How to Watch Clemson Tigers vs. California, TV, Injuries, Betting

The Clemson Tigers have finally found some momentum in 2026, coming off a 28-20 comeback win over North Carolina in their ACC opener.

That surge traces back to the final 8:11 of the game, when both teams returned to the field after a two-hour weather delay. In those last eight-plus minutes, the Tigers dominated and looked as sharp as they have all season, especially on offense.

Now, Clemson must carry that momentum out West to face the California Golden Bears.

Entering the contest, true freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds will make his second career start fresh off a week where he completed nearly 70% of his passes for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception en route to earning 247Sports’ True Freshman of the Week.

Most recently, Golden Bears head coach Tosh Lupoi spoke about how gifted an athlete Reynolds is, adding that he’s brought a “regenerated energy” to Clemson’s offense.

"I always dive in and start with the personnel. I think they've got a new regenerated energy rockin' with Tait Reynolds, No. 2, their quarterback," Lupoi said on Tuesday. "He has a 10'1" broad jump, 525-pound squat, 37-inch vertical, you know, [an] impressive athlete."

Sophomore running back Gideon Davidson is coming off the best game of his young career, rushing for 105 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries vs. the Tar Heels. Jarvis Green was the primary backup behind Davidson following the benching of Chris Johnson Jr., carrying the ball five times for 22 yards. So we’ll see how the backfield rotation looks this week.

The offensive line improved throughout the game and arguably delivered its best performance of the year. Head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive line coach Matt Luke also began experimenting with rotations, splitting snaps at right guard between redshirt sophomore Ronan O’Connell and true freshman Grant Wise, and at right tackle between fifth-year Collin Sadler and redshirt freshman Easton Ware. I don’t expect those rotations to change based on last week's performance.

The wide receivers, of course, did their thing, but what caught most people’s attention in the passing game was how much the offense opens up when offensive coordinator Chad Morris utilizes the tight ends. While both Olsen Patt-Henry and Christian Bentancur were assigned to block most of the time, the two ended up totaling four catches for 63 yards, with Bentancur snagging a 27-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to make it a two-point game.

Defensively, the interior line continued to struggle, with the Tar Heels' offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino targeting that position group by running it straight up the middle. Unfortunately for the Tigers, it worked, as they allowed over 200 rushing yards for the second time so far this season.

However, the passing defense was very impressive, allowing Billy Edwards Jr. to complete just 13-of-30 passes for 135 yards, with his lone touchdown coming from Elliot Washington — who later sealed the game with an interception — slipping on a flat route.

Entering the contest, the primary player the Tigers are game-planning for is California signal caller Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who was an On3 True Freshman All-American in 2025 after throwing for nearly 3,500 yards and 18 touchdowns on 492 attempts.

On Tuesday, Swinney raved about his talent, saying that Sagapolutele is what an “NFL quarterback” looks like at the collegiate level while detailing what he brings as a passer and overall athlete.

“You flip over to the offensive side, it’s all about this quarterback. That’s a dude, now,” Swinney said. “This is a pro. If you want to know what an NFL quarterback looks like playing college ball, that’s this kid. He got a lot of experience last year as a freshman. He is an elite passer. I mean, he can make every throw from every angle, every area on the field.”

“I think he throws a really good deep ball. He’s got a great feel for the back-shoulder ball. He’s a really good thrower on the run. But he can place it. And he’s athletic, he’s big and athletic. Can move around, can hurt you with his legs. He’s just a really, really good football player, so a lot of respect for him.”

While Sagapolutele is the star of the Golden Bears' offense, they also carry a deadly receiving core. Rutgers transfer Ian Strong and Ohio transfer Chase Hendricks have accounted for nearly half of the offense’s 965 passing yards, combining for 34 receptions, 401 yards and two touchdowns.

Behind them is redshirt junior Kyion Grayes, who totaled three catches for 95 yards and one touchdown last week, as well as tight end Mason Mini and Oregon transfer Cooper Perry, who have combined for 11 catches, 172 yards and two touchdowns.

California’s passing offense is currently No. 14 in the country, averaging 321.7 yards per game through the air. So, with starting nickelback Corian Gipson listed OUT with an undisclosed injury, the Tigers' mission of stopping this high-volume passing offense will only be harder.

Washington transfer running back Adam Mohammed has also excelled in his first year with California, totaling 285 rushing yards (fourth in the ACC) and three scores on 60 attempts. He has also emerged as a threat in the receiving game, catching 14 balls for 138 yards and one touchdown.

While breaking down Clemson’s offense, Lupoi compared Mohammed and Davidson, saying both are strong runners through contact, so seeing how each back does will be interesting, especially with both teams having poor rushing defenses.

On the defensive side of the ball for Cal, the obvious outlier is Oregon transfer safety Kingston Lopa, who stands at 6-foot-5 and has recorded a league-leading five interceptions through just three contests. His best performance came against Syracuse in Week 2, when he snagged three interceptions, one of which was the game-winning pick-six.

The Golden Bears additionally boast a tough linebacker corps that features USC transfer AJ Tuitele (team leader in tackles), Texas A&M transfer Tristan Jernigan, senior Jayden Wayne, Texas A&M transfer Solomon Williams, Oregon transfer Kamara Mothudi and true freshman JD McKinley.

The scariest part of the California defense for Clemson is undoubtedly the interior defensive line, as not only has the offensive line had struggles to begin the season, but the Golden Bears also boast two starters who are over 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds in Derek Wilkins (6’5, 310 lbs) and Jericho Johnson (6’4, 345 lbs).

Now, here’s a look at everyone on Clemson's injury report with kickoff at California Memorial Stadium less than 36 hours away.

Out:

S Polo Anderson

CB Shavar Young Jr.

WR Cole Turner

RB Peyton Streko

WR Keil McGriff

DT Hevin Brown-Shuler

DT Kourtney Kelly

LB Joseph Roberto II

OL Adam Guthrie

OL Mason Wade

DT Markus Strong

CB Corian Gipson

DT Devarrick Woods

RB Jay Haynes

Probable:

QB Christopher Vizzina

Now here's everything you need to know for the Week 4 matchup against California, including broadcast information and betting odds, as well as other game day information for those attending the game.

Clemson Tigers vs. California Golden Bears: What You Need to Know

Where: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA

When: Friday, Sep. 25, 10:30 p.m. EDT.

Other Game Day Info:

7:30 p.m.: Tigertown Tailgate Show (Faxon Childress & Ricky Sapp) live on the Clemson Athletic Network
8:20 p.m.: Tigers arrive at Memorial Stadium
10:30 p.m.: Kickoff. Broadcast on ESPN and the ESPN App. Audio on Clemson Athletic Network.

Watch: ESPN

Play-by-Play: Mike Monaco
Analyst: Jordan Rogers
Reporter: Dana Boyle

Stream: Via ESPN or the ESPN app

Weather: By kickoff, the temperature should be in the low 60s, but is projected to be in the high 50s throughout the contest. Clemson has started its year off with three lightning delays in a row, but it’s finally looking like there won’t be any out West.

Radio: The ROAR: 105.5 WCCP-FM and WAHT(AM)

Play-by-Play: Don Munson
Analysts: Tim Bourret & Jeff Scott

Odds: Clemson is considered a 1.5-point favorite over California, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 50.5 points.

Disclaimer: Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Series History: California leads the series 1-0 over Clemson. The Golden Bears' lone victory over the Tigers came in the 1991 Citrus Bowl, where they cruised to a 37-13 win in Orlando, Florida.

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