Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has spent the week having a little fun with Cal’s roster, and the reason is sitting right in the middle of the Bears’ offensive line.
Cal starting center Bastian Swinney shares a last name with the Tigers’ coach, and Dabo couldn’t resist making the connection twice this week before Friday night’s Cal-Clemson matchup in Berkeley. He brought it up on his Monday radio show and then again at Tuesday’s press conference, both times joking that maybe there’s a family tie somewhere along the line.
“Apparently my cousin is the starting center for ‘em,” Dabo joked on his Monday night radio show via Clemson Insider. “His name is Bastian Swinney. … I got a long-lost cousin out there in Cali, I guess.”
The punchline is that there’s no actual family connection. Dabo Swinney and Bastian Swinney are not related and have never met. Still, the coincidence is enough to make this one stand out, especially with Bastian’s brother, Cal freshman wide receiver Meyer Swinney, set to make it three Swinneys in the game Friday.
Dabo leaned into it again Tuesday, this time with a little more sarcasm and a lot more detail.
“Obviously the best player on their entire offensive line is Bastian Swinney, the center,” Dabo Swinney said facetiously. “I mean, he’s got to be the best, so I guess I’ve got a long-lost cousin out there.
He spells it the same. I can’t wait to meet Bastian.
I’m going to look him up when I get out there. I don’t know how I didn’t get him on my recruiting radar when he was coming out.”
Bastian Swinney’s path to Cal had nothing to do with Clemson. He grew up in and around Edina, Minnesota, and spent part of his childhood in Puerto Rico and Florida. Coming out of Edina High School, he drew offers from schools including Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Louisville, Missouri and Nebraska, among others.
At 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, Bastian is in his sixth year at Cal and has become the steady voice up front for the Bears. He’s viewed as the leader and chief spokesman for the offensive line, a group that will have a big say in how Friday night goes.
Cal will need Bastian and the rest of that unit to help keep Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele upright and open things up for running back Adam Mohammed. The numbers suggest the ground game could decide plenty.
Cal is last in the ACC in rushing offense, while Clemson sits 16th out of 17 teams in rushing defense. On the other side, Clemson ranks 14th in rushing offense, and Cal is 14th in rushing defense.
Neither team has been able to run it well. Neither team has been able to stop the run with much consistency. So the cleanest path to victory may come down to whichever side wins the battle at the line of scrimmage and finally gets something going on the ground.
And if that happens, maybe the Swinneys can finally meet, shake hands and compare notes on the family name.
In Other News...
Cal Gets An Early ACC Test Against A Different Clemson Offense
Clemsons visit to Berkeley brings an early look at a different version of the Tigers, one shaped by Tait Reynolds stepping in for his first career start and helping guide a win over North Carolina. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception, giving Clemson enough to keep moving as it turns the page toward its first ACC matchup with Cal. For the Bears, it adds another layer to a game already carrying cross-country travel and time zone adjustments for both sides.
Cal has its own passing game coming in with momentum after Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw for 413 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Wagner. The matchup now feels like a useful early measuring stick for both teams, with Clemson trying to settle in behind a new starter and Cal trying to show it can carry its recent offensive rhythm into conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Heads Into Clemson Game With Two Big Concerns Already Looming
Cals trip to Clemson already has a familiar early-week subplot: the first injury reports. The Bears and Tigers both released their initial availability lists ahead of the matchup, and Cals concerns center on two key contributors who showed up on the doubtful side. Running back Carter Vargas and defensive lineman Nate Burrell are the names that stand out most for a team trying to get through a tough road test with as much stability as possible.
Vargas status is especially noteworthy after he got hurt in the opener against UCLA, while Burrells absence would be a continuation of a recent gap on the defensive front after he missed last week against Wagner. Clemson has its own questions, including cornerback Corian Gipson and defensive tackle Devarrick Woods being listed as questionable, while quarterback Christopher Vizzina is probable despite an elbow issue and freshman Tait Reynolds is expected to start. Even at this early stage, the availability sheet is already shaping the feel of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Has A Breakout Star Changing The Ceiling Of This Defense
Cals defense has found an early-season jolt in safety Kingston Lopa, whose playmaking has changed the feel of the back end. Through three games, the Oregon transfer has piled up 17 tackles and quickly established himself as one of the most disruptive defenders in the country, drawing attention not just for his range but for how often he seems to be around the football. The buzz around him has only grown after a performance that earned him multiple defensive player of the week honors and put his name in the same conversation as some of the programs better defensive backs from recent years.
Lopas emergence matters because it gives Cal a true centerpiece on a unit that can now tilt games in a different way. The redshirt sophomore is already being viewed as a rising NFL draft prospect, and the trajectory is easy to see for anyone watching how consistently he has influenced the first part of the season. What makes the next stretch so intriguing is whether this start is the beginning of a special year or just the first sign of a player whose ceiling keeps climbing. [Read more 🡒]