Cal’s trip to 23rd-ranked SMU on Saturday comes with some personnel uncertainty that stretches well beyond the quarterback spot.
Head coach Tosh Lupoi has yet to announce his starter, though Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele looks like the likeliest choice. Jackson Brousseau, who started the past two games, is also in the mix. Neither quarterback appears on the injury report, so the decision won’t come down to health.
The bigger issue for the Bears is how thin they are getting at running back. Adam Mohammed, Cal’s leading rusher, has been ruled out for the fourth straight game because of a knee injury.
Carter Vargas, the No. 2 back, is out as well after missing every game since the opener. At this point, it looks increasingly possible that Vargas could be sidelined for the rest of the season.
That leaves Ashten Emory in line to carry the load again. He left last week’s game against Wake Forest with an injury, but he is not on the report and is expected to start against the Mustangs. He was Cal’s starting running back last week.
Wide receiver is another area where the Bears may be forced to piece things together. Chase Hendricks, Cal’s leading receiver, is healthy, but four other wideouts are questionable.
Ian Strong, the Bears’ second-leading receiver with 29 catches, missed last week after aggravating an injury shortly before the game and remains uncertain. Cooper Perry, Jordan King and Mark Hamper are also listed as questionable.
Perry has eight receptions for 111 yards, King has 11 catches for 108 yards and Hamper has five grabs for 60 yards.
If any of those players can’t go, Cal may have to lean on receivers who have seen limited action.
The offensive line is also worth watching. Center Bastian Swinney, guard Sioape Vatikani and tackle Jimothy Lewis Jr. are all questionable.
Swinney and Vatikani started last week, while Lewis opened the season as a starter before missing the past few games. That could put the Bears’ depth under pressure up front.
Cal’s injury list also includes starting defensive tackle Jericho Johnson, who is questionable. The 6-foot-4, 345-pound lineman has been important in helping control the middle of Cal’s defensive line.
SMU has its own injury issues. Safety Ahmed Moses, who has not played this season, is listed as questionable for Saturday, though eligibility could be a factor. Safety Tyren Polley Jr., the team’s second-leading tackler, is out for the season after suffering a pectoral injury last week.
The Mustangs may also be without Nick Reed, who has split place-kicking duties with Brendan Baird this season, as he is questionable. Running back Dramekco Green, SMU’s second-leading rusher with 111 yards, has been ruled out, along with defensive end Ira Singleton IV.
In Other News...
Cal Heads To SMU With One Frustrating Question Still Unanswered
After Cals 41-7 loss to Wake Forest, Tosh Lupoi owned the result and tried to move the conversation forward toward SMU, but the clearest lingering issue from the defeat remained the one he never fully answered: why Jackson Brousseau got the start over Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. Lupoi addressed the quarterback decision, but he did not offer much detail on how he made it, leaving the Bears with a familiar kind of uncertainty as they head into another road test.
Sagapoluteles late entrance only sharpened the question. He was the more effective of the two against Wake Forest and delivered Cals lone touchdown, while Brousseau struggled to get the offense moving. Now Lupoi is saying the job will go to whoever gives the Bears the best chance to win at SMU, a team with plenty to like on both sides of the ball and a matchup that will demand a cleaner answer under center. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Needs This Offensive Reset To Look Real At SMU
Cals offense is heading into another reset this week, with Tosh Lupoi expected to pair Pat McCanns play-calling with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele at quarterback against SMU. The Bears have spent the season searching for the right mix after trying different quarterback and play-caller combinations, a sign of just how unsettled things have been on that side of the ball. Now theyll find out whether this version can bring a little more clarity against a defense that will not make the adjustment easy.
The timing adds another layer of intrigue because Sagapolutele is coming off a game in which he was replaced as the starter, so how he handles the change matters as much as the scheme itself. Cal still has to deal with a thin rushing attack and a tough road environment for any offense looking to find rhythm, which makes this more than a simple personnel tweak. It is a chance for the Bears to see whether a new combination can hold up when the game counts for real. [Read more 🡒]
Cals ACC Path Just Got More Complicated This Weekend
Cals path through the ACC took another turn this weekend as the conference once again refused to sort itself out cleanly. Miami needed overtime to escape Florida State, while several highly ranked teams also stumbled, leaving the standings even murkier and the race around the top much harder to read as the calendar moves deeper into conference play.
That kind of chaos matters for Cal because every ACC result can reshape the league pecking order and the Bears own opportunities as they eye the coming slate. The upcoming matchups bring their own twists, from injuries to key players to betting lines that suggest just how tight some of these games are expected to be, and the numbers only add to the sense that nothing in this conference is settling down anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]