2011 Holiday Bowl Line
The Pac-12 and Big 12 conferences clash in San Diego December 28 in the second of two San Diego bowl games. California finished the regular season strongly, while Texas has staggered to the finish line, but both teams played quality football to qualify for bowl games. This will be an opportunity to close the season on a high note when they clash in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl.
Texas has won all four meetings vs. the Golden Bears, though the last matchup came in 1970. 3 47.5
The latest college football odds list Texas as a 3-point favorite, while the over/under has been set at 47.5 points.
California
The Golden Bears enter this game on a decent roll, having won three of their last four games, with the only blemish a 31-28 defeat to top-10 Stanford. Most recently, Cal won at Arizona State, 47-38, to finish fourth in the Pac-12 North (4-5) and post a 2-4 mark away from home.
Cal ranks 47th nationally in scoring offense (30 points per game) while compiling 418 yards per game (252 passing, 166 rushing). Zach Maynard has completed 57 percent of his passes for 2,806 yards and 17 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. The offensive line has allowed 22 sacks.
Keenan Allen leads the receiving crops with 89 receptions (34 more than anyone else) for 1,261 yards and six TDs, while Isi Sofele anchors the running game with 1,266 yards and nine scores on 5.5 yards per game.
Defensively, the Golden Bears rank 52nd in the nation in points allowed (24 ppg), surrendering 339 yards per game (209 passing, 130 rushing) while recording 32 sacks and forcing 23 turnovers – two of which converted to TDs (Trevor Guyton, fumble; Josh Hill, interception).
Mychal Kendricks leads the defense with 96 tackles, adding three sacks, a team-best two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, while D.J. Holt adds 81 stops with two sacks. Guyton and Ernest Owusu have nine combined sacks, pitching in 69 tackles, three forced fumbles and two recoveries.
Texas
The Longhorns started 4-0 but have staggered into this game, dropping three of their last four games – most recently a 48-24 loss at Baylor. Overall, UT was 3-3 away from home this year, but did win its only game in the state of California – a 49-20 win at UCLA.
The Longhorns rank 42nd nationally in points allowed (23 ppg), surrendering 316 yards per game (212 passing, 104 rushing) while compiling 23 sacks and forcing 21 turnovers – with one being returned for a TD (Carrington Byndom, interception).
Emmanuel Acho leads this defensive unit with 122 tackles (26 more than anyone else), adding three sacks and a forced fumble, while Alex Okafor has seven sacks, 54 tackles, two forced fumbles and one recovery. Quandre Diggs adds a team-best three interceptions with 48 tackles and two forced fumbles.
Texas ranks 53rd nationally in scoring offense (29 ppg), compiling 404 yards per game (210 rushing, 194 passing). Malcolm Brown leads the running game with 707 yards and five TDs on 4.4 yards per carry.
David Ash and Case McCoy platoon at quarterback, combining to complete 59 percent of their passes for 1,971 yards and 10 TDs with 12 interceptions. The offensive line has allowed 26 sacks. Mike Davis is the top receiving target with 45 receptions for 609 yards and one score, while Jaxon Shipley has 40 grabs for 593 yards and three scores in nine games.
