The California football team (5-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) will meet No. 14 Louisville (7-1, 4-1 ACC) for the first-time ever Saturday evening at L&N Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT, with the game set to be aired live on ESPN2.

SATURDAY LINEUP
Venue: L&N Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky
Time: 4 p.m. PT
Watch (ESPN2): Dave Flemming (PxP), Brock Osweiler (Analyst), Stormy Buonantony (Sideline Reporter)
Listen: 810 AM
Justin Allegri (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (analyst), Scott Butler (sideline reporter); SiriusXM Ch. 382 or SXM App, The Varsity App 
 
BEARS VS. CARDINALS
- The Golden Bears' football team will meet Louisville for the first time ever on the gridiron.
- Saturday will be Cal's seventh night game of the 2025 season, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET.
 
CAL... 
- Is looking to become bowl eligible for the third straight year for the first time since going to seven consecutive bowl game appearances from 2003-09.
- Has recorded two or more rushing touchdowns in each of the last five games.
- Has registered at least one sack in 21 consecutive games dating back to last season.
- Has a passing defense that ranks third in the ACC, averaging 199.1 yards allowed through the air per game. The Bears are tied with Wake Forest for fewest passing touchdowns allowed by opponents this season (7).
- Ranks fourth in the conference in defensive efficiency (120.5).
 
RAPHAEL RACKS UP TOUCHDOWNS
- RB Kendrick Raphael matched his career-high three touchdowns against Virginia after setting the personal best at Virginia Tech the week prior. Raphael had a pair of rushing touchdowns and his lone receiving touchdown of his career against the Cavaliers.
- Raphael now has 11 touchdowns for the season - which is tied for second in the ACC and leads the Bears.
- He has at least one rushing touchdown in each of Cal's last five games and a total of nine over the past five contests.
- Raphael finished with 13 rushes for 46 yards as well as career highs of four receptions and 66 yards receiving against the Cavaliers.
- His 148 carries are the second most of any running back in the ACC and tied for 12th-most in the nation
- Raphael is the Bears' leading rusher this season. He has compiled 612 rushing yards, which is seventh most in the ACC. His 68 yards per game is good for eighth in the conference.
 
MASSES, AUSTIN LEAD CONFERENCE IN PASSES DEFENDED
- Two Cal DBs - Hezekiah Masses and Brent "Paco" Austin - lead the ACC in passes defended in 2025.
- The 20 combined pass breakups by Masses (10) and Austin (10) mark the first time two Cal players have had double-figure pass breakups in a season since 2011 when defensive backs Marc Anthony (12) and Steve Williams (11) combined for 23.
- Both Masses and Austin are one pass breakup shy of breaking into Cal's top 10 in single-season PBUs.
- Masses leads the nation in passes defended for the sixth consecutive week with his 14 between four interceptions and 10 pass breakups. His four interceptions are tied for second in both the NCAA and the ACC.
- Austin set a career-high six pass breakups against the Cavaliers. It is the most in recorded history for any Cal player and the most in a game by any FBS player this season.
 
DE JESUS ONE OF NATION'S MOST PRODUCTIVE WIDE RECEIVERS
- WR Jacob De Jesus' 57 catches this season rank second in the ACC and ties for fifth most nationally. His 8.33 receptions per game rank fourth in the conference and 13th in the NCAA.
- De Jesus trails Boston College's Lewis Bond by seven catches for the ACC lead. The Bears haven't had a player lead the conference in receptions since Chad Hansen hauled in 92 catches to pace the Pac-12 in 2016.
- He ranks fourth in the conference and 19th nationally in punt returns with a 10.7 average while also ranking fourth in the conference and 33rd nationally in kickoff returns with a 21.7 average.
- De Jesus is third in the ACC and 25th nationally in all-purpose yards per game (113.3).
- He had a career-high 13 receptions for 105 yards in Cal's 21-18 win over North Carolina on Oct. 17. The 13 catches tied for sixth most in a single game by a Cal receiver in program history. It was also the most in a game by a Cal receiver since Chad Hansen had 14 catches at SDSU on Sept. 16, 2016.
 
