Previewing Syracuse football’s ACC opener against Cal
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
For the first time in two seasons, Syracuse is 1-0. SU took down New Hampshire 66-3 on Sept. 5 for its first win of the 2026 campaign and first since Sept. 20, 2025.
The Orange dominated the Wildcats on the ground, rushing for 239 yards and four touchdowns. In his first game since his season-ending Achilles tear last September, SU quarterback Steve Angeli threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns. The Orange defense — led by new defensive coordinator Vince Kehres — allowed just three points and forced three takeaways.
Now, things get more difficult. Syracuse opens Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday against Cal in its first Power Four matchup of the year. The Golden Bears lost to UCLA 45-24 in their season opener but still provide a real test to an SU squad that lost its final seven ACC games last season.
Here’s everything to know about the Orange (1-0, 0-0 ACC) and Cal (0-1, 0-0 ACC) before they square off at the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 2-1.
Last time they played
In the two teams’ first-ever ACC meeting on Nov. 16, 2024, Syracuse beat Cal 33-25 at California Memorial Stadium. The Kyle McCord-led Orange offense posted 27 points in the first half, and — although the Golden Bears made it close with 18 second-half points — SU dominated most of the contest.
McCord threw for 323 yards — 109 of which went to tight end Oronde Gadsden II — and one touchdown. Running back LeQuint Allen Jr. ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns, while Trebor Peña had 11 catches for 97 yards and Jackson Meeks had four catches for 38 yards and one score.
On the other end, Fernando Mendoza — the future No. 1 2026 NFL Draft pick — started for Cal. He threw for 225 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Marlowe Wax and Davien Kerr both picked off the now-Las Vegas Raiders quarterback.
The Golden Bears report
Cal enters Saturday’s matchup reining in a new era. The Golden Bears hired a new head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator after finishing 7-6 in 2025. Former Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi took over head duties this offseason and coached his first game in Cal’s Sept. 5 loss.
The Golden Bears are quarterbacked by one of the country’s most talented young arms, sophomore Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. His freshman year as the Golden Bears’ starter had its fair share of ups and downs, as he ranked top-20 nationally in passing yards but also threw nine interceptions. Still, his ability to throw on the run and improvise outside of the pocket makes him a major game-changer for Cal.
Outside of Sagapolutele, the Golden Bears offense primarily looked to running back Adam Mohammed in Week 1, as he ran for 120 yards and a touchdown. They also boast weapons like Rutgers transfer receiver Ian Strong, who had five catches for 94 yards last week.
Cal’s defense was exploited in a major way against UCLA and probably gives SU its greatest statistical advantage. The Golden Bears allowed 45 points and were gashed for 277 rushing yards while forcing just one takeaway. The unit ranked tied for 11th of 17 ACC teams with 27.7 points allowed per game last season.
How Syracuse beats Cal
SU’s aforementioned biggest advantage will likely come on the ground. Orange running backs Tylik Hill and Shavane Anderson Jr. — Syracuse’s projected No. 3 and No. 4 backs behind Ju’Juan Johnson and Ahmad Miller — ran all over New Hampshire last week. The two combined for 193 yards and four touchdowns, while the Orange ran for 239 yards as a team.
On Monday, head coach Fran Brown said both Johnson and Miller are expected to play Saturday after missing the UNH game with injuries. That may make it difficult to get all four backs significant touches, but that’s a good problem for Syracuse to have. Because to beat Cal, SU must attack the ground.
The other key piece of the puzzle will be SU’s pass rush. Sagapolutele operates well outside of the pocket, but the Orange defense would much rather force him into tough throws than let him get comfortable. He’s prone to turnovers when his rhythm is disrupted, so the SU defense — which totaled five sacks and three takeaways last Saturday — needs to get in his face often.
Stat to know: 8.7
Cal’s defense conceded 8.7 yards per rush in its loss to UCLA Saturday. That fueled UCLA’s 461 total yards of offense and 277 rushing yards.
The Bruins totaled eight rushes of over 10 yards, including two 31-yard runs and a 53-yarder from UCLA running backs Anthony Woods and Wayne Knight. All three of those runs went for touchdowns.
In the end, Cal’s inability to stop the run plagued its chances of winning at home. The game was tied at 24 in the fourth quarter, but UCLA ran the ball at will in the final frame. Knight’s 31-yard score and Woods’ 53-yard touchdown ultimately made the difference.
If Syracuse can exploit the Golden Bears’ run defense — or lack thereof — it’ll have a real chance to win Saturday.
Player to watch: Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, quarterback, No. 3
If Cal is going to win in the Dome Saturday, it’ll require a good performance from Sagapolutele. He elevates the ceiling of the Golden Bears’ offense and would likely excel if this game turns into a shootout.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder from Hawaii finished the 2025 campaign with back-to-back 330-plus yard performances and didn’t throw an interception in his final four games of the campaign.
His 2026 season opener wasn’t as sharp, as Sagapolutele nursed an injured ankle. He finished with 271 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. But he still made some ridiculous highlight-reel throws that showcase his ability to change a game.
The Golden Bears’ offense will live and die by Sagapolutele. The Orange will need to make things difficult for him to improve to 2-0.
