#15 Virginia (7-1, 4-0 ACC) is on the West Coast looking to extend its winning streak to seven, but the ‘Hoos will have to get past a Cal team (5-3, 2-2 ACC) that has been tough at home this season.

It’s been a while since a UVA team has started a season 8-1 – way back in 1990, by my count.

#15 Virginia at Cal | Saturday, 3:45 p.m. | ESPN2

Series: First Meeting
TV: ESPN2
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 106 / SiriusXM 194 / SiriusXM 381
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 956 / SiriusXM 971
Line: Virginia -4.5
Over/under: 53.5
Projected final score: Virginia 28, Cal 24

Game Notes: For the first time ever, Virginia and Cal will meet on the gridiron when the two programs square off Saturday afternoon in Berkeley.

Virginia enters as one of college football’s most battle-tested squads, having already notched three overtime victories this season – becoming just the 10th FBS team since 1996 to do so. The Cavaliers are also the only FBS team this year to win three consecutive games by three points or fewer.

The Cavaliers take a six-game winning streak across the country and will look to move to 5-0 in ACC play for the first time in program history.

Cal will look to regroup at home after its double-overtime loss last week to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. The Golden Bears were led defensively by linebacker Cade Uluave, who posted a career-high 19 tackles, including 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks in the loss to the Hokies.

Offensively, running back Kendrick Raphael has emerged as a red-zone force, rushing for eight touchdowns this season — three of which came in last week’s contest. True freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has been a bright spot for the Bears, throwing for over 200 yards in each of his first eight career games, becoming the first true freshman in FBS history to achieve that feat.

Pregame Coverage

Game Coverage

First UVA drive ends with a score

Eight plays, 75 yards, J’Mari Taylor scores on a third-and-6 with a 25-yard run.

Interesting: you run the ball there to signal, you’re going for it on fourth if you come up short.

Chandler Morris: 3-for-4, 36 yards, only missed connection was a drop by Trell Harris.

UVA 7, Cal 0, 11:58/1st

D gets stop, O gets a red-zone FG

The UVA D gave up a Cal first down, then forced a punt.

Morris converted two third-and-longs with good protection from the O line, then connected on a deep ball with Eli Wood to set up first-and-goal at the 5.

The drive stalled there, but Will Bettridge got three with a 22-yard field goal.

UVA 10, Cal 0, 5:21/1st

Good answer by Cal

Cal gets on the board with a 14-play, 75-yard, 7:21 drive.

Picked up a fourth-and-1 at the edge of the red zone.

Sagapolutele so far: 7-of-9, 58 yards, dinking-and-dunking (one completion of 10+).

Game pressure back on the Virginia side.

UVA 10, Cal 7, 13:01/2nd

Third score in three possessions for the ‘Hoos

Virginia answers with a 14-play, 75-yard, 7:40 drive.

Three third-down conversions.

Nice sequence after a sack set them back to a second-and-16 to get the first down on third-and-8.

J’Mari Taylor with his second TD of the day.

UVA 17, Cal 7, 5:21/2nd

Half: UVA 17-7 lead

Not having a kicker that you can trust past 40 yards is an issue for this team.

Virginia dominated the stats – 264-104 in total yards – but the failure to get a TD after a first-and-goal at the 5 and Bettridge sucking outside of gimme territory is why it’s still tight.

Individual

  • Chandler Morris: 14-of-19, 165.
  • J’Mari Taylor: 13 carries, 66 yards, two TDs.
  • Trell Harris: four catches/six targets, 57 yards.
  • Kam Robinson: six tackles, one sack.

Welp, that happened

Cam Ross set up the offense with a big punt return, but a three-and-out, and then an odd decision to try a fake field goal came up short when Daniel Sparks went for five yards on fourth-and-6.

That’s two trips to the red zone that came up short of TDs, and one missed field goal outside of that.

Keep ’em hanging around.

Trick play works for Cal

Mason Mini, the Cal tight end, connects with Kendrick Raphael on a double pass for a 42-yard TD.

UVA dominating the stats (279-158 total yards), but …

My math has it that it should be 31-14 Virginia.

Instead …

UVA 17, Cal 14, 6:08/3rd

Good response

Virginia goes 75 yards on eight plays, culminating in a what is officially a 3-yard TD run by Eli Wood.

Nice, measured response.

One third-down conversion, on a drag play with Morris hitting Wood on a 25-yard catch-and-run.

UVA 24, Cal 14, 1:51/3rd

Danger zone

Corey Costner snuffs out the next Cal drive on the final play of the third quarter with an INT on a 50/50 ball at the UVA 12.

The offense, missing Trell Harris and J’Mari Taylor, fails to get a first, and then Daniel Sparks breaks out his Joe Theismann impression with a 14-yard punt.

D is going to have to win this one for us.

Short field, quick strike

Kendrick Raphael scores from a yard out.

There’s a lot of time left in this one for a team that is walking wounded.

UVA 24, Cal 21, 12:57/4th

Cardiac Cavs, again

The fourth quarter was a slog. Eventually, it came down to one play, a fourth-and-2 at the Cal 14. inside of a minute to go.

Virginia gets a first down, the game is over.

Didn’t get the first down. A Morris pass intended for Sage Ennis was tipped at the line.

Next play, Sagapolutele was picked off by Kam Robinson, who returned the pick 35 yards for a TD.

Final: UVA 31, Cal 21

Quick recap

Virginia outgained Cal 456-253, didn’t have a turnover, forced two Cal turnovers, and it was still a one-score game in the fourth quarter.

Too many points left off the board.

Chandler Morris was on point: 24-of-36, 262 yards, plus 49 yards on the ground.

J’Mari Taylor had 105 yards on 21 carries and two TDs on the ground.

Published by Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at chris@augustafreepress.com.