At the outset, Clemson and Cal sit at 2-1 and 1-0 in the ACC heading into Friday night at Memorial Stadium. It is a first regular-season meeting that carries extra weight for two programs trying to prove they still belong in the conversation.
Previously, California opened with a 45-24 home loss to UCLA. And then ground out a 21-18 road win at Syracuse before pouring it on Wagner last Saturday, 49-7. Sophomore quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw for a career-high 413 yards and three scores in that blowout. Now he has 866 yards and seven touchdowns through three games.
Transfer running back Adam Mohammed has given the Bears a physical presence they lacked last year. Also, safety Kingston Lopa leads the country with five interceptions. First-year coach Tosh Lupoi has the Bears playing faster and more confidently at home.
Clemson is coming off a 28-20 comeback College Football Odds win over North Carolina after getting hammered 51-10 at LSU in the opener. Also, they ground out a 22-7 win over Georgia Southern in a weather-delayed slog.
True freshman Tait Reynolds has taken over at quarterback after Christopher Vizzina hurt his non-throwing elbow. In sum, he has completed 64 percent of his passes for 415 yards. Gideon Davidson leads the rushing attack. At the same time, T.J. Moore has been the most reliable target.
Clemson Tigers vs. Cal Golden Bears NCAAF Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Friday, September 25, 2026, 10:30 PM ET. |
|---|---|
| Location: | California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, CA. |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson Tigers | +1½ ( -115 ) | 50½ ( -110 ) | -105 |  |
| California Golden Bears | -1½ ( -105 ) | 50½ ( -110 ) | -116 | |
| ||||
The Clemson Tigers visit the California Golden Bears on Friday, September 25, 2026. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. The game airs on ESPN. This is the first regular-season Offshore Bookmaker meeting between the programs and Clemson’s first trip to Memorial Stadium.
Clemson Tigers vs. Cal Golden Bears Matchup Analysis
The game turns on whether California can force Clemson’s young quarterback into the kind of mistakes Kingston Lopa has been collecting all month. And whether Clemson’s front can make Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele uncomfortable enough that the Bears cannot live in the passing game they prefer. Cal averages more than three hundred passing yards and barely a hundred on the ground.
That College Football Betting imbalance is not an accident. Tosh Lupoi wants the ball in Sagapolutele’s hands. Correlate that the sophomore has the arm talent and the growing command to punish a defense that sits back. Clemson’s pass rush, led by Will Heldt, is the obvious counter. Heldt has the length and the motor to collapse the pocket from the edge. And Tom Allen’s scheme will try to generate pressure without selling out.
The other side of the ball is almost a mirror image. Clemson’s offense has been modest and at times clumsy. To show, they are averaging under three hundred yards and twenty points. Freshman Tait Reynolds has shown poise in two starts but still operates with a limited margin for error. California’s run defense remains the soft spot. Opponents have averaged more than five yards a carry. And Gideon Davidson will test that front early.
If the Tigers can stay on schedule on first and second down, they will keep Reynolds out of obvious passing situations. That is where Lopa and the rest of Cal’s secondary can hunt. However, if they fall behind the chains, the Bears will blitz and dare the freshman to beat them over the top on a short week after a cross-country flight.
SBG Free Picks
To conclude, California at home with Sagapolutele clicking and a defense that creates turnovers is the better side. Both offenses have been uneven. Clemson has struggled to score. Cal’s run game remains limited.
SBG Best Bet: Cal Golden Bears and Under the Total.