Everything You Need to Know About No. 15 Virginia's West Coast Matchup vs California

Virginia looks to lock in their 7th win in a row as they head to Berkeley to take on the Golden Bears.

Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott runs off the field after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels in overtime at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Virginia hits the road for the second week in a row, heading to the West Coast to take on the California Golden Bears on Saturday afternoon. ESPN's FPI gives UVA a 68% chance to take down the Golden Bears.

Let's take a look at everything you need to know ahead of Friday afternoon's game.

Top Rush Offense vs Bottom Rush Defense

Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back J'Mari Taylor (3) celelbrates with wide receiver Jayden Thomas (8) and center Drake Metcalf (60) after scoring a touchdown in overtime at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

We have talked about it all year. This Virginia run game is otherworldly. The rushing offense ranks third in the ACC, collecting an average of 185 yards per game.

The run game relies heavily on star transfer back J'Mari Taylor. The senior ranks second in the conference in touchdowns (9) and fifth in rushing yards (581). Backup Harrison Waylee has also found the end zone five times, while rushing for 6.8 yards per attempt. Quarterback Chandler Morris has also shouldered some of the load on the ground, punching in four scores on 42 carries.

On the other hand, California's run defense is not the strongest. The Golden Bears have allowed the fourth most rush yards per game at just under 152. Just last week, Virginia Tech had a field day on the ground against Cal. VT quarterback Kyron Drones threw three touchdowns while rushing for 172 yards and two scores on the ground. Cal also allowed 167 yards to Hokies' running back Marcellous
Hawkins in the 42-34 loss.

UVA History On West Coast

Scenes in Berkeley#GoHoos 🔶⚔️🔷 pic.twitter.com/omgiALLEQD

— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) November 1, 2025

According to Virginia Athletics, the cross country journey from Charlottesville to Cal's campus in Berkeley is the fourth-longest regular-season trip by air miles in UVA history. This Friday's matchup also marks just the third time the Cavaliers have played in the state of California. Both previous matchups ended in UVA losses, so the program is still searching for their first win in the Golden State.

Cal also marks the final of three first-time opponents for Virginia this season, the first two being Stanford and Washington State. Virginia pulled out fairly easy wins against both teams at home. This will be their first test against a new opponent on the road, not to mention, thousands of miles away.

Playoff Implications

Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key celebrates after a victory over the Syracuse Orange at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

According to ESPN FPI, Virginia has the third highest odds (19%) to win the ACC at this point of the season. Georgia Tech and Miami are still the only two teams to sit ahead of the Hoo's in those odds. UVA also has the third highest odds of making the College Playoff behind those two same programs.

Georgia Tech plays an underwhelming NC State team they should have no trouble with this week. A game against Georgia to end the year could prove tough for Georgia State and shake up the ACC rankings down the road. At the time of writing, Miami is currently facing off against SMU. The Mustangs are a tough team that just lost it's first ever ACC game in two seasons in the conference. Other than SMU, maybe Pittsburgh could give Miami some trouble down the schedule.