What to watch for when the Arizona Wildcats visit the Cal Golden Bears

Here are three things to watch in the Arizona Wildcats’ Pac-12 opener against Cal in Berkeley (Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Pac-12 Networks), plus a score prediction and some pertinent preview links:

1. GOING DEEP

My biggest concern about the Wildcats as they enter the second quarter of their season is depth at certain positions – none more so than the defensive front. Arizona just isn’t playing a ton of guys, and it could cost the Cats at some point – maybe even this week. Defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen vowed that he’d rotate players, especially along the defensive line, but he veered from that plan after defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea got hurt in the first quarter vs. Mississippi State. Since then, the Wildcats basically have used three defensive tackles. They’ve rarely subbed for defensive ends Hunter Echols and Jalen Harris. Middle linebacker Jerry Roberts almost never comes off the field. It’s not that Arizona lacks alternatives. It’s just that almost all of them lack experience. “First and foremost, we're going to try to win the game,” UA coach Jedd Fisch said when asked about trusting inexperienced players in high-leverage situations. But, he added, “We don't want to play the same four guys every snap. So we need to find a way to get those guys substituted a little bit more. We're working through that right now.”

2. PRESSURE POINTS

Here’s how I’d distill the defensive game plan for the Wildcats this week: Limit Jadyn Ott and the running game, and put Jack Plummer and the passing game into uncomfortable situations. That’s a formula for success against a lot of teams. But the Golden Bears have a particular vulnerability: Their offensive line has struggled this season. Pac-12 Networks analyst Max Browne went so far as to say it might be “one of the worst in the country.” So an opportunity beckons for Echols, Harris, Kyon Barrs, Paris Shand and whoever else Nansen sends into the offensive backfield. Like most quarterbacks, Plummer’s efficiency plummets when he’s under pressure. He already has been sacked 12 times. If they can win enough battles on first and second down, the Wildcats could make life miserable for Will Plummer’s older brother on third down – and prevent him from delivering the ball to a group of pass catchers who otherwise might give Arizona problems.

3. JDL’S M.O.

We’ve seen Jayden de Laura play three times in a UA uniform, and we’ve seen him play three distinct games. In the opener against San Diego State, de Laura excelled at eluding pressure, made mostly sound decisions and carved up the Aztecs with his arm. Against Mississippi State, de Laura tried to do too much at times, forced the ball downfield and declined to use legs when opportunities arose to do so. Against North Dakota State, de Laura turned into a dual threat, passing efficiently and running frequently when the Bison dropped defenders into coverage. All of which begs the question: Which version of de Laura we will see against Cal? De Laura did face the Golden Bears last season while with Washington State, completing 25 of 41 passes for 213 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. So he should know what to expect. We have no idea what to expect from him.