Cal heads into Saturday night’s matchup with Wake Forest facing a clear defensive test, and the biggest question mark for the Bears may be under center before the ball is even snapped. Sagapolutele was still questionable as of Wednesday night, but the best guess is that he’ll be the starter if he’s cleared. He was a game-time decision against Virginia Tech, so another week is expected to give him a better chance to play.
If Sagapolutele can’t go, Jake Curtis of California Golden Bears On SI said not to expect a dramatic change in the Bears’ offense. Sagapolutele and Brousseau are both dropback passers with limited mobility and neither is a serious run threat.
The difference is in the arm talent. Brousseau is described as smart, mature and poised, and he makes good decisions, but he doesn’t have the pro-level arm talent that Sagapolutele does.
Sagapolutele is the one more likely to hit the big deep ball, and he’s also left-handed, which Cal receivers say changes things a bit.
Cal is coming off a home win over Virginia Tech, and the formula there came on defense. The Bears blitzed often, disrupting Ethan Grunkemeyer and keeping him from settling in. Cal had three sacks, and Grunkemeyer didn’t get comfortable until the final 18 seconds, when Cal backed off into a soft defense and almost let the game slip away.
That aggressive plan wasn’t a one-off. Cal used a similar approach against Syracuse and Steve Angeli, and that game ended with three interceptions for the Bears.
But Curtis pointed out that both of those quarterbacks were stationary types, not runners. That matters here, because Wake Forest’s Gio Lopez brings a different challenge and could force Cal to be more selective with its pressure.
Defensively, Cal has the kind of personnel that allows Tosh Lupoi’s group to attack. Dickert spoke highly of the Bears’ defense, and while Curtis noted that coaches tend to talk up the next opponent, Cal does play with an aggressive edge. The numbers back up some of the concern: the Bears are 12th in the ACC in both scoring defense and total defense.
Even so, the defense has been stronger than the offense, which says a lot about how the Bears have pieced this group together. Nearly every defensive position has a new starter compared with last season, and many of those jobs belong to transfers who were highly rated recruits in high school but saw little action with their previous teams.
The secondary is Cal’s strength, led by safeties Kingston Lopa and Isaiah Crosby. Lopa is tied to the most eye-catching stat on the roster, with five interceptions to lead the nation, though he is questionable for Saturday. The Bears are also far better against the pass than they are against the run, and they have struggled to set the edge, especially against quarterbacks who can extend plays outside the pocket.
One name to keep an eye on beyond the quarterback spot is tight end Taimane Purcell. The freshman has talent, but injuries have slowed him down and he’s only caught nine passes so far. Curtis also mentioned inside linebacker AJ Tuitele, a disruptive defensive presence who can rush the passer and force turnovers, though he has already been ejected from two games for targeting.
For Cal, the path on Saturday is straightforward: limit Gio Lopez on the perimeter. If Wake Forest’s quarterback can get outside the rush through scrambles or designed rollouts, the Bears could be in trouble. Curtis said that if Lopez can roll out without pressure, Cal’s defense will have a hard time staying in the game.
In Other News...
Cals QB Outlook Just Shifted At A Crucial Time
Cal got a significant boost under center heading into Saturdays home game against No. 21 Wake Forest, with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolotele upgraded from questionable to probable. The quarterbacks status suggests he is likely to return after missing last week with a concussion, a timely shift for a Bears offense that needed clarity at the position as it prepares for a ranked opponent.
The rest of the availability report brought a mixed bag for Cal. Running back Adam Mohammed was downgraded to doubtful, while safety Kingston Lopa moved up to probable, giving the Bears a better look on defense even as the backfield remains unsettled. Wake Forest also got encouraging news of its own, with wide receiver Carlos Hernandez and defensive end Langston Hardy upgraded to probable. [Read more 🡒]
Cal May Have Found A Clutch Scorer As Offense Still Looks Shaky
Cals preseason tune-up against Loyola Marymount did little to hide the bigger offensive questions, but it did offer a glimpse of a player who might thrive when the game tightens late. Nojus Indruaitis delivered the decisive bucket in the closing moments of a 60-59 win, giving the Bears a needed bright spot in a game that was ugly in stretches but still ended with a confidence-building finish.
Mark Madsen pointed to Indruaitis and others who helped Cal hang around despite the rough shooting night, which is the part that matters most this early in November. The Bears still have another exhibition left before the regular season begins, and for a team searching for more reliable scoring, the final seconds provided at least one encouraging answer while the broader offensive picture remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Brings A Major Depth Question Into Berkeley
Wake Forest is heading into Berkeley with its injury report carrying plenty of weight, and California has reason to keep an eye on it. The Demon Deacons have six players listed as out, leaving their depth thinner than usual in spots that matter most, especially up front where line rotations can shape both protection and the run game. For a Cal defense that will be watching how the visitors handle pressure, the availability of the players listed as probable could end up being part of the early-game story.
Among the names to watch are wide receiver Carlos Hernandez and defensive lineman Langston Hardy, both listed as probable heading into the matchup. Wake Forest will need to sort through personnel issues on both sides of the ball, and that makes the health of those key contributors even more important as the week unfolds. If the Deacons can patch together their offensive and defensive fronts, theyll give themselves a chance to keep the game manageable, but the margin for error is already looking slim. [Read more 🡒]