Cal's collapse raises red flags about Gophers' Week 3 loss

Minnesota’s Week 3 loss to California doesn’t look as respectable after the Golden Bears were blown out 34-0 by San Diego State.

Sep 13, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey (5) is pressured by the California Golden Bears defense during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

While the Gophers were enjoying their bye week, the team they lost to in the third week of the college football season was busy getting shut out. That's right, the same California Golden Bears that dumped Minnesota 27-14 got blanked 34-0 on the road by San Diego State.

It's not a good look for the Golden Bears, and it's like a wave of secondhand smoke for the Gophers. The loss to Cal didn't look too bad at first for Minnesota because the Golden Bears were undefeatd and riding the hot arm of freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, but the fact that Cal got smoked by a team from the Mountain West raises some red flags.

Why are we kind of disprespecting San Diego State? They are 2-1 overall, but it's the same Aztecs team that was crushed 36-13 by Washington State two weeks earlier — and that's bad because Washington State has since allowed 59 points in back-to-back games, including a 59-10 loss to North Texas.

Not Texas. Not Texas Tech. Not Texas A&M. Not Texas Christian. NORTH TEXAS.

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This is exactly why some Minnesota fans were wondering if Cal was actually good before they hosted the Gophers on Sept. 13. California entered that game against Minnesota with dominant wins over a putrid Oregon State team and Texas Southern, which plays in the FCS.

Oregon State appears to be one of the worst teams in the FBS at 0-4 while being outscored 156-63.

Sagapolutele, who carved up the Gophers for 279 passing yards and three touchdowns, suddenly doesn't look so hot after throwing a pair of interceptions, including one that was returned 97 yards for a touchdown, while completing just 17 of 38 passes against the Aztecs.

All in all, it's hard to say for sure what the loss to Cal really means. For all we know, Cal is going to be as good or as bad as its freshman quarterback. We all know that freshman QBs can take teams on a rollercoaster ride, but if the Golden Bears aren't very good and the Gophers struggled as much as they did against them, then it could be a sign that a bumpy road waits for Minnesota.

Minnesota will learn a lot when they host Rutgers (2-1) this Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium. If Athan Kaliakmanis and the Scarlet Knights leave Minneapolis with a win, the Gophers could find themselves in a free fall with a game at No. 1 Ohio State waiting on Oct. 4.