Before every game, I ask a reporter who covers the Gophers’ upcoming opponent to give us a view from the opponent’s perspective.
I asked Matt Moreno from Golden Bear Report on On3 Network six questions about the Cal Bears.
Minnesota travels to the West Coast for its first road game of the season. This is the seventh all-time meeting between the two teams. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. local time. Minnesota is currently a 2.5-point favorite.
Huge thanks to Matt for sharing his thoughts with us!
1. The 2025 season will be the ninth season for California head coach Justin Wilcox. He entered the year with a 44-50 overall record. A lot has happened in college football and at Cal during his tenure as coach. There was the COVID pandemic, the Bears switched conferences, going from the PAC-10 to the ACC, the new NIL era, the transfer portal, and the return of Cal Alum Ron Rivera as the general manager. It will be difficult for you to find another team that has been affected by the transfer portal more than Cal, as many star players from last year’s team have gone elsewhere. That being said, what were the expectations of this team heading into the 2025 season? How would you grade their season after two games?
The win over Oregon State certainly felt like an important part of the process towards turning things around. The freshman quarterback did what fans expected him to do, and the defense continued to look strong despite losing so many pieces from last year’s team. It felt like the team took a step back in some ways last week even in a victory. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele came back down to earth a bit and the offense struggled to find a rhythm until late in the first half. Still, this team has the pieces to at least put a scare into its opponents this year. Cal fans are always optimistic and I think you’d find many of them who expect to win eight or nine games this season. The schedule is not a difficult one, and so it is feasible. Going 6-6 felt more realistic heading into the season because of how many new pieces the team has this year. I’d say so far the Bears have looked the part of a team that can win eight games for about six quarters, so this week will be a true test. I’d give the staff a solid B grade through two games. The defense is better than expected and the offense has a spark with Sagapolutele at quarterback.
2. With the exodus of players leaving the team in the spring via the portal, Cal also hit the portal hard to replace them. Can you provide Gophers fans with some insight into who Cal has brought in that could make an impact in the game this Saturday?
Of the 22 players who started last week against Texas Southern, only seven of them made a start for the Bears last season. Half of the starting group was not even on the team. There has again been a lot of turnover for Justin Wilcox’s team this year, and on paper it certainly looks like the Bears lost a lot of production. If you ask the coaches, they brought in pieces that they feel better fit what they want to accomplish. However, it was a blow losing a number of the players who entered the portal. There have been several pleasant surprises, however. Transfer-wise cornerback Hezekiah Masses has been a revelation. Nohl Williams led the country in interceptions last season, and Cal desperately needed to find a replacement for him. The FIU transfer now has pulled in an interception in each of the first two games and had a pick-6 wiped out that probably should have counted. Running back Kendrick Raphael, who was previously at NC State, had a strong showing and rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown in his first start last week. Idaho transfer tight end Mason Mini has also been a key player on offense for Cal so far. In addition to Sagapolutele, Cal is leaning on a number of young players as well this year including true freshman safety Aiden Manutai and second-year freshman linebacker Luke Ferrelli who led the team in tackles last week against Texas Southern.
3. Like the Gophers, the Bears enter the game 2-0 this Saturday. Cal opened the season with a 34-15 win at Oregon State, and then they defeated Texas Southern 35-3. What has gone right for the Bears in the previous two games? Are there any areas of concern heading into this Saturday?
The defense continues to be Wilcox’s calling card. That group has been impressive through two games and still looks like it hasn’t touched the surface of what it can become this year. There are still a few too many missed tackles, but that group has played beyond what it looked like it was going to be in the offseason. It is going to generate turnovers and be disruptive across the board. The run defense needed to improve this season and so far the group continues to take steps forward there. However, that is a potential weak spot of the unit. It also needs to be more productive getting to the quarterback. Offensively, it is all about consistency. Sagapolutele was lights out in his debut but struggled some early in last week’s game. The receivers have had some issues with drops and the running game has been up and down at times so far. If the offense can hit on some deep passes then that will open things up this weekend.
4. The Bears’ offense averages 38 points and 411 yards per game, 260 in the air and 151 on the ground. When the Bears are on offense, what will they try to do to put up points against Minnesota? Could you give us an impact player or two that Gophers fans should know about?
In a perfect world, offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin would lean on the running game to open up the pass. However, the running game has been a bit of a struggle at times already this season. It looked improved last week with Raphael getting the most touches in his first start. But, the offensive line will have to again prove that it can do that against a higher level of competition. If the Bears aren’t able to run the ball, then it will be up to Sagapolutele to make the offense go. He showed against Oregon State that he is capable of changing the game in a hurry, and the Bears are going to lean on his ability to push the ball down the field quite a bit this weekend. Receivers Jacob De Jesus and Trond Grizzell will be two players to watch on Saturday. Grizzell leads the team in receiving yards (115) and is a go-to pass catcher for Sagapolutele while De Jesus has been vital in the return game to set up the Bears with a short field routinely through two games. He is a slot receiver and also is coming off an impressive showing with a team-high six catches against Texas Southern last week.
5. The Bears’ defense is giving up 252 yards a game, which ranks 33rd in the country. Could you give us the strengths and weaknesses of the Cal defense? What players should Minnesota fans know about when the Gophers offense takes the field?
The defense has been the best part of the team so far through two games, but that is almost to be expected under Wilcox. He’s a defensive guy and has made it the hallmark of his program throughout the last nine seasons. The run defense has been a problem at times in the past, but improved depth and talent up front has helped make that more of a strength so far through two games. The sample size is probably still too small to tell if Cal has really turned a corner there, but so far so good for the Bears. The secondary is where Cal has continued to shine this season, and that’s after losing all five starters. Including three players who were drafted in the spring. Masses is going to be important at cornerback while Isaiah Crosby has been impressive at his safety spot in his first season as a starter. Middle linebacker Cade Uluave is the captain and focal point of the defense, but he will miss the first half of this week’s game after he was ejected for targeting last week. That makes Ferrelli even more important and will give BYU transfer Harrison Taggart an opportunity to see more action. Aidan Keanaaina is the anchor up front along the defensive line while Ryan McCulloch is the key edge rusher for the Bears.
6. The Gophers travel to the Bay Area to take on Cal in their first road game of the season. This is the seventh all-time meeting between the two programs. The first game between the two schools was in 1951. Both teams met twice in the early 2000’s with Cal taking both games. The Gophers are currently two-point favorites against the Bears.
What does Cal need to do to stay undefeated in the 2025 season? What is your prediction for the game this weekend?
Cal needs to play more like it did in Week 1 against Oregon State on offense. It looked like a machine for part of that game, and that changed what the team felt like. If the offense is clicking, it will be difficult on Minnesota because of how strong the defense has been playing already. The Bears haven’t seen a defense like Minnesota yet, however. That has to be taken into account, and I do think it ends up being more of a defensive battle than a shootout. If the Bears are able to air it out even a little bit I’ll give them the edge. I also think you can’t discount the late kickoff and travel for the Gophers.
I’m going to go with a 21-17 win for Cal in this matchup.