Login to view embedded media
I thought it at the time and now the analytics back up what I saw with my eyes, Jack Endries was running FAST on that touchdown play. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him moving faster than on that run and now it is confirmed it was one of the fastest plays of the week.

3-2

at Pitt - Toss up. We are by far the best team pitt has played all year. They beat a terrible UNC team by 10 and barely beat a bleh west virginia team. If this was at home I'd predict a win. I still think our chances are better than 50%.

NC State - Win. NC State is garbage.

Oregon State - Win. Really oregon state is a middle of the road G5 team.

at Wake Forest - Win. Wake lost to virginia and lousiana at home. They have no home field advantage. Could be a wilcox special but I still see a W.

Syracuse - Win. Glad this is a home game. Syracuse isn't terrible, but they are a middle of the road power 5 team. Should be a W.

Furd - Win. I don't see the furd scoring on us at home.

at Smu - Toss up. SMU is decent. I don't think spectacular. They beat a Louisville team I think is severely overrated and blew out Sonny Dykes. I think this is a decent matchup for us and they don't have much of a home field advantage.

Anything less than 8-4 is a serious disappointment given the quality of the ACC. 9-3 is doable.

Today is the second day of the ACC Tipoff event in Charlotte allowing the basketball teams in the conference to get the spotlight ahead of the start of the season next month. Cal is up early this morning with head coach Mark Madsen up at 8 a.m. on the ACC Network. That will be followed by the team's press conference at 8:15 that will be streamed on ACC Network Extra. Players Mady Sissoko and Andrej Stojakovic will have their turn on ACC Network at 9:15.

I'll have updates as it all plays out this morning.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Cal heads back east this week to face No. 22 Pitt, which remains undefeated, in another challenge this week following last Saturday's contest against Miami. To help us get a better feel for things with the Panthers, we have asked for some help from Panther-Lair's Jim Hammett to shed some light on Pat Narduzzi's team in our latest Opposing View Q&A article.

The names are starting to roll in as recruits confirm their visits to Cal this weekend, I'll keep adding to this list and we'll have something more official by the weekend.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Login to view embedded media
The NCAA DI Council is meeting this week, and there are some new rules and decisions being made that will impact programs around the country. Yesterday, the council approved the shortening of the transfer windows from 45 days to 30 for football and men's and women's basketball. Instead of a 30-day window in the winter and a 15-day window in the spring for football, there will now be a 20-day window in the winter (Dec. 9-28) and a 10-day window in the spring (April 15-25).

The 30-day basketball transfer window will run from the day after the end of the second round of the NCAA tournaments.

The 30-day window in those sports will remain should a head coach leave a school regardless of whether or not that falls within one of the predetermined transfer windows.

Login to view embedded media
Additionally, today the council approved the transition away from National Letters of Intent for high school and junior college recruits. There will be a new process for schools to sign prospects beginning this winter. Financial aid agreements will take the place of the NLI though many of the rules that had been in place with the NLI program will remain as the transition is made to the new model.

Here are today's press conference videos with Justin Wilcox, Peter Sirmon, Mike Bloesch, Jack Endries and Nate Burrell. We will speak with Fernando Mendoza shortly.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Early underdog for a 3:30pm Eastern kickoff in Pittsburgh. They are ranked 22 in the nation and their QB has been very good so far

It’s gonna take a strong effort to get out with a W. I could see it being another stressful game for fans. Mostly interested in how the team responds to the brutal loss.

Login to view embedded media
Following a successful showing as part of ESPN College Gameday and a sellout of the game against Miami, Cal AD Jim Knowlton has penned a thank you note today.

Login to view embedded media
Cal QB Fernando Mendoza was named as one of 25 players still in the running for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award today. The ACC has six quarterbacks among the group. Fernando is one of just one of four quarterbacks from the former Pac-12 schools to make the list alongside Noah Fifita (Arizona), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado).

He has passed for 1,177 yards and 7 touchdowns through five games for the Bears this season.

Game info

Who: Cal (3-1) vs. Miami (5-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. PT
Where: California Memorial Stadium | Tallahassee, Florida
TV/streaming: ESPN [Rece Davis (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst), Sherree Burruss (sideline)]
Radio: 810 AM | SiriusXM: 371 or 973
All-time series: 2-2
Odds: Miami (-10), O/U (53.5)

The big night has arrived! Cal is hosting its first ever ACC game tonight, and the Bears welcome No. 8 Miami to CMS after an exciting day with ESPN College Gameday in town.

As always, we invite you to join in the conversation and follow along for updates throughout the game.

Pregame notes

- Right guard Sioape Vatikani did not go through warmups with the rest of the team, and appears to be out for tonight's game after his scary injury a couple weeks ago at Florida State.

- Jaydn Ott is a full go and went through warmups without any issue.

3-5 last week for 32-24-1 for the year. 1-0 for my lock of the week for 5-2 for the year picking Vandy over Bama. https://cal.forums.rivals.com/threads/lets-pick-the-acc-week-6-games.33033/

Home team in Italics

Georgia Tech by 5.5 over North Carolina - Done picking North Carolina. Georgia Tech.

Clemson by 20.5 over Wake Forest - Wake Forest covers.

Louisville by 7.5 over Virginia - Two bad teams. I'll take Virginia.

ND by 23.5 over the Furd - Didn't see the virginia tech game, but maybe the Furd is just a road team?

Pitt by 3.5 over Cal - I don't agree with Rox that a blowout is coming. The line looks right. I expect another wilcox special. Cal covers.

Syracuse by 4.5 over NC State - NC State is garbage. Syracuse covers.



