California @ Stanford preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 20, 2012 ) Stanford 21, California 3

A crippling loss to USC last week has left No. 12 Stanford reeling as they look to secure a berth in one of the major BCS bowls. That could mean a long Saturday afternoon for the California Golden Bears as they look to end their nine-game losing skid against a Cardinal team that will be out for points in the 116th edition of The Big Game. With strength-of-schedule an important part of the BCS formula - and something Stanford can't control - the Cardinal will try to pile up the points in an attempt to curry favor with voters over the final stretch of the season.

Stanford finds itself in this position after rallying from a 10-point deficit against the Trojans, only to watch Andre Heidari nail a 47-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining en route to Ed Orgeron's biggest win as interim coach. Cardinal quarterback Kevin Hogan continued to go through a late-season swoon, finishing with just 127 yards while failing to complete a touchdown pass for the third consecutive game and tossing a pair of interceptions. California would gladly trade places with its Pac-12 rival, having surrendered more than 40 points seven times during the skid.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Stanford -31.5

ABOUT CALIFORNIA (1-10, 0-8 Pac-12): The Golden Bears have approached 200 rushing yards in consecutive games, but the ground attack could be in tough against a Cardinal defense limiting opponents to just 91.6 yards per game. "I'm not naive enough to think we're going to line up and run for 300 yards," coach Sonny Dykes told Inside Bay Area. "If we do, it will be a surprise to everybody, me included. But I think we've got some opportunities to run the ball."

ABOUT STANFORD (8-2, 6-2): The Cardinal attack centers around senior running back Tyler Gaffney, who was sensational in defeat against USC with 158 rushing yards and a pair of scores. That marked his fifth consecutive 100-yard effort and he has scored on the ground in six straight games. More importantly, his 1,201 yards on the season leave him 194 shy of the single-season school record set in 2009 by Toby Gerhart, now a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Stanford has won the last three meetings, including a 21-3 triumph in their last encounter Oct. 20, 2012.

2. The Cardinal rank second in the Pac-12 in sacks (32) and are first in fewest sacks allowed (nine).

3. The point spread is believed to be the largest in the history of the rivalry.

PREDICTION: Stanford 56, California 10