SP+ Projects Final Score For Saturday's Game Between Virginia Tech and Cal

BLACKSBURG — Off a 35-33 loss to Pitt in Lane Stadium on Friday, Virginia Tech football looks to build back its strong start to the season when it travels to Berkeley, Calif., to play California on Saturday, Oct. 10.

After their 35-33 loss to Pitt, the Hokies are no longer in lockstep for first place in the conference. The Panthers, who are 2-0 and are tied with Miami and Clemson, do now hold the head-to-head over Virginia Tech after Friday's result.

Cal (2-3, 1-1 ACC) has struggled at times this season. The Golden Bears lost their opener to UCLA 45-24, but they bounced back with 21-18 and 49-7 victories over Syracuse and Wagner, respectively. Back-to-back losses to Clemson (24-10) and UNLV (39-31) followed; in the latter, Golden Bears starting quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele went down and did not return to the game.

Sagapolutele has been strong at points but largely inconsistent; he's thrown for 1,180 yards and eight interceptions, though he's also tossed five interceptions and his season-wide quarterback rating of 47.4 ranks 95th nationally on ESPN.

On the other end, Virginia Tech starter Ethan Grunkemeyer's 1,446 passing yards rank seventh in the FBS. He's thrown for 11 touchdowns to two interceptions, while his quarterback rating of 79.7 clocks in at No. 23 in the FBS. Grunkemeyer threw for a career-high 434 yards against Pitt — though he also threw two interceptions and coughed up two fumbles (one lost).

SP+ has Virginia Tech as 13.7-point favorites for Saturday's tussle in the Golden State, giving the Hokies an 80% chance at victory. Connelly's metrics project a 33-19 final score and select Tech as the against-the-spread team.

VIrginia Tech sustained its first loss of the season last Friday against Pitt; after taking a 14-0 lead, the Hokies allowed the Panthers to go on a 35-10 run.

Tech mounted a nine-point rally thanks to a Noah Chambers safety and Davion "FatRat" Brown receiving touchdown (the first of his collegiate career), but on its final drive, fifth-year kicker John Love's 36-yard try to win it was ruled no good. If the Hokies had won, it would have been their first 5-0 start since 2005. Nevertheless, Virginia Tech remained in the game despite a minus-four turnover differential and not forcing one itself for the third staight game.

Virginia Tech's clash against the Golden Bears is set for Saturday, Oct. 10, at 3:30 p.m. ET; the contest will air on the ACC Network.

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