California @ Hawaii preview

California begins the post-Jared Goff era Friday as the Golden Bears kick off the college football season against Hawaii in Sydney, Australia. With Goff looking to fulfill expectations as the No. 1 overall pick of the Los Angeles Rams, Cal coach Sonny Dykes has turned to 6-foot-5 quarterback Davis Webb, a graduate transfer from Texas Tech.

While Cal boasts plenty of experience at offensive line and running back, the Golden Bears are replacing their top six receivers from last season, when they won their first five games but finished 8-5. Dykes’ high-scoring offense should put on a show for the Australian fans with Davis throwing to a talented new group of receivers, including freshmen Melquise Stovall and Demetris Robertson along with junior Chad Hansen. For the Golden Bears to contend in the Pac-12, they’ll need improved results from a defense that has to replace safety Damariay Drew (season-ending knee injury) and linebacker Hardy Nickerson, who transferred to Illinois after leading the team in tackles last season. Cal should face little resistance against a Hawaii team that was picked to finish last in the West Division of the Mountain West but hopes to rebuild under new coach Nick Rolovich, who started at quarterback for the Rainbow Warriors in 2000-01.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Cal -20

ABOUT CALIFORNIA (2015: 8-5): New offensive coordinator Jake Spavital steps into an enviable position with talent at every position including wide receiver, where Stovall is expected to make an immediate impact. “He’s a very electric, explosive guy. Very hard to tackle,” Dykes told the San Jose Mercury News. “He gives us a different dimension. We’ve had a lot of good receivers around here, but Melquise gives us something a little different. You can throw a slant and it turns into a 70-yard touchdown. You throw a screen and you have a 40- or 50-yard gain.” Cal continues to have question marks on defense, where junior cornerback Darius Allensworth leads an inexperienced unit that allowed 30.7 points per game last season.

ABOUT HAWAII (2015: 3-10): Fifth-year senior quarterback Ikaika Woolsey, named the starter after throwing five touchdowns with six interceptions in part-time duty last year, needs to take care of the ball against a Cal defense that tied for 13th in the nation in turnovers recorded with 27. Hawaii figures to rely on its run game behind an impressive offensive line and a trio of quality running backs in senior Steven Lakalaka, junior Diocemy Saint Juste and senior Paul Harris, who last season became the team’s second back in the last 23 years to rush for 1,000 yards (1,132). The opener could be a rough introduction for new defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa, whose young and inexperienced group will be hard-pressed to slow down Cal’s explosive offense.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Cal and Hawaii have split four previous meetings with the Rainbow Warriors winning the last contest 21-7 in 1994 in Berkeley.

2. The Golden Bears are 7-2 in season openers since 2007.

3. Friday’s contest is the first college football game in Australia since BYU played Colorado State in Melbourne in 1987.

PREDICTION: California 41, Hawaii 17