Cal heads into Saturday’s trip to UNLV carrying more than just a loss. The Bears were blown out at home by Clemson on a nationally televised stage, and the fallout hit fast, with several of the program’s top-rated 2027 recruits backing off their pledges - including No. 1 junior college prospect Alius Mayo, who announced he has committed elsewhere.
Now the Bears are trying to steady the season in Las Vegas.
“I (have) a lot of faith in what we’re doing going forward,” said Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi in a press conference. “(We’ve got a) great staff and (will be) elevating some responsibilities within owning some specific roles and organizing … we’re also a staff that has to challenge ourselves to see where we’ve faltered.”
UNLV won’t be a soft landing spot. The Rebels came into the year with some preseason buzz around the expanded College Football Playoff picture, and even without a Mountain West preseason poll, multiple reports had them sitting near the top of the conference alongside teams such as New Mexico and newly promoted North Dakota State.
Their season has had its own sharp turns. UNLV opened with a loss to Memphis, answered with a win over Hawaii, then got flattened at North Texas.
The Mean Green had turned over their roster with 70 new players after losing their head coach and three All-American offensive weapons to the transfer portal, including NFL draft prospect Drew Mestemaker. Still, UNLV went in as a 3.5-point favorite and got punched in the mouth in a 44-6 loss, turning it over five times and settling for two field goals.
The Rebels recovered the following week with a convincing win over Akron.
For Cal, the matchup gets tricky because UNLV can stress a defense in more than one way. Jackson Arnold, the Auburn transfer at quarterback, brings dual-threat juice. He can work from the pocket and also hurt teams with his legs, as he did against Hawaii, when he ran for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
Arnold’s mobility pairs with running back Jai’Den Thomas, a fourth-year Rebel who has been productive for a long time in the desert. Over his first three seasons, the Atlanta native piled up 2,457 yards and 31 touchdowns, and he’s started 2026 in form with more than 100 rushing yards in both of UNLV’s wins.
But the bigger question may be what Cal can get going on offense.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele had the lowest passing total of his college career last week against Clemson, and the numbers against FBS opponents this season have been modest: 572 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. Much of the frustration has centered on first-time offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville and a game plan built around short throws and screens, even though Sagapolutele showed deep-ball talent in 2025.
That disconnect between what the Bears’ offense looks capable of and what it has actually produced has not gone unnoticed by Lupoi.
“Flat-out unacceptable production from our offense, and that must improve,” Lupoi said. “I’m going to do something about it, and that’s exactly what I’m doing right now.”
Exactly what that means remains unclear. It could point to a change in playcaller, or it could mean a new approach on offense altogether. Either way, Cal is heading to Vegas looking for a reset - and hoping this time, the good fortune follows them home.
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Cal Enters A Tricky Stretch With One Offense Question Looming
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For Cal, the timing matters because this stretch is about more than just conference positioning. The Bears are also trying to avoid letting their non-conference resume slip, and the stakes around that next game are hard to ignore with Ole Miss looming. There is at least a hint that the staff knows adjustments may be coming, but the exact shape of them is still the part worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
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JKS accuracy issues only deepen the problem, because the passing game has not been efficient enough to make defenses pay for crowding the box. The ripple effects show up in the individual evaluations too, with the production of Ian Strong and the overall contributions of players like Adam Mohammed and Kingston Lopa all tied to an offense that still feels short on answers. Cals defense has its own concerns as well, especially against the run, so the larger issue may be that the Bears are fighting on too many fronts at once. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Heads Into A Trickier UNLV Test Amid Dan Mullen Buzz
UNLV has not quite matched the buzz that surrounded it before the season, and Donovan Hicks said the Rebels 2-2 start has left the program in a more complicated spot than many expected. Even so, there are still reasons opponents have to take this team seriously, from the visibility and recruiting appeal of Allegiant Stadium to the presence of players like JaiDen Thomas and Jackson Arnold, who have helped give the offense some life.
For Cal, that makes this a less comfortable follow-up than it might have looked a month ago. Hicks also pointed to the conversation around Dan Mullen and where things go from here, which only adds another layer to a game that already carries more weight than a routine nonconference trip. The Bears are walking into a setting that can still feel like a stage, and UNLVs mix of talent, expectations and uncertainty makes the matchup more intriguing than the record suggests. [Read more 🡒]