Cal is back in ACC play Saturday, and the Bears will need a cleaner afternoon than the one they just left behind in Las Vegas.
Virginia Tech comes to Memorial Stadium for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff, with both teams sitting at 1-1 in conference play. Cal is 2-3 overall after a 39-31 loss at UNLV and has dropped its last two games. The Hokies arrive at 4-1 after a narrow 35-33 loss to Pitt, a game in which they moved the ball all over the field but still came up short because of four turnovers and a missed 36-yard field goal on the final play.
One of the biggest Cal questions is who will be under center. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is listed as questionable after leaving the UNLV game with a concussion. If he cannot play, junior Jackson Broussseau will get the start after stepping in and throwing for 200 yards with two touchdown passes in the second half against the Rebels.
Cal is also dealing with several other questionable players: running back Adam Mohammed (knee), safety Kingston Lopa (head), ILB Kamar Mathudi, WR Chase Hendricks and DB Aiden Manutai.
There’s also a change on the sideline for the Bears’ offense. Pat McCann has taken over as the play-caller, first doing so for the second half against UNLV, when Cal put up 24 points.
Virginia Tech, meanwhile, has been one of the more dangerous offenses in the league. The Hokies are averaging 41.2 points per game, second-best in the ACC, and have scored fewer than 33 points only once all season. Their opener was a 73-3 rout of VMI.
Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has been a big reason for that surge. He’s completed 74 percent of his passes, with 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions, and he came to Tech with coach James Franklin, who was fired by Penn State at mid-season last fall after winning nearly 70 percent of his games. Franklin guided the Hokies to their first 4-0 start since 2017.
The Hokies also have production on the ground and through the air from a pair of standout weapons. Jeffrey Overton Jr. is third in the ACC with 455 rushing yards, and tight end Luke Reynolds leads all tight ends nationally with 37 catches.
Cal’s challenge starts with stopping the run. The Bears rank 16th among 17 ACC teams in rushing offense at 95.0 yards per game, and they’re also 16th in rushing defense, allowing 187.4 yards per game.
Virginia Tech has already shown it can win away from home, too. With victories at Maryland and Boston College, the Hokies are one of just seven teams nationally with at least two road wins over Power Four opponents.
The series between these teams is even at 1-1. Virginia Tech won last year’s meeting 42-34 in double overtime in Blacksburg.
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Cal Just Found A Reason To Believe Again
California had reason to exhale Saturday night, and a lot of it came from a backup quarterback who had not been asked to carry this kind of load before. Jackson Brousseau stepped in with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele sidelined by injury and turned in the kind of performance that can steady a season, throwing for more than 300 yards while helping the Bears erase a fourth-quarter deficit against Virginia Tech. Even with safety Kingston Lopa also leaving the lineup hurt, Cals defense stayed in the fight long enough for Ashten Emory to finish the comeback with a late touchdown.
For a program that has spent plenty of time searching for a foothold, the win offered something more than just relief. It was the kind of result that can change the tone around a locker room, especially when it comes with the added reminder that the Bears have some depth to lean on if the injuries linger. Now they get a home date with Wake Forest, and after the way this one unfolded, Cal at least has a fresh reason to believe the next stretch can look a little different. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Pulled Off An ACC Escape Nobody Saw Coming
Californias latest ACC escape came down to poise, depth and a little bit of late-game nerve at California Memorial Stadium. The Bears beat Virginia Tech 25-20 on Saturday, with backup quarterback Jackson Brousseau guiding the offense efficiently in place of the injured starter and a supporting cast stepping up on both sides of the ball to keep Cal within striking distance all afternoon.
The finish turned on one final burst from the ground game, as Ashten Emory delivered the decisive score in the closing seconds to put Cal in front. Virginia Tech still had one last chance to answer, but the Bears held firm in the end and sent the Hokies home empty after a tense final snap. [Read more 🡒]
Shorthanded Cal Just Found A Reason To Believe Again
California had every reason to feel short-handed, and for much of the afternoon it looked like that might matter in the worst way. But the Bears kept hanging around long enough for backup quarterback Jackson Brousseau to settle in, and he delivered a steady performance while Ashten Emory gave the offense enough punch to stay within striking distance against Virginia Tech.
The finish belonged to the defense, which spent much of the day forcing the Hokies into long situations and helping California survive its own penalties. In a game that swung late, the Bears found a way to turn a tight road result into something more meaningful, the kind of victory that can linger because it came with grit, control in key moments and a reminder that this team still has some fight left. [Read more 🡒]