Tait Reynolds gets another chance to steer Clemson on Friday night, and the assignment comes with a cross-country trip attached.
Reynolds is set for his second straight start when the Tigers meet Cal in Atlantic Coast Conference play in Berkeley, Calif. He handled his first career start well enough to earn another look, helping Clemson bounce back from a slow offensive start to the season with a 28-20 home win over North Carolina last weekend. Reynolds completed 20 of 29 passes for 215 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Clemson opened with a loss to LSU and a win over Georgia Southern, and the offense had produced just 32 points across those two games before Reynolds gave it a lift against the Tar Heels. Coach Dabo Swinney sounded encouraged by what he saw, saying, "He's on a fast track to get better," Swinney said Tuesday.
"We're going to have to grow with him, there's going to be some moments where you just take a deep breath. But he is super talented."
There’s still a question behind Reynolds, too. Christopher Vizzina, who started Clemson’s first two games, is still working through a left elbow injury, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be available as the backup Friday.
The Tigers have already dealt with plenty of delays this season. Weather pushed back the start before both the LSU and Georgia Southern games, and Clemson’s win over North Carolina included a two-hour, 28-minute interruption in the fourth quarter.
Now the schedule brings a different kind of challenge: a long flight west and an adjustment to Pacific Time. Clemson leaves Wednesday, and Swinney said the plan includes trying to get the team on California time as quickly as possible.
"Try to get them to go to bed on California time, all that type of stuff," Swinney said, "It's a long trip for a game, but we're excited about it."
Cal comes in at 2-1 and 1-0 in the ACC, riding a two-game winning streak and looking for a third. The Golden Bears were dominant last weekend in a 49-7 win over Wagner, piling up 626 yards and going through the game without punting for the first time since Nov. 4, 2017 against Oregon State.
Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele had the kind of day that turns heads. He threw for three touchdowns, finished 27 of 33 for a career-high 413 yards, and showed off the full range of the Cal passing game. Adam Mohammed added 91 rushing yards, two scores on the ground, and a 65-yard touchdown catch.
Swinney had high praise for Sagapolutele, calling him, "This is a dude, now," Swinney said. "If you want to know what an NFL quarterback looks like playing college ball, that's this kid. He is an elite passer, he can make every throw from every angle, every area on the field."
Cal’s defense also brings a major playmaker to the table in safety Kingston Lopa, who leads the FBS with five interceptions.
The only previous meeting between these teams went Cal’s way. The Golden Bears beat Clemson 37-13 in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 1, 1992.
In Other News...
Cal Heads Into Clemson Game With Two Big Concerns Already Looming
Cals trip to Clemson already has a familiar early-week subplot: the first injury reports. The Bears and Tigers both released their initial availability lists ahead of the matchup, and Cals concerns center on two key contributors who showed up on the doubtful side. Running back Carter Vargas and defensive lineman Nate Burrell are the names that stand out most for a team trying to get through a tough road test with as much stability as possible.
Vargas status is especially noteworthy after he got hurt in the opener against UCLA, while Burrells absence would be a continuation of a recent gap on the defensive front after he missed last week against Wagner. Clemson has its own questions, including cornerback Corian Gipson and defensive tackle Devarrick Woods being listed as questionable, while quarterback Christopher Vizzina is probable despite an elbow issue and freshman Tait Reynolds is expected to start. Even at this early stage, the availability sheet is already shaping the feel of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Cals Swinney Just Became An Unexpected Clemson Storyline
A little family-tree confusion has drifted into the buildup for Cals meeting with Clemson, and it has nothing to do with the Bears playbook. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has been publicly poking at the coincidence of sharing a last name with Cal starting center Bastian Swinney, bringing it up on his radio show and again in a pregame press conference as the two programs prepared to face each other.
For Cal, the more relevant part is who Bastian Swinney has become up front. The sixth-year center has settled in as a steady leader on the offensive line, giving the Bears a veteran presence in the middle while an unexpected off-field storyline gives the matchup a little extra color. The question now is less about any actual connection and more about how Cals line handles the attention that has come with it. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Has A Breakout Star Changing The Ceiling Of This Defense
Cals defense has found an early-season jolt in safety Kingston Lopa, whose playmaking has changed the feel of the back end. Through three games, the Oregon transfer has piled up 17 tackles and quickly established himself as one of the most disruptive defenders in the country, drawing attention not just for his range but for how often he seems to be around the football. The buzz around him has only grown after a performance that earned him multiple defensive player of the week honors and put his name in the same conversation as some of the programs better defensive backs from recent years.
Lopas emergence matters because it gives Cal a true centerpiece on a unit that can now tilt games in a different way. The redshirt sophomore is already being viewed as a rising NFL draft prospect, and the trajectory is easy to see for anyone watching how consistently he has influenced the first part of the season. What makes the next stretch so intriguing is whether this start is the beginning of a special year or just the first sign of a player whose ceiling keeps climbing. [Read more 🡒]