San Diego State football opponent preview: California

Aztecs, Golden Bears face off in third game of the season for second straight year

California Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The San Diego State Aztecs and California Golden Bears will play each other in the third game of the season for the second year in a row. 

Last year in Berkeley, Cal scored on its first four possessions of the second half to pull away to a 31-10 win and its first 3-0 start in five years. 

The rest of the season was a bit choppier, as the Golden Bears had a rough introduction to the ACC by going 2-6 in their new conference and 6-7 overall. Cal was invited to the Art of Sport LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk, where it lost 24-13 to Mountain West runner-up UNLV.

Cal’s biggest offseason addition was hiring alum Ron Rivera, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, as its general manager. 

There’s history on SDSU’s side. The home team has never lost in the series, which Cal leads 5-4. The Aztecs beat the Golden Bears 45-40 in San Diego in 2016.

It was always a big deal when the Aztecs played — and beat — a member of the pre-breakup Pac-12, and it should be again when they play one of the teams that bolted from the once-venerable conference in the wild realignment summer of 2023. 

SDSU will move into the new-look Pac-12 next year, along with current MW foes Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State. 

Game 3: California at San Diego State

Date: Saturday, Sept. 20

Kickoff time: 7:30 p.m. PT.

Location: Snapdragon Stadium

TV/Streaming: TBA

Cal offense preview

There are a lot of new players on offense, as well as offensive coordinator Brian Harsin, the former head coach at Boise State.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza transferred to Indiana. Ohio State transfer Devin Brown and freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele are competing to replace him.

Regardless of who wins the job, the Golden Bears will have to do a much better job of protecting the QB than they did last year, when they were one of just two FBS teams to allow 50 sacks. 

Jaydn Ott and Jaivian Thomas were among five running backs who bailed via the transfer portal. The Golden Bears dipped into the portal to replenish the running backs room, so it’ll be interesting to see how that unit jells. 

Cal defense preview

With All-American defensive back Nohl Williams (seven interceptions, 52 tackles) off to the NFL, the Golden Bears will turn to a mix of transfers and returning players in the secondary. 

Among the returning players are Cam Sidney (29 tackles, one interception, two fumble recoveries) and Isaiah Crosby, while the transfers include safety Tristan Dunn from Washington and cornerback Hezekiah Masses from FIU. Masses had 38 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble in his final year at FIU.

The Golden Bears will be leaning on returning players in the front seven, starting with linemen Derek Wilkins and T.J. Bollers, and linebacker Cade Uluave, who was second on the team last season with 71 tackles in nine games.