(Memorial Stadium time lapse video courtesy of Cal's athletic department)
Kickoff: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network)
Spread: Cal by 11
Watchability: Three groups of people will definitely be watching this game: Cal fans, Nevada fans and architects. Why architects? Cal's Memorial Stadium will be unveiled Saturday after undergoing $321 million in renovations. If you fall outside those three groups, flip a coin. Heads? Watch. Tails? Don't.
Shining stars: Cal: WR Keenan Allen. Allen is unarguably the most talented player on Cal's roster. The junior wide receiver racked up 112 yards receiving in last year's opener, Cal will be in good shape Saturday if Allen tops that. Nevada: QB Cody Fajardo. Cal had trouble with the Pistol Offense the last time they played Nevada in 2010. Fajardo is in his second year of starting and now has a better understanding of how the offense is run. If the sophomore shines Saturday, Nevada could give the Bears a scare.
Who could steal the show: Cal: QB Zach Maynard. Maynard could erase all memories of his erratic 2011 season if he comes out and puts on a show against the Wolf Pack. Even with a season under his belt, Cal fans still aren't completely sold on their senior QB, but a solid performance against Nevada could change that. Nevada: CB Khalid Wooten. Wooten is an opportunistic DB who could give the Bears trouble. He ranked second in the WAC in forced fumbles (3) last season and third in interceptions (4). If you hear Wooten's name a lot Saturday, that's probably not a good thing for Maynard.
You going? Ranking the road trip: Berkeley. Any city that has a section of town known as the Gourmet Ghetto is worth visiting. Want to eat where Aaron Rodgers ate? Go to Blondie's Pizza. Besides restaurants for every possible palate, Berkeley also has hippies, lots of them. If you're going to a Cal game this year, the Nevada game is a good choice as the school will be bringing out all the stops for the reopening of Memorial Stadium.
Magic number for Cal: 643. That's how many days its been since the Bears last played at Memorial Stadium. The team spent their 2011 season playing at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Jeff Tedford isn't on the hot seat, yet. However, that could all change quickly if the Bears lose in their return to Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Magic number for Nevada: 2. Cal and Nevada have been playing each other since 1899 and in 113 years, the Wolf Pack have never put together a two-game winning streak against the Bears. Nevada won the last meeting between these two schools in 2010. Could the 113-year jinx end Saturday in Berkeley?
The game comes down to: Cal's defense. The Bears had trouble with Colin Kaepernick and the Nevada pistol offense in 2010. Kaepernick threw for 181 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 148 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-31 Wolf Pack win. Current Wolf Pack QB Cody Fajardo isn't as talented as Kaepernick, but he could be as dangerous. Nevada lost its two leading receivers and running backs from 2011, so if the defense limits Fajardo Saturday, the game could turn into a Cal blowout.
Prediction: Cal 38, Nevada 24
For all the Pac-12 news you can handle, follow @CBSSportsPac12, @JohnBreech and @TheCoolSub on Twitter.
