Player to watch for Oregon State

Cameron Collins

6-2, 220-pound safety

First-year starting sophomore Cameron Collins will be called upon to be active today when the Oregon State faces California.

The Golden Bears like to run the ball with standout Jahvid Best and have a quarterback in Kevin Riley who makes wise choices when passing.

Collins is vital in supporting both the run and pass for the Beavers, so he'll be all over the field. He's second on the team in tackles with 52, including 28 solo. He has three pass breakups and is still looking for his first career interception.

Collins didn't start the first two games this season, but earned his way onto the field due to his pass coverage ability.

He played mostly on special teams last year and had 13 tackles.

Rivals.com rated him the 28th best safety in the nation out of Santa Monica High in the Los Angeles area, and the 47th best prospect out of California in 2006.

Player to watch for California

Mike Mohamed

6-3, 237-pound linebacker

Junior Mike Mohamed became a starter for California this season but was already one of the most experienced players on the team after coming off the bench.

He took to the role and leads the Pacific-10 Conference in tackles as an inside linebacker in the team's 3-4 scheme. Mohamed has 74 tackles, or 9.2 a game. The 48 solo tackles lead the conference. He has one forced fumble.

He has two quarterback sacks and five tackles for a loss. He can cover receivers, too. He has two interceptions and two pass breakups.

Mohamed was an honorable mention all-Pac-10 last season when he tied for second on the team with 87 tackles despite starting only two games. He had three sacks and three interceptions. He played regularly on the weak side as a freshman and had 46 tackles.