"It wasn't exactly a surprise to Cal coach Justin Wilcox when told his 5-2 Golden Bears are underdogs Friday night against 2-5 Virginia Tech. In fact, the topic is just not on his radar. "I never look at that," Wilcox said. "It's not something I ever even know. Nobody tells it to me. It's just not something that concerns us at all.""
"As of mid-week, the Hokies - who fired their coach after an 0-3 start and have lost their past two games - were listed as 4.5-point favorites to win their ACC matchup at Blacksburg, Virginia. Home-field advantage accounts for some of that spread, but the rest? Wilcox says the Hokies have good players, good coaches. "That what we look at - not necessarily the record," he said. "I'm sure with a couple plays here and there, their record might be totally flipped.""
"But eliminate a defensive takeaway at the end of Cal's 28-24 win at Boston College and its 21-18 squeaker over North Carolina last Friday and the Bears could be 3-4, winless in three ACC games and riding a four-game losing streak. Asked if they have been lucky, tight end Mason Mini said, "I wouldn't say lucky. We don't give up in the fourth quarter.""
Cal enters the game 5-2 and is listed as an underdog against 2-5 Virginia Tech, with odds influenced partly by home-field advantage. Virginia Tech fired its coach after an 0-3 start and has lost two straight, but the Hokies retain talented players and coaches. Cal has secured late-game wins, avoiding fourth-quarter collapses and converting close outcomes into victories. A defensive takeaway and narrow results have kept the Bears above .500; one more win would make them bowl eligible for a third straight season, a milestone not reached this early since 2006.
Read at The Mercury News
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