Cal’s offense showed enough against UNLV to produce its highest scoring total of the season against an FBS opponent, and the grading numbers backed that up in a 39-31 loss that featured strong performances from both quarterbacks.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele earned the top Pro Football Focus grade on the Cal side with a 77.1, while Jackson Brousseau wasn’t far behind at 73.0. That split is a little unusual given how the game unfolded: Cal managed only seven points in the first half with Sagapolutele under center, then found more rhythm after he left late in the second quarter when he hit his head on the turf and Brousseau took over.
Sagapolutele finished 19-for-27 for 195 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Cal also leaned into a different look than it had used in its first four games, spreading the field with four and five wide receivers and even opening the game without a running back on the field.
Brousseau’s numbers were cleaner and more productive. He went 19-for-32 for 200 yards, threw two touchdowns and didn’t turn it over. His work helped Cal put together a better second-half offensive stretch than it had in the opening two quarters.
The PFF grade for Sagapolutele stands out even more when you look at his passing score. His 79.0 passing grade was his second-best of the season, trailing only the 80.0 he posted against Syracuse and well above the 55.7 he received against Clemson.
There is some question as to whether Sagapolutele will be available to start against Virginia Tech in Saturday’s afternoon’s game in Berkeley, but indications are that he will be Cal’s starter on Saturday. Tosh Lupoi’s opted to keep Sagapolutele on the sidelines even though Sagapolutele was cleared to return to Saturday’s game. So unless Sagapolutele has a setback during the week, it seems likely he will play Saturday.
Three other Cal offensive players earned PFF grades of 70 or better: linemen Tyson Ruffins, Frederick Williams III and Bastian Swinney. That help up front showed up in the box score, too, with Cal rolling up 464 yards of total offense, its best output against an FBS team this season and a major jump from the 231 yards it had against Clemson the week before.
On the other side of the ball, the top grades belonged to defensive linemen Derek Wilkins and Jericho Johnson and defensive backs Daniel Harris, Michael Hurst and Isaiah Crosby.
Kingston Lopa was missing from that list after leaving after just one defensive play with an injury. He is questionable for Virginia Tech, and Cal would feel the loss if he can’t go. Lopa leads the nation with five interceptions, tops Cal with 27 tackles and owns a 90.8 PFF grade in pass coverage, the best among all defensive backs in the country, including cornerbacks and safeties.
In Other News...
Cal QB Situation Just Got More Urgent Before Virginia Tech
Cals quarterback situation grew more urgent after Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele joined a long list of injured starters, with coach Tosh Lupoi saying 10 regulars are dealing with injuries and four players are in concussion protocol. Sagapolutele left the previous game after taking a hit that athletic director Ron Rivera later said was avoidable, adding another layer of concern for a team already trying to steady itself heading into a key stretch.
The Bears are now waiting for the next round of injury information before they know how much of their offense they can count on against Virginia Tech. With multiple starters in flux, Cals planning for the matchup is being shaped as much by medical updates as by anything happening on the practice field. [Read more 🡒]
Cal May Have Found A New Offensive Weapon After Tough Loss
Cals switch to a more air-raid look against UNLV produced one of the games most eye-catching moments, and it came from an unexpected source. True freshman tight end Taimane Purcell lined up as a wide receiver and turned in a breakout performance, giving the Bears a new dimension in the passing game while the offense tried to stretch the field and play faster.
Purcells emergence came in a loss, though, as UNLV held on for a 39-31 win and left Cal with more to sort through than just the final score. Even so, the way Purcell was used offered a clear glimpse of what the Bears may be building, especially if they keep leaning into a wider-open attack that can create mismatches and get young pass catchers involved early. [Read more 🡒]