Non conference lock of the week: Tenn by 14.5 over Florida - Tenn rolls.

Login to view embedded media
Cal’s Week 8 game and return to California Memorial Stadium will come with an afternoon kickoff as the Bears will host NC State at 12:30 p.m. PT on Oct. 19.

It will be the second daytime kickoff at home for the Bears this season after they hosted UC Davis in the sunshine back in Week 1.

The game, which will be televised by ACC Network, will mark the first ever meeting between the Bears and Wolfpack.

Cal heads to Pittsburgh this week for a matchup against the 22nd-ranked and undefeated Panthers. That matchup is also set to kick off at 12:30 p.m. PT and will be televised by ESPN.

Yes it sucks.It sucks major.No way to sugar coat it as we should be 5-0 right now.I do believe there are positives to take away from yesterday.We showed up and showed out for ESPN College Gameday.As selfish as it was for SC to destroy the Pac-12 as we knew it,the exposure that we got from Gameday and for taking it to Miami for most of the night cannot be understated.As a cal alum,I have been dreaming for matchups like the one we had last night for most of my life and I'm glad we now have the opportunity to be apart of college football in a way that most of the anti-football Cal community has feared.Is Wilcox the guy to lead this program to new heights? Definitely not as we have seen enough of his passive/non-killer attitude.But what gives me hope for the future is that no matter who comes or goes,we will always be Cal Bears and nothing will change the love and passion we have for our community.We will continue to be one of the top universities in the world in most things and that is something that 99.99 percent of the other universities on this planet cannot say. Let's respond to this in the right way and give it to Pitt next week.Love all you guys.Roll On You Bears!!!!!!!!!!!

before I go to bed, I must say.

**** JUSTIN WILCOXLESS

good night, enjoy your sundays

The upcoming home game against Miami is one of the biggest Cal football games in a very long time (given the ESPN gameday).

Here are a few factors that might play in Cal’s favor (hopefully contributing to a Cal win this Saturday).

• Kickoff at 7:30pm PT. That means the game will run from roughly 10:30pm ET to 1:30am ET
• Travel. Miami has to fly a long way to Berkeley, which they’re not used to making long trips
• Healthy. Cal will hopefully be as healthy as they’ve been all year long, including Jaydn Ott and the OL (especially if McDonald and hopefully Vatikani plays)
• Home crowd. Will we see one of the best attended home games so far this year (given the ESPN gameday)???
• Bye week. Cal has had 14 days to prepare for this game, while Miami will have had only 8 days. Yes, I know Cal is not great off bye weeks, but hopefully this time it is better
• Cal knows from Pac 12 days QB Cam Ward and RB Damian Martinez, plus HC Mario Cristobal
• Last time Cam Ward came to Berkeley (Nov 2023), Cal beat Wazzu 42-39 despite Ward throwing for 350+ yards.
• A big part of the 2023 Cal win was getting turnovers (3 fumbles and 1 INT off Ward). In 2022, although Cal lost that road game at Wazzu, Cal did intercept Ward twice in that game too. Getting a Cal win in 2024 will definitely require winning the turnover battle

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Login to view embedded media
ESPN is checking another school off the list! Cal will host ESPN College Gameday next Saturday ahead of the Bears' matchup with No. 7 Miami. Cal is one of the few remaining Power 4 programs that has yet to host the national show with Illinois, Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse and Virginia being the others. It'll be a big day for the Bears and Berkeley that will begin at 6 a.m. PT on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

"We are thrilled that ESPN’s College GameDay will be coming to the Berkeley campus this week," chancellor Rich Lyons said in a statement. "A college football Saturday brings together our community, and we welcome the wonderful opportunity ESPN’s College GameDay provides to show what Berkeley is all about."

The broadcast will take place at Memorial Glade and will be open to fans.

"We couldn't be more excited to welcome ESPN’s College GameDay to Cal," Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton said. "It's a great reward for everyone associated with our football program, and I know our Cal Family will savor this incredible opportunity to have our student-athletes, University and the city of Berkeley showcased on the national stage."

The Bears are 1-2 in previous Gameday contests having lost to No. 1 USC in 2004 and No. 5 Utah in 2015 with Gameday in town for both of those matchups. Cal beat No. 11 Oregon in 2007 when the Ducks hosted the pregame show.

Login to view embedded media

Game info

Who: Cal (2-0) vs. San Diego State (1-1)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: California Memorial Stadium | Berkeley
TV and/or streaming: ESPN (Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst), Stormy Buonantony (sideline))
Radio: 810 AM | SiriusXM: 371
All-time series: Tied 4-4
Odds: Auburn (-18.5), O/U (48.5)

Pregame notes

• The most critical injury note for the Bears is that running back Jaydn Ott looks ready to go and went through warmups without issue. We'll see how much he is used tonight, but he appears to be a full go.

Login to view embedded media
• WR Kyion Grayes is out of his boot but is now on crutches and doesn't look any closer to playing than a couple weeks ago. His foot was wrapped tonight. I'd imagine you will not be seeing him in the first half of the season, at the very least, as I have been saying for a while now.


• Pregame tweets and captains

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
• Pretty disappointing crowd tonight with just 10 minutes until kickoff

Login to view embedded media

Please post your predicted scores here in this thread.

Vegas line currently at Miami -10.5 and O/U of 53.5

Login to view embedded media
Our latest podcast episode has dropped and Maria is back joining me to discuss the big weekend ahead in Berkeley and talk Cal vs. Miami.

Login to view embedded media
The Bears will welcome back Marshawn Lynch as the guest picker for ESPN College Gameday. This is how it had been trending this week, and it all comes together for the program.