California vs. Oregon

California and Oregon have 82 meetings on file, the first in 1916; Oregon leads the series 42–⁠39–⁠1 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Oregon 8–⁠2, and Oregon has won the last 3.

California wins
39
Oregon wins
42
Ties
1
Earliest on file
1916
Longest streak
7 Oregon
Current streak
3 Oregon
Last 10 meetings
Oregon 8–⁠2
Most recent
2023

The series at a glance

Every meeting by decade, colored by the winner
’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1910s1–⁠2
1920s4–⁠1
1930s4–⁠1
1940s3–⁠3
1950s4–⁠5–⁠1
1960s3–⁠1
1970s7–⁠3
1980s4–⁠4
1990s3–⁠5
2000s4–⁠5
2010s1–⁠9
2020s1–⁠3
Both ranked
4 meetings: California 2, Oregon 2
Average margin
16.5 points; 30 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At California
26–⁠18–⁠1 California’s record at home
At Oregon
24–⁠13 Oregon’s record at home
Shutouts
14

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

  1. California’s biggest win1921: California 39, Oregon 0by 39 points
  2. Oregon’s biggest win2023: Oregon 63, California 19by 44 points
  3. Upset1987: California 20, Oregon 6California had a 24% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset1965: California 24, Oregon 0California had a 26% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset2020: California 21, Oregon 17California had a 29% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  6. Ranked showdown2007: California 31, Oregon 24No. 6 California at No. 11 Oregon
  7. Ranked showdown2006: California 45, Oregon 24No. 11 Oregon at No. 16 California
  8. Ranked showdown2005: Oregon 27, California 20No. 23 California at No. 15 Oregon

Coach against coach

YearsCaliforniaSeriesOregon
1926–⁠1928Nibs Price2–⁠1John McEwan
1935–⁠1937Stub Allison3–⁠0Prink Callison
1938–⁠1941Stub Allison2–⁠2Tex Oliver
1951–⁠1956Pappy Waldorf2–⁠3–⁠1Len Casanova
1957–⁠1959Pete Elliott1–⁠2Len Casanova
1967–⁠1971Ray Willsey3–⁠1Jerry Frei
1974–⁠1976Mike White3–⁠0Don Read
1978–⁠1980Roger Theder2–⁠1Rich Brooks
1982–⁠1986Joe Kapp2–⁠3Rich Brooks
1987–⁠1991Bruce Snyder3–⁠1Rich Brooks
1992–⁠1994Keith Gilbertson1–⁠2Rich Brooks
1999–⁠2001Tom Holmoe0–⁠3Mike Bellotti
2003–⁠2008Jeff Tedford4–⁠2Mike Bellotti
2009–⁠2012Jeff Tedford0–⁠4Chip Kelly
2013–⁠2016Sonny Dykes1–⁠3Mark Helfrich
2018–⁠2021Justin Wilcox1–⁠3Mario Cristobal

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from California’s side (Price 2–⁠1 against McEwan). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of California and Oregon, 1916 on130015001700192019401960198020002020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Marcus Mariota Oregon27 of 34, 377 yards, 6 TD2012 Passing
Bo Nix Oregon29 of 38, 386 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT2023 Passing
LaMichael James Oregon30 carries, 239 yards, 1 TD2011 Rushing

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on).

From the newspapers

  • The Evening capital news's story of the 1916 game: CALIFORNIA GAME BUT OUTCLASSED Oregon Wins Game at Berkeley by Score of 80 to IA.

    1916 · Evening capital news, Boise, Idaho, Oct 22, 1916

  • The Evening capital news's story of the 1917 game: OREGON WINS GAME FROM CALIFORNIA BY SHUTOUT SCORE

    1917 · Evening capital news, Boise, Idaho, Nov 18, 1917

  • The Bisbee daily review's story of the 1918 game: TRAINING SCHOOL TRAILS COLORS OF ANNAPOLIS Great Lakes Players Win by Score of 2 to 6; California Beats Oregon; Other Foot ball Results

    1918 · Bisbee daily review, Nov 24, 1918

  • The East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current's story of the 1921 game: CALIFORNIA ELEVEN DEFEATS OREGON 50 TO D IN BIG GAME Sensational 46 Yard Run for Touchdown is Made After Bears Penalized Is Yards.

    1921 · East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, Oregon, Oct 24, 1921

  • The Seward daily gateway's story of the 1927 game: FOOTBALL SCORES

    1927 · Seward daily gateway, Alaska, Oct 17, 1927

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.

On television

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from this game once: 2007.

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of its locations (CC BY-SA).

Photos

  • Cal on offense during a home game against Oregon. The Ducks won 15-13.
    Cal on offense during a home game against Oregon. The Ducks won 15–⁠13.Photo: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2010 game
  • Shane Vereen takes a handoff in the Cal vs Oregon college football game on Nov. 13, 2010
    Shane Vereen takes a handoff in the Cal vs Oregon college football game on Nov. 13, 2010Photo: John Pavliga, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2010 game
  • Cal on offense during a home game against the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks won 15-13.
    Cal on offense during a home game against the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks won 15–⁠13.Photo: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2010 game
  • Cal on offense during a home game against Oregon. The Ducks won 15-13.
    Cal on offense during a home game against Oregon. The Ducks won 15–⁠13.Photo: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2010 game
  • The Bears on offense at a Cal home game in the rain against the Oregon Ducks. The Golden Bears won 26-16.
    The Bears on offense at a Cal home game in the rain against the Oregon Ducks. The Golden Bears won 26–⁠16.Photo: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2008 game
  • The Oregon Ducks in the huddle at a road game in the rain at Cal. The Golden Bears won 26-16.
    The Oregon Ducks in the huddle at a road game in the rain at Cal. The Golden Bears won 26–⁠16.Photo: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2008 game

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).

