The betting market didn’t waste much time reacting to what happened on opening weekend. By Sunday morning, Cal was a 1.5-point favorite for Saturday’s ACC opener in Syracuse, N.Y.
By Sunday evening, that flipped all the way to Syracuse laying 3.5, according to FanDuel and DraftKings. On Monday, the Orange were still a 3.5-point favorite, though that number could still move as kickoff gets closer.
That shift comes after very different first impressions from both teams. Cal dropped its home opener to UCLA, 45-24, while Syracuse rolled past New Hampshire, 66-3.
For Cal, the bigger concern is simply getting to 1-1. The Bears are trying to avoid an 0-2 start for only the third time since 2001. They opened 2021 at 0-2 and finished 5-7, went 0-3 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before ending 1-3, and back in 2001 they lost their first 10 games in a 1-10 year.
The Bears’ injury situation will be worth watching this week, too. Cal and Syracuse are required to release injury reports by Thursday evening, since they did not have to submit them before their openers because those were nonconference games.
Three Cal players are especially in focus: center Bastian Swinney, running back Carter Vargas and tight end Dorian Thomas. Swinney and Vargas both left Saturday’s game with injuries, while Thomas did not play at all after getting hurt in preseason practice.
Swinney matters a lot up front. He’s viewed as the leader of Cal’s offensive line, and once he exited and Ashton Rivera stepped in, the Bears had a fourth-down mixup that included a mistimed snap and fumble. If Swinney can’t go against Syracuse, Rivera would likely start.
Vargas opened the UCLA game in Cal’s two-running back package and finished with 14 rushing yards on four carries plus two catches for 6 yards. If he’s out, Ashten Emory or Anthony League would take over as the No. 2 back behind Adam Mohammed. Emory had one carry for 6 yards against UCLA, and League had one carry for 1 yard.
Quarterback Jaron-Keawe also took a hit, suffering a sprained ankle and limping for several plays, but he stayed in the game and is expected to play against Syracuse.
Thomas had already been considered questionable for UCLA, so his odds of being available Saturday may be better. Mason Mini started at tight end in the opener and delivered four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown.
He’s likely to start again, but Thomas’ return could give Cal more chances to use two-tight-end sets. Freshman Taimane Purcell was the No. 2 tight end against UCLA and had one target without a catch.
There’s at least one bright spot Cal can lean on: Adam Mohammed’s debut. He ran for 120 yards against UCLA and sits second in the ACC in rushing after one game, behind Duke’s Nate Sheppard, who went for 227 yards in the Blue Devils’ 17-3 win over Tulane.
Syracuse has its own early-season numbers to point to. Shavane Anderson Jr. rushed for 102 yards in the Orange’s opener, and he’s tied for the conference lead in scoring with 18 points.
The ACC rankings after one week paint a mixed picture for Cal. Only Clemson allowed more points in its opener than the Bears, with the Tigers giving up 51 in a loss to LSU. Cal is 14th in total defense, ahead of Louisville and Clemson, while sitting ninth in both scoring offense at 24 points and total offense at 410 yards.
At quarterback, Cal’s Sagapolutele ranks 10th in the ACC in passer rating, while Syracuse’s Steve Angeli is fifth.
In Other News...
Cal Fans Just Got An Early Read On The Bears Next Test
California mens basketball now has its 2026-27 nonconference slate mapped out, and it gives Bears fans a pretty clear early look at what this team is about to face before ACC play begins. The schedule is built around home-court comfort, with most of the nonconference games set for Haas Pavilion, while also introducing several fresh opponents that should give the Bears a different kind of test than they usually see in the opening stretch.
The headline game is a meeting with Houston in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic, a matchup that stands out immediately on a list that also includes a rivalry date with USC. Add in a handful of first-time opponents and only a small number of trips away from Berkeley, and the early part of the season should tell plenty about how Cal stacks up before the conference grind starts. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Basketball Gets A Long Runway Before Its First Real Tests
California mens basketball will have a familiar kind of home-heavy runway when it opens the 2026-27 season, after finalizing a nonconference schedule that gives the Bears 11 games at Haas Pavilion. The slate includes five first-time opponents and a handful of games against former conference foes, offering a mix of new looks and old acquaintances before the real grind begins.
The most intriguing stop on the schedule is a meeting with Houston in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic, one of the few true showcase chances before ACC play starts. With only a pair of out-of-state trips on the nonconference docket, Cal gets plenty of time to sort out its rotation and build rhythm before league games take over. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Fans Just Got Their First Real Measuring Stick
Cals mens basketball non-conference slate is now set, and it gives fans a clearer early look at what this group will face before Pac-12 play. The Bears will get multiple chances to settle in at Haas Pavilion, with home dates that include USC and Vanderbilt, while the schedule also brings a trip to Minnesota and a neutral-site showcase in the region that has become a November proving ground for plenty of programs.
What makes this release matter is the balance of it: enough home comfort to build momentum, but also a few games that will tell the Bears a lot about where they stand. The mix of familiar buildings and tougher travel tests should give Cal a useful read on its rotation and its identity, even if the most revealing part of the schedule is still the one that will answer how this team handles a true road environment. [Read more 🡒]