Cal Football Game Preview: Bears Host Minnesota on Saturday Night

Cal faces its biggest challenge of the season so far when it plays Minnesota on Saturday night at Cal’s Memorial Stadium. The Bears are hoping to improve to 3-0 in what is being called a stadium “Gold Out” game in which Cal players will wear updated gold jerseys.

The preview:

CAL (2-0. 0-0 ACC) vs. MINNESOTA (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten)

SITE: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, California

WHEN: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

TV: ESPN -- Dave Flemming (Play by Play), Brock Osweiler (Analyst), Stormy Buonantony (Sideline Reporter)

RADIO: 810 AM -- Justin Allegri (Play-By-Play), Mike Pawlawski (Analyst), Scott Butler (Sideline Reporter)

BETTING LINE: Minnesota is a 2.5-point favorite as of Friday night. Over/Under is 41.5 points

WEATHER FORECAST: The temperature in Berkeley will drop from a high 72 degrees Saturday afternoon to about 66 degrees under cloudy skies when Saturday night’s game begins. The temperature will drop to about 60 degrees by the time the game ends. There is an 18% chance of rain Saturday afternoon and just a 9% chance of rain Saturday night. The humidity with be about 85%.

CAL-MINNESOTA HISTORY: Cal leads the alltime series 4-2. The teams last met in 2009, when Jahvid Best rushed for 131 yards to help Cal beat Minnesota 35-21 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cal is 2-1 against the Gophers in Berkeley, with the Bears defeating Minnesota 42-17 in the most recent meeting at California Memorial Stadium in 2006 when Marshawn Lynch rushed for 139 yards. Minnesota’s most recent victory over Cal came in 1987, when the Gophers won 32-23 in Minneapolis. The teams first played each other in 1951, when Cal won 55-14 in Berkeley.

CAL PLAYER AVAILABILITY: Cal inside linebacker Cade Uluave will sit out the first half of the game after being penalized for targeting in the third quarter of last week’s game against Texas Southern. He will be eligible to play the second half. Cal did not release an injury report for this game, but it will be required to do so prior to ACC games.

MINNESOTA PLAYER AVAILABILITY: Minnesota running back Darius Taylor, who rushed for 141 yards in the opener, is unlikely to play against Cal. He left last week’s game with a leg injury. He has not been ruled out for Saturday night's game, but he is considered doubtful. Minnesota starting defensive lineman Jalen Logan-Redding is also questionable because of an injury.

CAL STORYLINES:

---Cal looking to start the season 3-0 for the second straight year. That would match the Bears’ best start since 2019 when Cal began the season 4-0 and finish 8-5, the last time Cal wound up with a winning overall record. Cal beat Oregon State 34-15 on the road in its opener, and knocked off Texas Southern 35-3 last week.

---Cal true freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has been impressive in the Bears’ first two games but he faces his biggest challenge so far when he goes against the Minnesota defense, which leads the nation in pass defense through two games.

---Cal running back Kendrick Raphael established himself as the Bears’ No. 1 running back after rushing for 131 yards and averaging 7.3 yards per carry last week against Texas Southern. But he too will face a challenge against the Gophers’ defense, which ranks third in the nation in rushing defense. The Bears’ offense under offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin depends on a productive running game and they have not yet proven they can run the ball against a solid defense. Cal rushed for 122 yards against Oregon State, averaging just 3.8 yards per carry. Cal ran for 173 yards and 5.3 yards per attempt against Texas Southern, but against an FCS school that’s not particularly impressive.

---Cal ranks first in the ACC and 13th nationally in rushing defense. The Bears have allowed a total of 117 yards on the ground in wins of Oregon State and Texas Southern..

---The Bears have been more productive in the red zone than they were last season. Cal has scored on all nine of its trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and it scored touchdowns on seven of those nine red zone opportunities.

---Field-goal kicking was a sore spot for Cal last season, but so far this season the Bears are a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals. Abram Murray and Chase Meyer have made two field goals apiece, with. Murray’s longest field goal being a 49-yarder, and Meyer hitting from 43 yards.

---Cal cornerback Hezekiah Masses intercepted a pass in each of the first two games and his two interceptions lead the ACC and is tied for second nationally. He also leads the nation in passes defensed with six.

---Cal coach Justin Wilcox did not announce who will take the place of inside linebacker Cade Uluave in the starting lineup. It could be Harrison Taggart, but it may depend on the defensive alignment Cal chooses.

