Al Sermeno/KLC fotos
Bears, Cardinal to play historic rivalry game this Saturday.
Bears Look To Win Fifth Straight Rivalry Matchup
The California football team (6-4, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) will play the 128th rendition of the Big Game versus Stanford (3-7, 2-5 ACC) Saturday afternoon on The Farm. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT, with the game set to be aired live on the ACC Network.
SATURDAY LINEUP
Venue: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, Calif.
Time: 4:30 p.m. PT
Watch (ACC Network): Chris Cotter (PxP), Max Browne (Analyst), Kendra Douglas (Sideline Reporter)
Listen: 810 AM
Justin Allegri (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (analyst), Ben Ross (sideline reporter); SiriusXM Ch. 371 or SXM App, The Varsity App
THE 128TH BIG GAME
– The California football team will renew its rivalry with Stanford this Saturday in the 128th rendition of the Big Game.
– Cal has won four straight and five of the last six matchups in the Big Game, most recently winning a 24-21 thriller in Berkeley in 2024 when the Bears came back from a 14-point deficit and put together a memorable 98-yard scoring drive in the final minutes to retain The Axe trophy.
– Cal has won the last three contests played on The Farm, most recently earning a 27-15 decision at Stanford in 2023 to win three or more Big Game contests on the road for the first time since beating the Cardinal in six straight between 1937 and 1951.
– Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox is one of only two Cal head coaches to ever win three straight Big Games on The Farm (Pappy Waldorf 1847-51) and is looking to become the first ever to win four in a row on the road.
– The Big Game dates back to 1892 and is the sixth-longest active running series between two FBS programs and the second-longest in the West.
– The Big Game has been determined by a touchdown or less 56 times and on five occasions has been won on the final play, including arguably the most storied play in college football history – The Play in 1982.
– The last time Cal had a bye week before the Big Game the Bears were a 41-11 winner at Stanford in 2021.
CAL…
– Is bowl eligible for the third straight year for the first time since going to seven consecutive bowls from 2003-09. The Bears were bowl-eligible in 2002 but not selected for a bowl.
– Is looking for its seventh win for the third time in the Wilcox era and the first time since winning a Wilcox tenure-high eight in 2019.
– Claimed a 29-26 overtime decision at No. 14 Louisville on Nov. 1 to mark the first time the Bears have defeated a top-15 team since a 2019 win at No. 14 Washington on Sept. 7, 2019.
– Has played in overtime games in two of its last three contests. Cal notched its first overtime victory in Louisville for the first time since a 52-49 double-overtime win over Oregon on Oct. 22, 2016.
– Has registered at least one sack in 22 consecutive games dating back to last season.
FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN CANDIDATE SAGAPOLUTELE CONTINUES TO SHINE
– QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is the only Power 4 and second true freshman in FBS history to pass for 200 or more yards in each of the first 10 games of his college career, and one of only three in FBS history with seven or more. Houston’s David Piland began his career with 14-straight 200+ passing yard games spanning the 2010-12 seasons.
– Sagapolutele had a career-game at Louisville when he went 30-for-47 for 323 yards. He earned ACC Quarterback/Rookie of the Week and Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week and Manning Award Quarterback of the Week recognitions following his performance at Louisville.
– Sagapolutele ranks third in the ACC in completions (224), fifth in average passing yards per game (251.8) and fourth in total passing yards (2,518). His 364 passing attempts are most in the conference.
– His 15 touchdowns (2 rushing, 13 passing) are the third most of any true freshman quarterback in 2025 behind BYU’s Bear Bachmeier (23) and Maryland’s Malik Washington (17). His 13 passing touchdowns are tied with Bachmeier for most by a true freshman this season.
KENDRICK “THE SCORING MACHINE” RAPHAEL
– RB Kendrick Raphael is third in the ACC in total touchdowns with 12, which also ties for 16th nationally. Raphael’s 11 rushing touchdowns also rank third in the ACC and are within one of Cal’s single-season top-10 list.
– Raphael has scored at least one rushing touchdown in each of Cal’s last six games and a total of 10 over the last five.
– Raphael has had a pair of three-touchdown games this season in back-to-back weeks against Virginia and Virginia Tech. The last time a Cal player rushed for three touchdowns in a game was on Oct. 18, 2023, when Jaydn Ott did so against USC.
– His 167 carries are the second most of any running back in the ACC and rank 21st in the nation.