MINI CAN DO IT ALL
- TE Mason Mini threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Kendrick Raphael against Virginia to become the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown pass for Cal since WR Vic Wharton III connected with fellow WR Kanawai Noa on a 15-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter at Colorado on Oct. 28, 2017. It was his career-first throw and touchdown pass.
- Mini added a pair of catches for 34 yards against the Cavaliers.
- He leads the tight ends in touchdowns (4) and yards receiving (382) this season
 
FROM WALK-ONS TO WORKHORSES
- Cal has several former walk-ons who have turned into top week-to-week contributors for the Bears. 
- Former walk-on WR Trond Grizzell is the Bears' second leading receiver behind De Jesus, totaling 528 receiving yards on 34 catches (15.53 avg).
- Grizzell surpassed 1,500 career receiving yards in Cal's game against Virginia. He has 1,519 yards on 100 catches over the last three seasons since 2023 when he first began recording stats other than participation.
- Former walk-on Aaron Hampton stepped up to fill a gap left by an injured Cade Uluave early in the first quarter versus Virginia. He racked up a career and game-high 15 tackles (including seven solo) to lead the Bears against the Cavaliers. Fifteen tackles is the second most by a Cal player in a single game this season, behind Uluave's 19 at Virginia Tech.
- Former walk-on WR Jordan King has compiled 248 yards and two touchdown receptions in 2025. Prior to this season, King had registered only 50 yards receiving and no touchdowns in 2024. He primarily played on special teams from 2022-23.
- King hauled in a career-high 64 receiving yards on four receptions, which ties for his career best, at Virginia Tech. He also had his career-longest catch with a 38-yard grab on a pass from Sagapolutele against the Hokies. 
 
SAGAPOLUTELE CONTINUES TO DAZZLE AS TRUE FRESHMAN
- QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is the only Power 4 and second true freshman in FBS history to pass for 200 or more yards in each of the first nine games of his college career, and one of only three in FBS history with seven or more. Houston's David Piland began his career with 14-straight 200+ passing yard games spanning the 2010-12 seasons.
- Sagapolutele ranks fourth in the ACC in average passing yards per game (243.9) and ranks fourth in total passing yards (2,195). His 317 passing attempts are tied with SMU's Kevin Jenings for most in the conference.
- His 13 touchdowns (two rushing, 11 passing) are the third most of any true freshman quarterback in 2025 behind BYU's Bear Bachmeier (20) and Maryland's Malik Washington (15). His 11 passing touchdowns are tied with Bachmeier for most by a true freshman QB this season.
 
DEFENSIVE TRIO IN THE TRENCHES MAKES IMPACT
- Aidan Keanaaina and T.J. Bollers have been anchors on the defensive line, starting every game this season together.
- Keanaaina (39 tackles) and Bollers (34 tackles) have combined for 73 tackles and are seven away from becoming the first Cal defensive lineman duo to combine for 80 since Luc Bequette (52) and Zeandae Johnson (29) had 81 in 2019. They are 17 away from becoming the first with 90 or more since Bequette (49) and Tevin Paul (43) registered 92 in 2018.
- Keanaaina's 39 tackles, set after his career-high 10 against Virginia, are one away from making him the first Cal defensive lineman to put together consecutive seasons of 40 or more tackles since Bequette in 2018 (49) and 2019 (52). Bequette added a third in 2021 (41). Keanaaina had a career-high 45 tackles in 2024.
- Derek Wilkins' four pass breakups are the most by a Cal defensive lineman since Bequette also had four in 2021, while the last Cal defensive lineman with more than four was Chris Palmer with six in 2018.
 
CADE RISES
- ILB Cade Uluave ranks second in the ACC in both tackles per game (9.0) and total tackles (81). He ties for 18th in the nation in tackles per game and shares an 11th-place ranking in total tackles in the NCAA. 
- Uluave led the conference in tackles and tackles per game entering last week's game, but dropped to the second-place spot after Cal's game versus Virginia in which he exited the contest early in the first quarter with injury.
- Uluave ranks fifth in the ACC and leads the Bears in total tackles for loss (10.5-34 yds).
- Uluave recorded 19 tackles two weeks ago at Virginia Tech, the most in a game by a Cal player since Evan Weaver had 22 at Utah on Oct. 26, 2019. His first tackle of the game was his career 200th.
 
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