Way-Too-Early Virginia Tech Football Preview and Prediction: Week 9, vs. California

After a projected loss to Georgia Tech and a subsequent bye week, Virginia Tech on SI’s Thomas Hughes and Kaden Reinhard preview Virginia Tech’s Week 9 matchup with Cal in Part 7 of their “Way-Too-Early” series.

Nov 18, 2023; Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry looks on during the game against NC State. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

For Week 9 of our “Way-Too-Early” Virginia Tech football preview series, the Hokies (5-2 “Way-Too-Early” prepare for their first-ever ACC matchup against the California Golden Bears.

This Week 9 contest will have a near-impossible task of comparing to the two teams’ sole meeting, 22 years ago, in the 2003 Insight Bowl. The all-out offensive battle posted 101 cumulative points, the third-highest total ever scored in a bowl game at the time. That day, future NFL Most Valuable Player recipient Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Geoff McArthur led the offensive onslaught for Cal en route to a 52-49 victory over the Hokies in Phoenix. The two teams combined for 1,081 yards of total offense and a game-winning field goal in the final seconds cemented the game as an instant classic.

Both programs have changed immensely over those 22 years, as has the college football landscape as a whole. Back then, Tech was just three years removed from the Michael Vick era. Two prestigious college coaches graced the field that day — Frank Beamer for Tech and Jeff Teford for the Golden Bears. Since then, both programs have cycled through eras of their own, and now are on their second full-time head coach since that meeting.

Over the past year, both Berkeley and Blacksburg have undergone significant changes.Both programs now sport new coordinators on both sides of the ball. It’s a reset of sorts and one that makes this midseason matchup all the more intriguing.

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— Brent Pry (@CoachPryVT) April 14, 2025

Bryan Harsin is set to be Cal’s offensive coordinator, following a two-season hiatus after his departure as Auburn’s head coach. Harsin brings over two decades of coaching experience to Berkeley with him; the ACC marks the third P4 conference that he has coached in (Big 12, SEC).

For the Golden Bears, much of the offseason attention has centered around its quarterback change. Cal will have several weeks to build offensive chemistry leading into the Week 9 clash, and they’ll be doing so under the leadership of former Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown. Fernando Mendoza, who sat behind center for the Golden Bears, is off to the Big 10 himself, having transferred to Indiana University before their bowl game in December. Despite being a redshirt junior, Brown enters the season with just 48 collegiate pass attempts. After sitting behind three standout quarterbacks — CJ Stroud, Kyle McCord and Will Howard — Brown leaves Ohio State to suit up in a starting role in the ACC.

The exit of Mendoza likely started a trickle of departing offensive transfers; shortly after his announcement, running back Jaydn Ott and tight end Jack Endries announced that they would transfer out of Berkeley.

In Cal’s final Pac-12 season, the then-sophomore Ott had a breakout season, tearing through Pac-12 defenses for 1,315 rushing yards and a dozen touchdowns. Ranked No.1 in Pac-12 average rushing yards per game (109.6), he was a clear selection to the 2023 All-Pac-12 First Team. In the first season in the ACC, getting accustomed to a new barrage of defenses, Ott’s numbers declined, giving way to a more spread-out approach that heavily incorporated tight-end Endries into the playcalling scheme.

In 2024, Endries was Mendoza’s preferred target, leading the team in receptions (56) and receiving yards (623). The new Alabama transfer leaves the Golden Bears with a more complex offensive problem than at first glance.

To help ease that problem, Brown will have a slew of wide receiver transfers joining him on the Cal roster in 2025. One of those transfers is 5-foot-7 speedster Jacob De Jesus, a dynamic playmaker from UNLV. De Jesus poses a formidable threat on motion plays, similar to the way Ayden Greene has been for the Hokies in the past. Ironically enough, De Jesus had a 10-yard jet sweep touchdown reception and a punt return touchdown against the Golden Bears in the 2024 Art of Sport LA Bowl.

Another transfer who makes a serious case for Cal’s top wideout will be former Idaho receiver Mark Hamper, who initially left for Wisconsin following the 2024 campaign before deciding on the Golden Bears. Hamper broke out for the Vandals in his redshirt-freshman campaign, tallying 49 receptions for 961 yards and six touchdowns.

When Tech joined the ACC in 2004 after departing from the Big East, there was an early adjustment period as the original members adapted to the new competition. Two decades later, the Hokies face a similar situation with Cal entering the conference. This matchup carries a sense of mystique, with limited history between the programs and different regional identities clashing on the field.

Still, a few shared opponents from the 2024 season offer a glimpse into how these two teams might stack up against one another in this new ACC landscape. While the sample size is small, it’s enough to generate intrigue and raise questions about how styles will match.

In back-to-back weeks of the 2024 season, Miami squeaked out wins against Tech in Week 7 and then the Golden Bears in Week 9. Tech looked to give the then-unbeaten No. 7 Miami their first loss of the campaign, ultimately falling short with a failed Hail Mary attempt that was initially ruled a catch but was later overturned. Future No.1 overall draft pick Cam Ward was a large factor in the Hurricanes' victory, fueling the offense with unrelenting movement, extending plays, and marching downfield at ease in Hard Rock Stadium. 

Following the shaky win over the Hokies, Miami hit the road for a cross-country trip to face Cal in what was a historic occasion for the Golden Bears — their first time hosting an ACC opponent. Buoyed by a strong home crowd, the Golden Bears surged to a commanding 35-10 lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the third quarter.

But much like he did against the Hokies, Ward took control of the game in the second half, orchestrating an offensive explosion that flipped the script entirely. The Hurricanes executed nearly flawlessly down the stretch and outscored Cal 29-3 over the final quarter and a half, capping off a stunning comeback win that left Cal stunned.

While both of us are leaning towards a Virginia Tech win, this is far from a guaranteed result. The Golden Bears bring enough to the table to make this a close contest and the matchup could come down to a handful of possessions. The Hokies may have the edge in physicality and depth, but Cal could give Tech trouble if left unchecked.

With eight weeks of action leading up to this October contest, a variety of factors could influence each squad's standing midway through the season. Both head coaches — the Hokies’ Brent Pry and the Golden Bears’ Justin Wilcox — enter the 2025 season listed as the two ACC coaches on the hottest seats, according to CBS Sports. The outlet ranked the seats on a 0-to-5 scale, with zero representing safety and five representing a “must-win” scenario. Wilcox landed in the “Pressure is mounting” category with a 3.44 ranking, while Pry found himself in the “Start improving now” stage with a 4.11 ranking.

Though we each have Pry at 5-2 going into the eighth game of the season, adding a loss or two clouds his future dramatically, underscoring just how easy it is in college football to lose stability and security.

For Tech to pull this one out, it will need to play clean football, avoiding turnovers, executing on third downs and staying disciplined on defense. If they can control the pace of play and win the battle in the trenches, the path to victory becomes much clearer.

However, if Cal can create explosive plays and keep the Hokies off balance, the margin for error shrinks quickly. In the end, both of us believe Tech has what it takes to come out on top. Still, this game has the makings of a back-and-forth fight and could come down to the final drive.

Next up, the Hokies stay in Blacksburg to host the Louisville Cardinals, who trounced Tech 34-3 in the two teams’ last meeting two years ago.

Score Predictions for Virginia Tech vs. California:

Thomas’ Prediction: Virginia Tech 28, California 17

Kaden’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, California 22