Thirty-four years after Cal beat Clemson in the 1992 Citrus Bowl, the Tigers are finally heading to California Memorial Stadium, and the timing makes this one feel bigger than the history suggests. Both teams arrive at 2-1 overall and unbeaten in ACC play, which is about as clean a slate as you can ask for in late September. The catch is that neither side has exactly looked settled yet, and Friday night may come down to which offense can piece together something steady against a defense that has already shown cracks.
Cal has already lived through a little bit of everything in its first three games. The Bears fought back to tie UCLA at 24 in the third quarter in the opener before the Bruins ripped off three fourth-quarter touchdowns and walked away with a 45-24 win.
A week later, Cal dug itself a 12-7 halftime hole against Syracuse, then flipped the game behind three interceptions from redshirt sophomore safety Kingston Lopa to win 21-18. Then came Wagner, and that one was never in doubt: a 49-7 Cal win, with sophomore quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele throwing for a career-high 413 yards and three touchdowns.
Head coach Tosh Lupoi said the week-to-week rise is exactly what he wants to see.
“Seeing our team grow from Week 1, Week 2 to Week 3, that’s the goal,” Lupoi said. “We want to be like bamboo. Once it breaches the surface, it takes two months to grow to its full potential.”
Clemson’s start has been just as uneven, only in a more jarring way. The Tigers opened with a 51-10 loss to No.
11 LSU, getting overwhelmed in every phase as LSU piled up 644 yards of total offense to Clemson’s 145. Clemson managed only 40 rushing yards and converted just 1 of 13 third downs.
Week 2 brought a 22-7 win over Georgia Southern, but the offense still mustered only one touchdown, with kicker Nolan Hauser supplying the other 15 points on five field goals. Then came a 28-20 comeback against North Carolina, after Clemson fell behind 17-3 and heard boos from its home crowd before rallying with three second-half touchdowns.
If Cal wants to keep that offensive momentum rolling, Adam Mohammed is a good place to start. The running back has been a bright spot, averaging 97 rushing yards per game through the Bears’ first two contests and then adding 169 yards and three touchdowns against Wagner.
That part of the game could matter a lot, because Clemson has had trouble stopping the run. Through three games, the Tigers are allowing 181.7 rushing yards per game, which puts them 16th in the ACC.
Cal’s defense has leaned heavily on Lopa, who has accounted for all five of the Bears’ interceptions. The Bears also sit first in the ACC in passing defense efficiency, which puts pressure on true freshman Tait Reynolds as he heads into his second career start Friday.
The ground game may be an issue on both sides. Cal is giving up 169 rushing yards per game, ranking 14th in the ACC, and that opens a path for Clemson back Gideon Davidson, who ran for a career-high 105 yards against UNC. Clemson also brings a pass-rush threat in senior defensive end Will Heldt, who has piled up four sacks in two games and could make life uncomfortable for Sagapolutele.
Even with the questions, Cal isn’t backing down.
“I think this group, how together we are and how much work we put in on a week-to-week basis, I think we are built for this moment,” said wide receiver Jordan King. “We’re excited to let it rip and just play free on Friday.”
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium, where Lupoi is hoping for a sellout, and the game will air on ESPN.
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