Syracuse coach Fran Brown had plenty of praise ready for Cal on Monday, and most of it centered on the Bears’ quarterback and the man leading the program.
With Syracuse set to host Cal on Saturday afternoon in the ACC opener for both teams, Brown described Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele as “a future pro.” Brown didn’t use Sagapolutele’s name during his breakdown, but he made clear how highly he views the young passer despite his uneven showing in Saturday’s 45-24 loss to UCLA.
“He’s extremely talented,” Brown said of Sagapolutele. “Can run, throw.
He can throw on the run, throw on the drop of a dime. He just lets the ball go, so he’s extremely talented.
We’ve just got to focus on us.
“We’ll see what happens on Saturday. That kid is a gunslinger, though.
At any moment he could rip off four or five touchdowns. I think he can really play.
He does an amazing job of being poised in the pocket, throwing the ball and stuff like that. We’re playing against a future pro, so thankful we get the opportunity to compete against the guy this weekend.”
Brown also took time to speak highly of Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi when asked about the challenge of preparing for a first-year coach.
“I think they have a really good head coach,” said Brown. “He’s a seasoned coach.
Coached at every level, done a good job. Coached for the greatest coach of all time by my opinion.”
Brown was presumably referring to the five seasons Lupoi spent as an assistant at Alabama under Nick Saban from 2014-2018.
Cal’s ability to defend the run came up as well, especially after the Bears allowed 277 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in the loss to UCLA. Syracuse, meanwhile, piled up 239 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in its 66-3 win over FCS opponent New Hampshire.
Brown said the Bears bring more than just physicality to the matchup.
“This opponent that’s coming into town is really, really tough and they like to compete,” Brown said. “Their coach is competition.
Their offensive coordinator [Jordan Somerville] is competitive. Their defensive coordinator [Michael Hutchings] is competitive . . . .
I coached Daniel Harris and I know he’s competitive.”
Harris, a Cal defensive back, previously played at Georgia when Brown was coaching the Bulldogs’ defensive backs. Which Cal defensive backs will see the field against Syracuse remains unclear, especially after the Bears rotated heavily at the position against UCLA.
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Cals Best Grades After UCLA Loss Came From An Unexpected Place
Pro Football Focus review of Cals performance after the loss to UCLA surfaced an interesting mix of familiar and unexpected names near the top of the grade sheet. Running back Adam Mohammed was heavily involved offensively, piling up 120 rushing yards and adding seven catches, but his overall mark came in at 68.3 because of a low pass protection grade. Even so, he was part of a group of five Cal players who finished above 70 in PFFs evaluation, a list that also included safety Kingston Lopa and offensive tackles Frederick Williams III and Jimothy Lewis.
The grading split hints at how uneven Cals night was, with some of the better individual showings coming from spots that dont always draw the most attention. Lopa was among the defenders who stood out in the postgame charting, while the offensive line had at least a couple of players earning solid reviews despite the loss. For a team still sorting through what carried over and what fell apart against UCLA, the film grades offered one more reminder that the most encouraging performances did not always come from the places fans might have expected. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Already Faces Early Pressure To Fix One Troubling Problem
Cals season opener left plenty for Tosh Lupoi and his staff to sort through, and the conversation after the 45-24 loss to UCLA centered less on the final score than on the Bears execution and consistency. Lupoi took responsibility for the performance and made clear the fix has to come from both coaches and players as Cal turns the page toward an ACC matchup with Syracuse.
The concern is bigger than just an opening-night setback, because the Bears now have to show they can clean up the details quickly against a different kind of opponent. California already knows the margin for error is thin, and with Syracuse next on the schedule, the pressure is on to turn the coaching staffs evaluation into something more tangible on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Faces An Early ACC Test After That UCLA Letdown
Californias first ACC road trip brings a trip to the JMA Wireless Dome and an opening conference test against Syracuse, a matchup that arrives with plenty of intrigue for a program still sorting out the aftermath of its UCLA letdown. It is only the fourth all-time meeting between the schools, and the Bears have not played on Syracuses home field in a very long time, which adds a little extra texture to a game that already matters as the league schedule begins.
Cal will also be leaning on some of the early-season production that has given its offense a steadier feel. Running back Adam Mohammed has flashed career-best form, while quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has already been stringing together big passing afternoons at a remarkable rate. The challenge now is whether that momentum travels cleanly into a first conference test that could say plenty about how quickly the Bears can settle in after an uneven start. [Read more 🡒]