Cal looks to turn the tide against 15th-ranked Virginia in highly anticipated matchup. The Bears, currently riding a five-game win streak, aim to secure their sixth victory of the season and bowl eligibility, while also ending a dismal 13-game losing streak to Top-25 teams.
Cal's offense has shown flashes of brilliance under freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who has completed 45 of 78 passes for two touchdowns with no turnovers over his last two games. However, Sagapolutele's accuracy could be significantly higher, given that he has been plagued by receiver drops in those same outings. The Bears will have to rely on the support of their receivers if they hope to keep up with Virginia's potent offense.
On the other hand, Virginia boasts a 7-1 record and is riding a four-game winning streak in conference play. The Cavaliers' No. 15 AP ranking is their highest since 2004, and quarterback Chandler Morris, a sixth-year senior, is expected to start despite playing with a banged-up shoulder.
Virginia's defense will be crucial in this matchup, particularly after the Cavaliers' defensive lineman Fisher Camac had four tackles for loss against Cal last season at the LA Bowl. The Bears will also need to contend with Virginia's high-powered offense, which has been nearly unstoppable so far this season.
Cal linebacker Cade Uluave is a key player for the Bears, with 81 tackles after a career-best 19 vs. Virginia Tech. At his current pace, he would finish the regular season with 121 tackles, fifth-most by a Cal player since 2000. However, the loss of Nos. 2 and 3 running backs LJ Johnson Jr. and Brandon High Jr., as well as starting safety Aiden Manutai and offensive lineman Lamar Robinson, will likely hinder the team's ability to keep up with Virginia's tempo.
This matchup marks the first time the two teams have faced each other, but it promises to be a thrilling showdown between two of the ACC's top teams.
Cal's offense has shown flashes of brilliance under freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who has completed 45 of 78 passes for two touchdowns with no turnovers over his last two games. However, Sagapolutele's accuracy could be significantly higher, given that he has been plagued by receiver drops in those same outings. The Bears will have to rely on the support of their receivers if they hope to keep up with Virginia's potent offense.
On the other hand, Virginia boasts a 7-1 record and is riding a four-game winning streak in conference play. The Cavaliers' No. 15 AP ranking is their highest since 2004, and quarterback Chandler Morris, a sixth-year senior, is expected to start despite playing with a banged-up shoulder.
Virginia's defense will be crucial in this matchup, particularly after the Cavaliers' defensive lineman Fisher Camac had four tackles for loss against Cal last season at the LA Bowl. The Bears will also need to contend with Virginia's high-powered offense, which has been nearly unstoppable so far this season.
Cal linebacker Cade Uluave is a key player for the Bears, with 81 tackles after a career-best 19 vs. Virginia Tech. At his current pace, he would finish the regular season with 121 tackles, fifth-most by a Cal player since 2000. However, the loss of Nos. 2 and 3 running backs LJ Johnson Jr. and Brandon High Jr., as well as starting safety Aiden Manutai and offensive lineman Lamar Robinson, will likely hinder the team's ability to keep up with Virginia's tempo.
This matchup marks the first time the two teams have faced each other, but it promises to be a thrilling showdown between two of the ACC's top teams.
, especially Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is showing some serious promise as a QB, gotta hope those receiver drops become fewer and farther between 
. But let's be real, if they can't get their act together on offense, it's gonna be tough to keep up with Virginia's beastly defense 
. And I'm curious how Cal's gonna adjust without those injured players, it's like a domino effect – LJ Johnson Jr and Brandon High Jr are their go-to backs, Aiden Manutai is the heart of their secondary, Lamar Robinson is their rock on the O-line... I mean, I love Cade Uluave as much as the next Cal fan, but can they make it work with all these injuries? 
their offense is like my aunt's gossip - all hot air and no substance 
seriously though, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele gotta step up his game and actually throw the ball to his receivers instead of watching them drop it like hot potatoes 
. And on the other side, Virginia's defense is looking solid as a rock - but Cal's got Cade Uluave, aka the tackling machine 
. Like, Cal's been on a roll lately and I think they've got what it takes to take down Virginia. Sagapolutele's QB skills are fire 
but yeah, he's gotta work on those receiver drops. On the other hand, Virginia's offense is kinda scary... like, Morris's gonna start despite that shoulder injury? That's some crazy stuff 
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and their offense with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is looking lit 
but those receiver drops are gonna kill them if they can't tighten up 
They're both on fire right now and it's gonna be so hard for either team to win! 
But Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is showing some serious QB skills and Cade Uluave is looking fierce on defense! 
I mean, 81 tackles already and he's still got games to go! This one's gonna be an epic battle for sure 
what's going on with that? are they just not ready yet or something? 
anyway, it sounds like virginia's got a solid offense but cal's quarterback has shown some promise... hopefully he can stay accurate and they won't get destroyed 
. And Virginia's defense is gonna be a total game-changer - I'm low-key scared 
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especially with Fisher Camac back in the mix 
. The Cavaliers' offense is too much for Cal to handle right now 
Cal needs Cade Uluave to step up big time 
. I mean, Chandler Morris is no joke, and if he's healthy enough to start, it's gonna be a real challenge for the Bears' defense 
. They need to step up their game or else they're gonna get destroyed 
15th ranked or not, I think this game could easily go either way, it's gonna be a war on the field 
