UCLA (0-0) at Cal (0-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley
TV/Radio: ESPN/790 AM
Line: UCLA by 1 ½ points
Injury report
UCLA: N/A
Cal: N/A
(Neither team is required to release an injury report in a nonconference matchup)
What’s at stake? Two programs on the brink of a new era meet in an old-school “Pac-12 After Dark” rivalry. Tosh Lupoi takes over as head coach of Cal, his alma mater. Bob Chesney comes from James Madison to lead UCLA. Cal and UCLA recruit against one another, compare each other’s NIL situation to the other, and are linked through “Calimony,” the tax UCLA pays Cal for leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. Each coach is hoping to start his tenure with a victory over the in-state foe. There’s also high stakes at the quarterback position as Nico Iamaleava tries to prove he can lead a winning team in Westwood one year after arriving as a summer transfer out of Tennessee. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele will look to build on his stellar true freshman season and show he made the right decision by not transferring from Berkeley.
Who’s better? As shown by the line of the game, these programs are evenly matched. It’s difficult to answer this question as both teams have completely new coaching staffs – especially with Cal as the head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator have never coached a game together. UCLA consists of 63 newcomers and Cal has 34. This question will be easier to answer after the game, with a result and determination of who outplayed whom.
Prediction: UCLA 30, Cal 28. This game is going to come down to a late drive. UCLA’s staff has the experience of coaching in high-stakes games alongside one another, and in a matchup lacking continuity, that is valuable and will prove the difference. Although, if the Bruins hold a slight lead and the Golden Bears have the final possession, Bruins fans should fear Sagapolutele’s clutch gene.
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