Three of Cal’s 2026 opponents came away with wins this week, but nobody had a more jaw-dropping result than North Carolina State.
The Wolfpack had Vanderbilt beat. Then they handed it back.
NC State led 35-31 and had the ball with six seconds left, facing fourth-and-3 from its own 5-yard line. All CJ Bailey needed to do was manage the final snap, run around in the end zone, throw the ball away after getting outside the tackle box, or take a safety and let the clock expire. Instead, the game flipped into a Vanderbilt win on the final play.
Bailey, now in his third year as the Wolfpack’s starting quarterback and fourth in preseason ACC player of the year voting, had put NC State in position to close it out. Before the late fumble, he was 25-for-37 for 275 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
The rest of Cal’s 2026 schedule had a busy week, too, with the 12 opponents on the slate producing a mix of breakout performances, ugly losses and one first-start spark.
UCLA’s early-season turnaround under Bob Chesney keeps rolling. The Bruins, who averaged just 18.2 points last season to finish last in the Big Ten, are putting up 41.7 points through three games this year.
Their 52 points Saturday were their most against an FBS opponent since a 62-33 win over USC in 2021. Nico Iamaleava threw three touchdown passes without an interception, and Wayne Knight piled up 177 rushing yards at 9.8 a carry in the win over Purdue.
Cal itself handled business against an FCS opponent, and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was at the center of it. The Bears quarterback posted a career-high 413 passing yards as Cal rolled up 626 yards of offense.
Clemson also got into the win column, rallying from a 17-3 hole behind freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds in his first college start. Reynolds finished 20-for-29 for 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception. In the second half, he went 8-for-10 for 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Syracuse had a rough afternoon. Steve Angeli was benched after throwing two more interceptions, and Fran Brown has not decided whether Angeli or Amari Odom will start next week against Connecticut.
Odom completed all seven of his passes after entering the game. The Orange also took 94 yards in penalties, and Brown apologized after the game for comments he made to officials on Thursday.
“I spoke out of tone, which I shouldn’t have said,” Brown said, according to The Spun. “I just stated that, ‘I feel like you’re effing cheating us.’
I said that. I said, ‘You guys are effing cheating.’”
Wake Forest made Miami work after falling behind 31-7, cutting the margin to 33-20 before stalling out. The Demon Deacons reached the Miami 25-yard line twice more but came away empty both times, and a long fourth-quarter punt return was erased by a penalty away from the play. Gio Lopez threw three touchdown passes under steady pressure, and Jack Foley finished with 118 receiving yards and a score.
SMU’s Kendrick Raphael, who led Cal in rushing last season, turned in a big day with 197 yards against Louisville. His 12-yard touchdown run with 11:33 left put SMU ahead 31-28, but Louisville answered with touchdowns on its next two drives. The Mustangs then turned it over on their final two possessions, first on a Kevin Jennings fumble and then on an interception by Jennings.
Virginia entered its game with West Virginia having allowed only 11 points and 131 rushing yards across its first two outings, but that defense was cracked open for 247 rushing yards and 38 points. Michael Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook each ran for 123 yards for the Mountaineers.
Stanford’s defense was beaten for 470 yards, including 268 on the ground, and the Cardinal offense was blanked in the second half. Through two ACC games, Stanford has now given up 80 points.
Pitt got enough from its defense and early offense to survive. Mason Heintschel had a difficult day, going 10-for-23 for 123 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, but the Panthers built a 17-0 lead by the middle of the second quarter and stayed ahead the rest of the way.
UNLV did not play this week and is set to face Akron on Saturday.
In Other News...
Cal Showed Off A Dangerous New Edge In Blowout Win
For a Cal team looking to establish a firmer identity early in the season, the blowout over Wagner offered a clear glimpse of what this offense can look like when it is rolling. Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele guided the attack efficiently, Adam Mohammed punched in multiple scores, and the Bears repeatedly turned drives into points while leaning into a physical edge that Wagner had trouble matching.
The most eye-catching sequence came when Cal started stretching the field and forcing the Seahawks to chase, turning a comfortable lead into something much more lopsided. Wagner managed to find the end zone once, but it spent most of the afternoon struggling to sustain anything against Cals pressure, and the Bears left with the kind of performance that can make opponents pay attention to what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Cals Offense Exploded But Clemson Looms Over What Bears Still Must Fix
Cals 49-7 rout of Wagner offered the kind of offensive burst the Bears had been searching for, with both Adam Mohammed and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele driving the performance in a game that never felt in doubt. Mohammed gave Cal a physical spark in the run game, while Sagapolutele kept the passing attack moving, and the Bears left the afternoon with signs that the unit is trending in the right direction.
Still, the bigger test is ahead, and the box score did not hide everything Cal needs to clean up before Clemson arrives. Special teams slips, penalties and a lack of consistent pressure up front are the kinds of issues that can get magnified against a deeper opponent, which is why this win looked more like a checkpoint than a finish line. [Read more 🡒]
Cal's Offensive Outburst Sets Up A Much Bigger Clemson Test
Cal had no trouble separating itself from Wagner at Memorial Stadium, rolling to a 49-7 win behind an offense that never let the game settle in. The Bears were up 29-0 after one quarter and finished with 626 yards, a reminder that even against overmatched opposition, the group can pile up production in a hurry when the passing game and ground game are both clicking.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was especially sharp, working through Wagners defense with the kind of rhythm Cal will need against better competition, while Adam Mohammed gave the Bears an early jolt with a first-half scoring spree. The bigger question now is whether that burst carries into a far stiffer Clemson test, where Cal will need more than a fast start to keep pace. [Read more 🡒]