Records: Cal 2-0 overall, 0-0 in ACC; Minnesota 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Berkeley
TV: ESPN
Radio: 810 AM
Series history: Cal leads 4-2 in a series that dates back to 1951. Cal has won the past two meetings, including a 35-21 victory at Minneapolis in 2009, when Jahvid Best ran for five touchdowns.
Cal storylines: The Bears play their final home game this month before trips to San Diego State and Boston College, the latter to open ACC play on Sept. 27 . . . Cal has shuffled three running backs through its first two games but may have found a No. 1 after Kendrick Raphael, a junior transfer from NC State, ran for a career-best 122 yards and a touchdown in the Bears’ 35-3 win over Texas Southern . . . After allowing 49 sacks last season, Cal has surrendered just one through two games . . . Cornerback Hezekiah Masses, a senior transfer from Florida International, has interceptions in each of the Bears’ first two games . . . Cal will play the first half without linebacker Cade Uluave, their best defensive player, who was ejected for targeting in the second half against Texas Southern . . . Receiver/return specialist Jacob De Jesus has 334 all-purpose yards through two games.
Minnesota storylines: The Golden Gophers are coming off a 66-0 win over Northwestern State, tied a modern single-game scoring record and the most points the team has scored in a game since a 69-7 win over North Dakota State in 1937 . . . This will be P.J. Fleck’s 100th game as coach at Minnesota. He has a record of 60-39 . . . Senior running back Darius Taylor, just 54 yards shy of 2,000 for his career, is questionable after sustaining an undisclosed injury last week . . . Redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey, who has passed for 429 yards and three touchdowns through two weeks, hasn’t lost a game as a starter since his junior season in high school in 2022, having directed his team to a 13-0 record and an Arkansas state title as a senior.
Stats that matter: Through two games, the Golden Gophers lead the NCAA in total defense (96.5 yards per game) and passing yards allowed (65.0) and are tied for sixth in rushing defense (31.5 yards) . . . Minnesota is tied for sixth nationally in scoring defense at 5.0 points per game; Cal is tied for 19th at 9.0 . . . Cal has scored on each of its nine trips to the red zone this season, scoring touchdowns on seven of those drives.