---The game against Minnesota is the third of four nonconference games for Cal to start the season. Cal plays a road game against San Digo State next week in its final nonconference game. The remaining eight games will all be ACC games. Three of Cal’s four nonconference games will be played at night – the opener at Oregon, this week’s game against Minnesota and next week’s game at San Diego State. At least one ACC game – the Friday, October 17 game against North Carolina – will also be a 7:30 p.m. start, and the starting times of six of Cal’s eight conference games have yet to be set.

MINNESOTA STORYLINES:

---Minnesota is looking to start 3-0 for the first time since 2022 when the Gophers won their first four games. The Cleveland.com preseason media poll picked Minnesota to finish 11th in the 18-team Big Ten.

---The Golden Gophers enter Saturday's game with the top-ranked defense in the country, allowing just 96.5 yards per game. Minnesota also leads the country in passing defense, allowing 65.0 yards per game, and also ranks first in fewest first downs allowed per game (5.0). The Gophers rank third in the nation in rushing defense at 31.5 yards per contest.

---Koi Perich is Minnesota’s all-purpose star. He was a first-team all-Big Ten defensive back last season as a true freshman, when he intercepted five passes. He is also an excellent punt returner and kick returner, and he is also used on offense as a wide receiver. He is on the preseason watch list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy, Thorpe Award and Hornung Award. This year he has five tackles with 1.0 tackle for loss on defense, two catches for 36 yards on offense and 51 yards on five punt returns on special teams.

---In its opener this season, Minnesota recorded a 23-10 victory over Buffalo, which was picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference. Last week the Gophers clobbered FCS opponent Northwestern 66-0. The Gophers led that game 35-0 after the first quarter. Even though game ended with 6:15 left in the fourth quarter because of inclement weather, Minnesota’s 66 points are tied for the most points it has since it beat North Dakota State 69-7 in 1937.

---Minnesota running back Darius Taylor is considered doubtful to play against Cal, although he has not been ruled out. He has 1,946 career rushing yards and is 54 yards away from becoming the 18th player in program history to reach 2,000. Taylor rushed for 141 yards on 30 attempts and caught four passes for 36 yards in the opener against Buffalo. He left last week’s game in the first quarter with a leg injury.

---Gophers freshman running back Grant Washington rushed for 126 yards last week in Taylor's absence, although it came against Northwestern State. A.J. Turner and Cam Davis are likely to see playing time at running back if Taylor does not play.

---Redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey has gotten off to strong start in his first season as the Gophers' No. 1 quarterback. He's 27-of-44 (61.4 percent) for 429 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, giving him a passer rating of 161.2. His 15.89 yards per completion ranks sixth in the country and second in the Big Ten. Like Cal’s Sagapolutele, Lindsey made his first college start in this year’s opener. Unlike Sagapolutele, Lindsey played in three games last season and completed four of his five pass attempts in 2024.

---Defensive lineman Anthony Smith was placed on preseason All-Big Ten teams by The Athletic (second team) Athlon (third team) and Phil Steele (fourth team). The 6-foot-6, 285-pound Smith had 11.5 tackles for loss last season and already has three tackles for loss this season.

---P.J. Fleck is in ninth season as Minnesota’s head coach, and he has a 60-39 overall record. He has led the Gophers to bowl games each of the past four seasons and six of the past seven. Minnesota has won eight straight bowl games in which it has played, and that is the longest active streak in the country

---Five questions to a Minnesota beat writer about the Golden Gophers---

CAL PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (3 TD passes, 1 interception); LB Cade Uluave (2.5 tackles for loss last week, but will sit out the first half); RB Kendrick Raphael (averaging 6.1 yards per rushing attempt); WR Jacob De Jesus (16.7 yards per punt return); CB Hezekiah Masses (2 interceptions); ILB Luke Ferrelli (11 tackles last week); .

MINNESOTA PLAYERS TO WATCH: S Koi Penich (do-everything star); QB Drake Lindsey (61% completion percentage, 3 TDs, 1 interception); RB Darius Taylor (141 yards vs. Buffalo, but is unlikely to play vs. Cal); DL Anthony Smith (11.5 tackles for loss in 2024); Cornerback John Nestor (2 interceptions last week).

CAL 2024 STATISTICS: Click here

CAL GAME NOTES, DEPTH CHART: Click here

MINNESOTA STATISTICS: Click here

MINNESOTA NOTES: Click here

JAKE'S PICK: Cal 24, Minnesota 21

JEFF'S PICK: Cal 21, Minnesota 17

TONY LIEBERT’S PICK (Minnesota Golden Gophers on SI): Minnesota 23, Cal 20

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