of what we do every day. Even with 99 percent of our football student-athletes fully vaccinated, we have seen that breakthrough cases are still possible.”

Depending on who’s out for the Golden Bears, it’ll be interesting to see how they respond against Arizona. The Wildcats are last in the league, but major absences could still be huge for Cal.

The Golden Bears are coming off a 39-25 win over Oregon State to improve to 3-5 on the season. They’re 2-3 in Pac-12 action and are fifth out of six teams in the Pac-12 North.

Cal is led by quarterback Chase Garbers, who’s the No. 2-ranked passer in the Pac-12. Garbers is averaging 247.4 yards per game and has completed 171 of 269 passes — a 63.6% clip. As a team, Cal’s passing game ranks fourth in the league.

Against Oregon State, Garbers went 17-for-26 for 262 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Golden Bears to victory. On the ground, Damien Moore ran for 111 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, as well. He ranks ninth in the Pac-12 with 62.9 rush yards per game.

Cal and Arizona kick off Saturday at 3 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.

Mario Cristobal offers high praise for work by Oregon RB Travis Dye

Losing CJ Verdell was a huge blow for Oregon’s running game. But Travis Dye has risen to the occasion — and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Dye is having a great year after taking over for Verdell, who suffered a season-ending leg injury against Stanford. The junior is tied for the Pac-12 lead with 10 rushing touchdowns and ranks fourth with 609 rushing yards, good for 76.13 per game. But Dye is also getting involved in the passing game, tallying 16 receptions for 185 yards and a receiving touchdown in three games since Verdell’s injury.

Oregon coach Mario Cristobal had nothing but good things to say about Dye and how he’s stepped into his new role.

“He is as valuable of a player as there is in the entire country for us,” Cristobal told reporters Nov. 1. “The guy’s the heart and soul of our team [and a] tremendous leader. Those are big numbers and you can expect probably more because he’s capable, he’s ready, he’s eager for it. For our team to get better, guys like him will continue and have to continue playing at a high level. But he prepares for it.”