Clemson Visits Cal Friday in First Meeting Since 2019 Championship Run Era
The short version
- Clemson plays at Cal on Friday night, its first game in California since beating Alabama 44-16 in the January 2019 national championship.
- Cal is in year three of ACC play under first-year head coach Tosh Lupoi, with quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele the standout name.
- Key Cal players to watch include safeties Nate Burrell and Lopa and receiver Cooper Perry.
- Miller-Gordon says Cal's path to victory runs through the run game and more time in the pocket for Sagapolutele.
The Tigers head to Berkeley for a late Friday night ACC matchup, and Cal site editor Jesse Miller-Gordon breaks down the Bears' roster, coach, and fan scene.
Clemson returns to California this week for a late Friday night game against Cal, one of the ACC's newest members. It is the program's first trip back to the state since the 2019 national championship game, when the Tigers beat Alabama 44-16.
Ahead of the matchup, Jesse Miller-Gordon of WriteforCalifornia.com spoke about the state of the Cal program. The Bears are in their third season playing in the ACC, and he said fans are glad to have a conference home and feel the program is on the rise after things looked bleak around the dissolution of the Pac-12. He noted some lingering resentment about the breakup, saying more regional scheduling would be welcome, and that Stanford and Cal have become more intertwined in recent years.
The player generating the most attention around Cal is quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, but Miller-Gordon pointed to other names Clemson fans should know. He described the safety room as stocked even beyond Lopa, said the defensive back play has not dropped off since Justin Wilcox's departure, and highlighted safety Nate Burrell and receiver Cooper Perry, who he expects to see more work as the season goes on.
Cal is led by first-time head coach Tosh Lupoi, and Miller-Gordon said the fan response to the hire has been positive. He called Lupoi a unifying figure who was the popular choice among supporters well before he was actually hired. He added that in a hiring cycle where bigger programs were poaching coaches, he valued a passionate coordinator who understands how to win at Cal, and that the potential in Berkeley is there for the taking.
Lupoi's recruiting instincts have also drawn notice. Miller-Gordon recounted the story of Lupoi flying straight from his introductory press conference, in the same outfit, to visit Sagapolutele's parents at their home. He said that approach matters in the transfer portal era, and while this past portal cycle felt productive, he expects the program to emphasize recruiting and retention going forward. He also referenced Luke Ferrelli's departure from Cal as part of the broader roster-retention conversation.
For Tigers fans traveling to the game, Miller-Gordon offered a guide to the Berkeley area. He suggested Raleigh's as a campus bar for adults, with Kips or Henry's for students, and Kingfish in Oakland along the Telegraph stretch as a spot to watch games on Saturday. Food recommendations included Tacos Sinaloa, Sonoran hot dogs from vendors outside the stadium, the gourmet ghetto in North Berkeley including Chez Panisse, burgers at Smokehouse or The Station, and pizza at Rose or Pizza De Laura near Shattuck.
On the perception that the matchup is a culture clash between fan bases, Miller-Gordon said Cal fans are more fun than people expect, party more than outsiders might guess, and can take a joke.
As for what Cal needs to do to win, Miller-Gordon pointed to the running game. He said the offensive line needs to create more room for running back Adam Mohammed, whom he called very talented, so the Bears can generate more explosive plays. He also wants to see Sagapolutele get more time in the pocket, the receiving corps resolve its catching issues, and possibly more targets for Dorian Thomas.
Miller-Gordon's work can be found at WriteforCalifornia.com, and he appears most Wednesdays this fall on the Tell the Whole Damn World podcast.
Games to watch
