The California football team will host Minnesota under the lights at California Memorial Stadium Saturday night in a stadium "Gold Out". The Golden Bears and the Golden Gophers will kick off at 7:30 p.m. PT with the game set to be broadcast live on ESPN.
 
SATURDAY LINEUP
Venue: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, Calif.
Time: 7:30 p.m. PT
Watch (ESPN): Dave Flemming (PxP), Brock Osweiler (Analyst), Stormy Buonantony (Sideline Reporter)
Cal Bears Sports Network: 810 AM
Justin Allegri (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (analyst), Ben Ross (sideline reporter); SiriusXM Ch. 81 or SXM App, The Varsity App 
 
FEELIN' GOLDEN
- California brings a two-game winning streak against Minnesota into this weekend's matchup between the two programs, having most recently beaten the Golden Gophers 35-21 in Minneapolis on Sept. 19, 2009.
- The last time Minnesota visited Berkeley was 19 years ago on Sept. 9, 2006, when the Golden Bears claimed a 42-17 victory.
- Cal holds a 4-2 all-time series advantage over the Gophers, having also collected wins in 1951 and 1952, but falling to Minnesota in 1964 and 1987.
- Cal ranked eighth in the nation entering its last contest against Minnesota in 2009 and jumped to a No. 6 national ranking following its winning performance in the game. Jahvid Best tied the school record with five rushing touchdowns and was ranked as ESPN's leading Heisman candidate following his record-day against the Gophers.

CAL... 
- Has started its season 2-0 for the second straight year. This week, the Bears will look to replicate their 3-0 start last season.
- Held its opponent without a touchdown for the first time in almost four years during its 35-3 victory over Texas Southern last Saturday. The last time was in a 26-3 victory against Colorado on Oct. 23, 2021.
- Yielded only 194 yards of total offense in its game against the Tigers, which was also the fewest since giving up 104 yards in the same win over Colorado over 2021.
- Ranks first in the ACC and 13th nationally in rushing defense, having only allowed 117 rushing yards by opponents.
- Is one of 48 teams nationally and only two teams in the ACC to have scored on every trip to the redzone this season. Seven of Cal's nine trips to the redzone have resulted in touchdowns.
- Has only allowed one sack this season, good for the second-best in the ACC and ties for a No. 13 ranking nationally.
 
HEZEKIAH ON THE HUNT
- DB Hezekiah Masses has recorded interceptions in both of Cal's games this season. He leads the ACC in interceptions and ties for second nationally. Masses also tops the nation in passes defended with 6.
- Masses picked off TSU at the end of the second quarter and returned it 28 yards to get the Bears' offense back out on the field. It was his fifth career interception and second at Cal.
- He returned a fourth-quarter interception 41 yards at OSU in his debut for the Bears.
 
RUMBLIN' RAPHAEL
- RB Kendrick Raphael had a career-game in his Cal home debut against Texas Southern, totaling a career-high 122 rushing yards on 17 carries (7.2 AVG), including one rushing TD - which was his first as a Bear and fifth overall. It was his first career 100+ rushing yard game.
- Raphael leads the Bears in rushing yards this season with 159 total yards on the ground, good for 6.1 average yards per carry. He ranks fifth in the ACC in rushing yards. 
- Raphael transferred to Cal this season after spending two years at NC State, where he compiled 734 rushing yards and four touchdown carries over 23 games played. He was the Wolfpack's third-leading rusher, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
- The Bears scored three rushing TDs in their victory over Texas Southern. Transfer RB LJ Johnson Jr. also scored his first TD as a Bear on a 12-yd run vs. TSU and QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele added a one-yard running TD, his first of the season.
 
SAGAPOLUTELE SETS NEW CAREER-HIGHS IN HOME DEBUT
- True freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw for a career-high 259 yards on 27-for-38 passing in his home debut at California Memorial Stadium against TSU last Saturday, landing him a 124.81 QB rating.
- He scored his first rushing TD of the season on a QB sneak in the second quarter against the Tigers.
- Sagapolutele stunned in his collegiate debut at Oregon State the week prior, finishing 20-for-30 (66.7%) for 234 yards passing with 3 TDs, no interceptions and no sacks taken.
- Sagapolutele racked up several player of the week honors after week 1, taking home ACC Rookie of the Week, Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week, On3 True Freshman of the Week and PFF Quarterback of the Week.
- Sagapolutele became Cal's first true-freshman signal caller to win a season opener in Cal's 34-15 win in Corvallis. He completed the first nine pass attempts of his collegiate career and in his first two drives was 6-of-6 for 125 yards with two TDs.
- He is only the second true freshman to be named the Bears' starting quarterback for a season opener since Jared Goff arrived in Berkeley in 2013, on his way to becoming the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick in 2016.
 
DEFENSIVE DOMINATION
- Redshirt-freshman LB Luke Ferrelli recorded a game-high 11 tackles in his second career game against TSU. He leads the Bears in total tackles this season (16.0) and ranks 10th in the ACC.
- Redshirt-junior DB Isaiah Crosby set a new career-high nine tackles for the second consecutive week after posting a then-best six tackles at Oregon State the week prior. He has a season total of 15.0 tackles, which ranks him in the top 20 in the conference.
- Junior transfer OLB TJ Bush Jr. recorded his first sack (-10 yds) as a Bear against TSU. At Liberty in 2024, he led the team with 5.5 sacks to earn a Second-Team All-Conference USA selection.
- Junior LB Cade Uluave leads the Bears in TFL this season with 3.0 for a loss of seven yards. He was one of five Cal players to record a QB hurry against TSU alongside Zae Smith, Jayden Wayne, Chris Victor and Stanley Saole-McKenzie.
- Senior DB Brent Austin and redshirt-junior DB Cam Sidney each logged a pass breakup against the Tigers.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS MAKES SERIOUS IMPACT
- Senior WR Jacob De Jesus ranks fourth in the ACC with a 26.0 average in kick return yards and is sixth in the conference with a 16.7 punt return yards average. He added 61 yards on six receptions, including the longest catch of the night with a 27-yd grab against TSU.
- De Jesus ranks fifth nationally and second in the ACC in all-purpose yards with 342.
- Cal pulled off a successful fake punt against the Tigers, with redshirt-senior DL T.J. Bollers running nine yards for a first down. The last time Cal successfully ran for a first down on a fake punt play was Nov. 25, 2023 during Cal's 33-7 win over UCLA.
 
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