Cal’s 45-24 loss to UCLA on Saturday left plenty of room for debate about who actually stood out for the Golden Bears. On the stat sheet, Adam Mohammed made a strong case. In Pro Football Focus’ view, though, the running back wasn’t Cal’s top performer.
Mohammed finished with 120 rushing yards and seven catches for 46 yards, but his work in pass protection dragged down his overall PFF grade to 68.3. That still put him among Cal’s better offensive performers, but not at the top.
The highest marks on the day went to safety Kingston Lopa and defensive back Daniel Harris, with offensive tackles Jimothy Lewis and Frederick Williams III also cracking the top tier. Those four were the only Golden Bears to finish above 70, and Lopa and Harris led the way overall. PFF grades players on a play-by-play basis.
Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who said after the game that he needs to be better against Syracuse on Saturday, posted a 68.1 grade. That ranked 134th nationally among quarterbacks with a qualifying number of snaps and seventh in the ACC.
Here’s how the rest of Cal’s key players graded out, along with their national and ACC rankings and snap counts:
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele - Grade: 68.1. National rank: 134.
ACC rank: 7. Snaps: 86
Two interceptions hurt Sagapolutele’s grade, although only one was his fault.
Adam Mohammed - Grade: 68.3. National rank: 116.
ACC rank: 7. Snaps: 72
Mohammed had only an 18.3 grade in pass protection, and that is an important element of being a complete running back.
Carter Vargas - Grade: 62.5. Snaps: 17
Although he rushed just four times for 14 yards and caught only one pass from 2 yards, Vargas had a high grade of 72.7 in pass protection, albeit in a limited smaple size.
Anthony League - Grade: 55.7. Snaps: 1
League had one carry for 1 yard in his only play.
Vargas left Saturday’s game with an injury and he is questionable for the game against Syracuse.
Chase Hendricks - Grade: 61.9. National rank: 402.
ACC rank: 16. Snaps: 88
Ian Strong - Grade: 58.0. National rank: 567.
ACC rank: 26. Snaps: 90
Hendricks had six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown, and Strong had five receptions for 94 yards.
Mason Mini - Grade: 67.6. National rank: 60.
ACC rank: 7. Snaps: 83
Dorian Thomas did not play against UCLA and he is questionable for the game against Syracuse
Bastian Swinney - Grade: 61.7. National rank: 149.
ACC rank: 11. Snaps: 57
Swinney is questionable for the game against Syracuse.
Tyson Ruffins - Grade: 69.0. National rank: 65.
ACC rank: 8. Snaps: 92
Sioape Vatikani - Grade: 64.5. National rank: 156.
ACC rank: 16. Snaps: 92
Jimothy Lewis - Grade: 72.0. National rank: 74.
ACC rank: 7. Snaps: 85
Frederick Williams III - Grade: 70.3. National rank: 95.
ACC rank: 8. Snaps: 86
Despite the postgame assessment that the Bears offensive line was outplayed by UCLA defensive front, the Cal offensive linemen received decent grades.
Jericho Johnson - Grade: 54.2. National rank: 717.
ACC rank: 26. Snaps: 38
Derek Wilkins - Grade: 53.8. National rank: 726.
ACC rank: 27. Snaps: 32.
Defensive line and linebacker were the Cal position groups that received the lowest grades, which may account for UCLA’s 227 rushing yards.
Nate Burrell - Grade: 62.2. National rank: 382.
ACC rank: 21. Snaps: 36
Kamar Mothudi - Grade: 52.0. National rank: 557.
ACC rank: 50. Snaps: 33
Burrell is listed as an edge by PFF, although he is generally considered an interior defensive lineman.
AJ Tuitele - Grade 63.5. National rank: 635.
ACC rank: 47. Snaps: 21
True freshman McKinley had by far the most defensive snaps among the Cal linebackers. Tuitele was ejected from the UCLA game for targeting, but because of a new NCAA rule he is eligible to play the entire game against Syracuse.
Daniel Harris - Grade: 72.6. National rank: 129.
ACC rank: 15. Snaps: 35
Ricky Fletcher - Grade: 62.3. National rank: 445.
ACC rank: 60. Snaps: 40
Marquis Groves-Killebrew and Jasiah Wagoner are Cal cornerbacks who were expected see significant playing time but did not play against UCLA, presumably because of injuries.
Kingston Lopa - Grade: 72.5. National rank: 74.
ACC rank: 7. Snaps: 47
A lot of mixing a matching at these two safety spots in the opener.
In Other News...
Cal Already Faces Early Pressure To Fix One Troubling Problem
Cals season opener left plenty for Tosh Lupoi and his staff to sort through, and the conversation after the 45-24 loss to UCLA centered less on the final score than on the Bears execution and consistency. Lupoi took responsibility for the performance and made clear the fix has to come from both coaches and players as Cal turns the page toward an ACC matchup with Syracuse.
The concern is bigger than just an opening-night setback, because the Bears now have to show they can clean up the details quickly against a different kind of opponent. California already knows the margin for error is thin, and with Syracuse next on the schedule, the pressure is on to turn the coaching staffs evaluation into something more tangible on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Faces An Early ACC Test After That UCLA Letdown
Californias first ACC road trip brings a trip to the JMA Wireless Dome and an opening conference test against Syracuse, a matchup that arrives with plenty of intrigue for a program still sorting out the aftermath of its UCLA letdown. It is only the fourth all-time meeting between the schools, and the Bears have not played on Syracuses home field in a very long time, which adds a little extra texture to a game that already matters as the league schedule begins.
Cal will also be leaning on some of the early-season production that has given its offense a steadier feel. Running back Adam Mohammed has flashed career-best form, while quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has already been stringing together big passing afternoons at a remarkable rate. The challenge now is whether that momentum travels cleanly into a first conference test that could say plenty about how quickly the Bears can settle in after an uneven start. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Enters ACC Opener With Rare Outside Respect
Syracuses ACC opener against Cal comes with a little more national intrigue than usual, and not just because it is the first league meeting between the programs. On Monday, Orange coach Fran Brown spent part of his press conference highlighting what Cal brings to the matchup, specifically singling out quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele as a talented young player and noting the Bears competitiveness under first-year coach Tosh Lupoi.
Browns comments landed as a reminder that Cal is arriving in the conference with at least one opponent already viewing it through a cautious lens. He pointed to Lupois long coaching background, including his time under Nick Saban at Alabama, and credited the Bears staff for shaping a team Syracuse will need to be ready for right away, especially with a quarterback whose upside has already caught the attention of a league opponent. [Read more 🡒]