The Golden Gophers round out their nonconference slate with a trip to the West Coast to take on Cal, which enters its second season as a member of the ACC. The teams have met six times previously, most recently in 2009, with the Golden Bears holding a 4-2 advantage in the head-to-head series. Both teams went through ups and downs last season but earned bowl eligibility, leaving the potential for this to be an entertaining game. Both head coaches are looking to return their program to where it was a few years back, with Minnesota winning nine or more games in three of four seasons from 2019-2022 and Cal peaking at eight wins under Wilcox in 2019.
