Cal Football Game Preview: Bears Host San Diego State

Cal plays its first night game of the season and is a heavy favorite to go to 3-0 for the first time in five years

Cal linebacker Teddye Buchanan / John Reed-Imagn Images

Cal faces San Diego State tonight in a nationally televised game at Cal's Memorial Stadium.

Here are the important facts about Saturday’s game.

CAL (2-0), SAN DIEGO STATE (1-1)

SITE: California’s Memorial Stadium Berkeley

WHEN: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Pacific time

TV: ESPN – Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst), Stormy Buonantony (sideline)

RADIO: 810 AM and Sirius XM Radio (Sirius XM 113 and 202) -- Justin Allegri (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (analyst), Kevin Danna (sideline reporter)

BETTING LINE: Cal is favored by 17.5 points by SI Sportsbook as of Friday afternoon. (The spread had been as much at 19.5 points earlier in the week.) Over/under is 47.5 points.

WEATHER FORECAST: Saturday afternoon in Berkeley will be partly cloudy with a high of about 70 degrees, but the temperature will drop to about 62 degrees at game time Saturday night with a low of 60 degrees by the time the game ends. It will be cloudy Saturday night, and humidity will be about 88%. There is a 14% chance of rain in the evening.

CAL-SAN DIEGO STATE HISTORY: Cal and San Diego State have met eight times and the series is tied 4-4. The teams are 4-0 against each other in games played on their home fields.  The most recent meeting was in 2016 when the Aztecs won 45-40 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.  The last time the teams faced each other in Berkeley was 2015 when Cal won 35-7 and Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes.

CAL PLAYER AVAILABILTY: Cal running back Jaydn Ott (ankle) is questionable for the game, and projected starting wide receivers Tobias Merriweather and Kuion Grayes will miss their third straight games because of injuries.  Guard Sioape Vatikani and center Will McDonald are projected starters who missed Cal first two games and are unlikely to play Saturday either.  Outside linebacker David Reese will probably play Saturday after missing playing time with injuries.

SAN DIEGO STATE PLAYER AVAILABILITY: Aztecs starting quarterback Danny O’Neil is questionable because of a knee injury suffered against Oregon State.

CAL STORYLINES:

--Cal is coming off a 21-14 road upset of Auburn, and the Bears are hoping to start the season 3-0 for the first time since 2019, when the Bears won their first four games. Cal must avoid an emotional letdown in a game in which it is heavily favored. The Bears begin ACC play next week, when they travel to Florida State.

--Fernando Mendoza has established himself as Cal’s starting quarterback afer his strong showing last week in the win over Auburn.  However, Chandler Rogers could still play in certain situations, especially when a running threat by the quarterback would be helpful.

--Cal running back Jaydn Ott, a first-team all-Pac-12 selection last year, is questionable for the game with an ankle injury.  He had just 49 rushing yards in the opener against UC Davis and just 11 yards on 10 carries last week against Auburn when he appeared to be slowed by the injury.  If Ott cannot play, sophomore Jaivian Thomas is likely to get most of the playing time at running back.

--Cal has recorded seven interceptions, which lead the nation, and its eight takeaways overall are tied for the most in the country.  The Bears’ plus-seven turnover margin (8 takeaways, 1 turnover) are tied for the most in the country, with Illinois and Oklahoma.

--The Golden Bears received votes in both the AP poll (3 voting points) and coaches poll (5 voting points) this week. It was the first time since the final 2019 rankings that Cal received votes in the polls.

--Cal had no sacks against UC Davis in the opener, but had three last week against Auburn.  Applying pressure on the San Diego State quarterback will be critical to the Bears success Sunday night.

--Saturday’s game against San Diego State will be Cal’s first night game of the season.  The Bears were 1-3 in night games last season.

SAN DIEGO STATE STORYLINES

--On Thursday it was announced that four members of the Mountain West Conference – San Diego State, Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State – would become members of the Pac-12 starting in the 2026-27 academic year. They will join Washington State and Oregon State in what would be a six-team conference, although the Pac-12 will seek to add two more schools to make it an eight-team conference in 2026.

--Sean Lewis is in his first season as San Diego State’s head coach. He replaced Brady Hoke, who retired after the Aztecs’ 4-8 season in 2023. The 37-year-old Lewis was the head coach at Kent State from 2018 to 2022, and was the offensive coordinator at Colorado last year. 

--San Diego State lost to Oregon State 21-0 last week, but the final score is a bit deceiving.  The Aztecs trailed 7-0 when they had the ball at the Oregon State 2-yard line midway through the third period with a chance to tie the score.  But quarterback Danny O’Neil fumbled the ball, Oregon State recovered and drove 98 yards to make it 14-0.

--Danny O’Neil is the first true freshman quarterback to start the season opener at San Diego State in school history. He is scheduled to start against Cal on Saturday, but a knee injury suffered last Saturday against Oregon State has made his status questionable. If he cannot play either Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson or AJ Duffy would be the Aztecs' quarterback.

--San Diego State running back Marquez Cooper entered the 2024 season as the nation’s leading active FBS rusher with 3,856 career yards. He rushed for 223 yards in San Diego State’s 45-14 victory over Texas A&M-Commerce in its 2024 opener. The 5-foot-7 Cooper played his first three college seasons at Kent State and last season at Ball State.  He was a first-team all-MAC selection in 2022, and a second-team pick in both 2021 and 2023.

--San Diego State went 4-8 last season, which was their first losing season since 2009.  It was also the first time since 2009 that the Aztecs did not go to a bowl game, excluding the shortened 2020 pandemic season. The Aztecs were picked to finish eighth in the 12-team Mountain West this year in the preseason media poll.

---A San Diego State beat writer answers five questions about the Aztecs---

CAL PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Fernando Mendoza (3 TD passes, 0 interceptions); RB Jaydn Ott (questionable to play); RB Jaivian Thomas (impressive last week); CB Nohl Williams (kickoff return for a TD, 3 interceptions); ILB Teddye Buchanan (20 tackles, 2 sacks); WR Nyziah Hunter (3 TD receptions)

SAN DIEGO STATE PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Marquez Cooper (138.0 yards per game, 6.9 yards per carry in 2024); QB Danny O’Neil (true freshman, 2 TD passes, 0 interceptions); WR Ja’Shaun Poke (West Virginia transfer, 9 receptions, 55 yards); WR Louis Brown IV (Colorado State transfer, 5 catches, 136 yards); LB Tano Letuli (Army transfer, 15 tackles)

CAL STATISTICS: Click here

CAL NOTES, DEPTH CHART: Click Here

SAN DIEGO STATE STATISTICS: Click here

JAKE'S PICK: Cal 24, San Diego State 10

JEFF'S PICK:  Cal 31, San Diego State 14

KIRK KENNET’S PICK (San Diego Union Tribune): Cal 27, San Diego State 10

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