Clemson’s trip to Berkeley comes with more than just the usual cross-country wrinkle. It’s the Tigers’ first conference game out West, and it arrives at a time when Brett Porter, The Tiger’s sports editor, says this team is still trying to find its footing.
Porter pointed to the combination of a rough start and the late kickoff - 10:30 p.m. EST - as part of what makes this one tricky. He also said it was the kind of game Clemson identified before the season as a possible stumble, even if the Tigers were supposed to win it.
That concern is layered on top of a strange little piece of history: Cal is the only ACC team Clemson has never beaten, with the Bears winning the lone meeting 37-13 in the 1992 Florida Citrus Bowl. Porter said he hopes Clemson is ready to look sharper in this one.
“I hope so. I hope they start looking hungry against some of their matchups. It’s obviously been a little tough for us right now because we’ve got a freshman quarterback and a lot of new players since last year, but I hope that it flips the script.”
A big reason for the uneven start, Porter said, is the roster turnover. Clemson leaned more heavily on the transfer portal this year than it has in the past, and that has changed the way the team is coming together.
He also noted that the Tigers still have some returners who have taken on leadership roles, including Sammy Brown on defense and Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore on offense.
Still, there’s only so much chemistry you can manufacture overnight. Porter said it’s hard to bring a new group together while also replacing a quarterback who had two full seasons as Clemson’s starter and entered the year in that role.
That brings the focus to freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds, who made his first career start against UNC and threw for 215 yards. Porter liked the way Reynolds settled in as the game went on, especially after some early errant throws. Clemson also got a second-half comeback out of the freshman against an ACC opponent, which Porter said is no easy thing.
What he wants now is simpler: cleaner execution on the throws Reynolds is supposed to make. Porter said the freshman doesn’t need to be Trevor Lawrence, but he does need to find a rhythm.
“I’m hoping he can find his groove because he’s a talented freshman. I think he has a lot of potential.”
Cal’s Kingston Lopa leads the nation in interceptions, which could naturally push Clemson toward a more cautious offensive approach. Porter said that’s possible, especially with Gideon Davidson giving the Tigers a solid run game.
He also suggested Clemson may want to ease Reynolds into the night by shrinking the menu early and giving him completions he can manage. That could mean more mesh concepts, more stick routes to Olsen Patt-Henry, and a few easy throws to build confidence.
For Porter, the key is getting Reynolds settled without letting one bad play snowball.
“not getting rattled if you do throw an interception. I think you just gotta keep playing ball.”
In Other News...
Cals Clemson Test May Come Down To One Brutal Battle Up Front
Clemsons visit to Berkeley is drawing plenty of attention for reasons that go beyond the usual September matchup, and the conversation around the Tigers has been shaped by a fan base still trying to sort out what this version of the program is supposed to be. Michael Ray Serber, a Clemson fan and podcast producer, said the teams recent performance has left expectations in a strange place, even as there are still players on both sides of the ball worth circling. He pointed to names on offense and defense who could matter in a game that should be tight, with the Tigers likely trying to lean on the run.
For Cal, that makes the trench battle feel like the whole story. Serber expects Clemson to come in wanting to establish its ground game and keep the game within reach, which puts the Bears front squarely under the microscope. If Cal can control that part of the game, it can make life harder on a Clemson offense still searching for consistency and turn a matchup that looks close on paper into one decided by who wins up front. [Read more 🡒]
Cals New Transfer Weapons Face Their Biggest Test Yet
Cals offense has changed shape quickly around Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele after the departure of Jacob De Jesus, and the transfer portal has given the Bears a fresh set of targets to lean on. Chase Hendricks and Ian Strong have become part of that new look, helping give the quarterback more options as Cal works through the early part of the season and tries to establish a rhythm in the passing game.
Now comes a test that looks a lot bigger than anything the Bears have seen so far. Cal has already shown enough offensive pop to make its first three games feel encouraging, but Clemson brings a different level of speed, depth and pressure, and it does so in a matchup Cal has not seen in nearly 35 years. For a group still taking shape, it is the kind of game that can say a lot about how far the new receiving pieces have come. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Has A Real Chance To Prove Last Week Was No Fluke
Cal heads into its matchup with Clemson trying to show last week was more than a one-off. The Bears have been playing better football lately, and the setting adds some real weight to it: a chance to back up recent progress against a program that still carries the kind of national reputation that can make a statement win stick. There is also a familiar layer of urgency here, with the Bears still sorting through key personnel questions as they prepare for one of the more demanding games on the schedule.
Clemson brings its own mix of intrigue and pressure, especially with freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds making just his second start. The Tigers have been scoring in stretches, but their defensive numbers suggest Cal will have openings if it can stay disciplined and avoid letting the game tilt into Clemsons preferred rhythm. For Cal, the broader test is whether the same edge, execution, and energy from last week can travel against a higher-profile opponent, because a convincing showing here would say plenty about where the Bears really are. [Read more 🡒]