California Golden Bears Set to Face Texas Southern in Home Opener

BERKELEY, California — The California Golden Bears will host Texas Southern on Saturday, marking their home opener at 3 p.m. PT at California Memorial Stadium. The game will attract several recruits, including 2026 commits and 2027 targets, as the Bears aim for their second straight win this season after their opening victory against Oregon State.

True freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is a focal point in this matchup. Last week, he led the Bears to a 34-15 victory, throwing for 234 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, earning himself recognition in the Heisman poll.

The matchup details include CAL (1-0, 0-0 ACC) facing TEXAS SOUTHERN (0-1, 0-1 SWAC) on Saturday. The game will be broadcasted on the ACC Network Extra and ESPN+, with radio coverage on 810 AM.

The weather in Berkeley on Saturday is expected to be around 74 degrees with partly cloudy skies, and a low chance of rain.

Historically, this will be the first football game between California and Texas Southern. Cal anticipates a strong performance, as they have never lost to an FCS/I-AA team since the classification was introduced in 1978.

On the injury front, defensive lineman Nate Burrell will miss the season due to an undisclosed injury. Texas Southern’s key defensive player Damarcus Thomas will look to make an impact after a moderately successful outing last week.

Cal’s offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin aims to establish a stronger running game, despite the previous week’s average of just 3.7 yards per carry.

The Golden Bears plan to build on their turnover margin after last week’s performance, where they finished plus-two against Oregon State. Additionally, Cal scored touchdowns on three of four red zone opportunities, an improvement from last season’s figures.

Further storylines include Texas Southern’s loss to Prairie View A&M last week and the presence of the famed Ocean of Soul band during the game. With a storied alumnus like Michael Strahan, Texas Southern hopes to turn around their season after not having a winning record since 2000.

Fans and analysts alike are looking forward to how Sagapolutele will respond to increased expectations and whether Cal can maintain its defensive prowess and improve their offensive consistency in this matchup.