Every game

Nov 4, 20236Oregon 63, California 19at Oregon
Oct 29, 20228Oregon 42, California 24at California
Oct 15, 20219Oregon 24, California 17at Oregon
Dec 5, 2020California 21, 21Oregon 17at California
Oct 5, 201913Oregon 17, California 7at Oregon
Sep 29, 201819Oregon 42, 24California 24at California
Sep 30, 2017Oregon 45, California 24at Oregon
Oct 21, 2016California 52, Oregon 49at California
Nov 7, 2015Oregon 44, California 28at Oregon
Oct 24, 20146Oregon 59, California 41at California
Sep 28, 20132Oregon 55, California 16at Oregon
Nov 10, 20122Oregon 59, California 17at California
Oct 6, 20119Oregon 43, California 15at Oregon
Nov 13, 20101Oregon 15, California 13at California
Sep 26, 2009Oregon 42, 6California 3at Oregon
Nov 1, 2008California 26, 23Oregon 16at California
Sep 29, 20076California 31, 11Oregon 24at Oregon
Oct 7, 200616California 45, 11Oregon 24at California
Nov 5, 200515Oregon 27, 23California 20at Oregon
Nov 6, 20044California 28, Oregon 27at California
Nov 8, 2003Oregon 21, California 17at Oregon
Oct 13, 20015Oregon 48, California 7at California
Nov 11, 20006Oregon 25, California 17at Oregon
Nov 13, 1999Oregon 24, California 19at California
Nov 16, 1996Oregon 40, California 23at Oregon
Oct 14, 199515Oregon 52, California 30at California
Oct 15, 1994Oregon 23, California 7at Oregon
Oct 2, 199317California 42, Oregon 41at California
Nov 7, 1992Oregon 37, California 17at Oregon
Oct 12, 199113California 45, Oregon 7at California
Nov 10, 1990California 28, 20Oregon 3at California
Sep 9, 1989Oregon 35, California 19at Oregon
Oct 31, 1987California 20, Oregon 6at Oregon
Nov 1, 1986Oregon 27, California 9at California
Oct 19, 1985California 27, Oregon 24at Oregon
Sep 22, 1984Oregon 21, California 14at California
Oct 8, 1983Oregon 24, California 17at Oregon
Oct 16, 1982California 10, Oregon 7at California
Oct 11, 1980California 31, Oregon 6at California
Oct 6, 1979Oregon 19, California 14at Oregon
Oct 7, 1978California 21, Oregon 18at California
Nov 12, 1977California 48, Oregon 16at Oregon
Oct 9, 1976California 27, Oregon 10at California
Oct 11, 1975California 34, Oregon 7at Oregon
Oct 12, 1974California 40, Oregon 10at California
Oct 13, 1973Oregon 41, California 10at Oregon
Nov 4, 1972California 31, Oregon 12at California
Nov 13, 1971California 17, Oregon 10at Oregon
Sep 12, 1970Oregon 31, California 24at Oregon
Nov 16, 196818California 36, Oregon 8at California
Sep 16, 1967California 21, Oregon 13at California
Nov 13, 1965California 24, Oregon 0at Oregon
Oct 22, 1960Oregon 20, California 0at California
Nov 7, 195915Oregon 20, California 18at Oregon
Oct 25, 1958California 23, Oregon 6at California
Oct 26, 195718Oregon 24, California 6at Oregon
Nov 3, 1956Oregon 28, California 6at California
Oct 15, 1955Oregon 21, California 0at Oregon
Oct 9, 1954Oregon 33, California 27at California
Nov 14, 1953California 0, Oregon 0at California
Oct 11, 19523California 41, Oregon 7at Oregon
Nov 17, 195116California 28, Oregon 26at California
Sep 30, 195014California 28, Oregon 7at Oregon
Nov 12, 19494California 41, Oregon 14at California
Oct 5, 1946Oregon 14, California 13at California
Nov 17, 1945Oregon 20, California 13at California
Oct 31, 1942California 20, Oregon 7at California
Oct 18, 1941Oregon 19, California 7at Oregon
Nov 16, 1940California 14, Oregon 6at California
Oct 14, 1939Oregon 6, California 0at California
Nov 12, 193814California 20, Oregon 0at California
Nov 13, 19372California 26, Oregon 0at Oregon
Nov 14, 1936California 28, Oregon 0at California
Oct 12, 1935California 6, Oregon 0at Oregon
Nov 3, 1928California 13, Oregon 0at California
Oct 15, 1927California 16, Oregon 0at Oregon
Oct 30, 1926Oregon 21, California 13at California
Oct 24, 1925California 28, Oregon 0at Oregon
Oct 22, 1921California 39, Oregon 0at California
Nov 23, 1918California 6, Oregon 0at California
Nov 17, 1917Oregon 21, California 0at Oregon
Oct 21, 1916Oregon 39, California 14at California

Every game is listed as played on the field.