Cal’s 2026 schedule kept taking shape this weekend, and the opponents on it turned in a wide range of performances.
UCLA handled its home opener at the Rose Bowl in front of 31,976 fans, staying unbeaten under new head coach Bob Chesney. The Bruins and San Diego State were locked in a scoreless game through halftime, then UCLA running back Wayne Knight took over with three second-half touchdowns and 97 rushing yards in a 45-24 win over the Aztecs, who fell to 1-1. UCLA had already beaten Cal 45-24 in Berkeley last week.
Syracuse, picked to finish 14th in the ACC in the preseason media poll, didn’t need much offense to edge Cal’s defense in a game that came down to turnovers. The Orange were outgained 436 yards to 249, but three interceptions by Cal safety Kingston Lopa helped give Tosh :Lupoi his first win as a head coach.
James Madison put on a fireworks show against Wagner, an FCS program, setting a school record for points in a game and tying the NCAA record for punt-return touchdowns in a game with three. The Dukes also matched South Alabama’s 87-10 win over Northwestern State in 2024 for the most points scored by an FBS team since 1991.
Cal is paying Wagner a $525,000 guarantee to make the trip from Staten Island, New York, to Berkeley for Saturday’s game, according to Hero Sports.
Clemson’s quarterback battle also took center stage. Freshman Tait Reynolds made his case in the competition with Christopher Vizzina for the Tigers’ starting job, and coach Dabo Swinney still wouldn’t name a starter for Clemson’s next game against North Carolina.
Reynolds got most of the work after Vizzina started for the second straight week, going 16-of-27 for 178 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He also had 14 carries for 38 rushing yards and lost a fumble.
UNLV, the preseason favorite to win the Mountain West, came out of its road game looking nothing like a title pick. The Rebels turned it over four times, gave up four sacks and failed to score a touchdown against an American Conference opponent. Running back Jai’Den Thomas, a preseason first-team All-Mountain West selection, was held to 37 yards on 10 carries, while North Texas’ Jahlen White ran for 124 yards after the Mean Green opened the season with a 52-16 loss to Indiana.
Virginia Tech stayed unbeaten under new coach James Franklin thanks to a big day through the air. Ethan Grunkemeyer threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns as the Hokies took control. Virginia Tech had lost to Old Dominion last year, and Brent Pry was fired the next day after an 0-3 start.
Wake Forest needed overtime, and then needed a little more. Gio Lopez scored on a 3-yard touchdown run in the second overtime and followed it with the two-point conversion to beat Purdue.
The Boilermakers thought they had ended it two plays earlier when officials initially ruled Carlos Hernandez short on fourth-and-15 from the Purdue 17. But review moved the ball slightly ahead, enough for Wake Forest to keep the drive alive.
SMU looked sharp in a shortened outing from quarterback Kevin Jennings, who was 14-for-16 for 337 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions while playing only the first half. The Mustangs beat FCS-level Davis and moved up to No. 16 in the AP poll released Sunday. The teams agreed to 12-minute quarters in the second half after SMU led 42-0 at halftime.
North Carolina State put together one of its biggest statistical days in school history, setting records for total offense with 734 yards and rushing offense with 428 yards. The Wolfpack also scored their most points in a game since 1920 and posted their largest margin of victory since 1908 against FCS-level Richmond.
Virginia also made the AP Top 25 after rolling past FCS-level Norfolk State, coached by former NFL standout Michael Vick. Cavaliers quarterback Beau Pribula threw three first-quarter touchdown passes, and Virginia came in at No. 25 in Sunday’s poll.
Stanford didn’t play this weekend and goes on the road to face Duke next Saturday.
Pitt’s defense stole the spotlight after Mason Heintschel’s seven-touchdown passing debut last week. The sophomore quarterback didn’t throw a touchdown against Central Florida, but the Panthers controlled a weather-delayed game by holding UCF to 20 rushing yards on 22 carries and 186 total yards. UCF’s only points came on a late fourth-quarter touchdown after putting up 73 in its opener against Bethune-Cookman.
In Other News...
Cals First ACC Win Came In A Game Bears Fans Wont Believe
Cals first ACC win arrived in a mess of a night at the JMA Wireless Dome, the kind of game that can leave even the most seasoned fans shaking their heads. The Bears outlasted Syracuse 21-18 in a penalty-filled showdown, and head coach Tosh Lupoi pointed to the teams resilience as the difference in a victory that finally put Cal in the conference win column.
The biggest swing came from safety Kingston Lopa, who turned in a career-high three interceptions and kept the Bears alive whenever Syracuse seemed ready to take control. The game also turned on a wild fourth-quarter sequence that featured an interception, a punt return touchdown and a string of flags and reversals, the sort of chaos that made this one feel unforgettable even before the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Cals ACC Debut Turned On One Stunning Defensive Takeover
Cals first ACC game had the feel of a tightrope walk from the start, with scoring drives answered by critical defensive stops and Syracuse hanging around deep into the fourth quarter. In a 21-18 win, the Bears leaned on a defense that kept finding a way to tilt the game back in their favor, turning a conference debut into a gritty, statement-making result.
Kingston Lopa was at the center of it. The Cal safety spent the night disrupting Syracuses rhythm and finishing plays when it mattered most, turning one of the games biggest moments into a swing that gave the Bears the edge late. By the time the final defensive sequence arrived, the mood had shifted from survival mode to something closer to a celebration of a defense that took over when the pressure was highest. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Just Got The Gritty Win Bears Fans Needed Most
Cal opened ACC play with exactly the kind of hard-nosed win its fans have been waiting for, edging Syracuse 21-18 in a game defined by defense and missed chances. The Bears stayed in it through a tense, back-and-forth afternoon, and the defense kept bailing out an offense that never had much room to breathe.
Kingston Lopa was at the center of everything, flipping momentum with one interception return and then coming through again when Syracuse still had a shot late. It also gave Tosh Lupoi his first victory as Cals head coach, a milestone that felt earned the hard way in a game where every stop mattered and nothing came easy. [Read more 🡒]