– Raphael is the Bears’ leading rusher this season. He has compiled 695 rushing yards, which is seventh most in the ACC. His 69.5 yards per game is good for eighth in the conference.
– Raphael is 71 rushing yards shy of the 1,500 career rushing yards mark.
MASSES, AUSTIN LEAD CONFERENCE IN PASSES DEFENDED
– Two Cal DBs – Hezekiah Masses and Brent “Paco” Austin – lead the ACC in passes defended in 2025 with 16 and 13 TPD, respectively. Masses also leads the nation in passes defended for the seventh consecutive week this season and ties for the NCAA’s most interceptions (5).
– The 24 combined pass breakups by Masses (11) and Austin (13) mark the first time two Cal players have had double-figure pass breakups in a season since 2011 when defensive backs Marc Anthony (12) and Steve Williams (11) combined for 23. Masses and Austin will look to put together the most PBUs in a season by a Cal duo since Darian Hagan and Syd’Quan Thompson had 29 combined in 2008.
– Austin ties for fifth on Cal’s top-10 single-season PBUs list. He is five shy of the record (18).
– Masses’ next interception would put him into a tie for ninth on Cal’s single-season interceptions list.
– Austin set a career-high six pass breakups against Virginia. It is the most in recorded history for any Cal player and the most in a game by any FBS player this season.
DE JESUS ONE OF NATION’S MOST PRODUCTIVE WIDE RECEIVERS
– WR Jacob De Jesus’ career-high 73 catches this season rank second in the ACC and tie for third most nationally, in addition to placing him sixth on Cal’s all-time single-season list. His 7.3 receptions per game rank second in the conference and fourth in the NCAA.
– De Jesus trails Boston College’s Lewis Bond by eight catches for the ACC lead. The Bears haven’t had a player lead the conference in receptions since Chad Hansen hauled in 92 catches to pace the Pac-12 in 2016.
– He had a career-high and school record-tying 16 receptions in Cal’s win over Louisville. His 158 receiving yards were also a career high.
– De Jesus ranks third in the ACC in kick returns (21.7 avg) and return yards on kickoffs (282). He ranks fifth in the conference in punt returns (10.7 avg) and his 203 total yards returned off punts are third most in the ACC.
– He is second in the ACC and 10th nationally in all-purpose yards per game (117.9).
FROM WALK-ONS TO WORKHORSES
– Cal has several former walk-ons who have turned into top week-to-week contributors for the Bears.
– Former walk-on WR Trond Grizzell is the Bears’ second leading receiver behind De Jesus, totaling 565 receiving yards on 36 catches (15.69 avg).
– Grizzell surpassed 1,500 career receiving yards in Cal’s game against Virginia. He has 1,556 yards on 102 catches over the last three seasons since 2023 when he first began recording stats other than participation.
– Former walk-on Aaron Hampton stepped up to fill a gap left by an injured Cade Uluave, who left early in the first quarter against Virginia and did not play versus Louisville. Hampton racked up a career and game-high 15 tackles (including seven solo) to lead the Bears against the Cavaliers. Fifteen tackles is the second most by a Cal player in a single game this season, behind Uluave’s 19 at Virginia Tech.
– Former walk-on WR Jordan King has compiled 251 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions in 2025. Prior to this season, King had registered only 50 yards receiving and no touchdowns in 2024. He primarily played on special teams from 2022-23.
– King hauled in a career-high 64 receiving yards on four receptions, which ties for his career best, at Virginia Tech. He also had his career-longest catch with a 38-yard grab on a pass from Sagapolutele against the Hokies.
KEANAAINA, WILKINS WORK IN THE TRENCHES
– Aidan Keanaaina had been an anchor on the Bears’ defensive line, starting every game this season and tallying 43 tackles, which is just two shy of his career-high and is the most by a Cal defensive lineman since Luc Bequette had 52 in 2019.
– Keanaaina is the first defensive lineman to put together consecutive seasons of 40 or more tackles since Bequette in 2018 (49) and 2019 (52). Bequette added a third in 2021 (41).
– Derek Wilkins’ six pass breakups are the most by a Cal defensive lineman since Chris Palmer had six in 2018. He ranks 14th in the ACC in pass breakups.
– Wilkins made his first career start at Louisville, stepping into the role after T.J. Bollers was ruled out with injury.
– Bollers started in the first nine games alongside Keanaaina. The pair have combined for 77 tackles this season and are three away from becoming the first Cal defensive lineman duo to combine for 80 since Bequette (49) and Zendae Johnson (29) had 81 in 2019.
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