Information: Cal 0-0/0-0 ACC; UC Davis 0-0/0-0 Big Sky
2023 record: Cal 6-7, 4-5/tied for 7th in Pac-12; UC Davis 7-4, 5-3/tied for 5th in Big Sky
Kick-off: 2pm Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Berkeley
TV: ACC Network Extra/ESPN+
Radio: 810 AM The Spread (KGO)
History of the Series: Cal leads 11-0. The last two meetings were competitive, with the Bears winning 34-13 in 2022 and 27-13 in 2019. Prior to that, Cal outscored the Aggies 345-23 in games dating back to the 1930s.
Cal storylines: The Bears, who begin their first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, open their schedule against UC Davis at the FCS level. Cal is 15-0 against FCS opponents since 2005. Their first ACC game is Sept. 21 at Florida State. . . Coach Justin Wilcox declined to announce whether returning starter Fernando Mendoza or North Texas transfer Chandler Rogers will get the starting call. He has not ruled out the possibility of both seeing action in the first half. . . The status of WRs Mikey Matthews and Tobias Merriweather and OG Sioape Vaticani, starters limited in practice by injuries, will be determined at game time.
UC Davis Stories: Picked fourth in the Big Sky Conference and ranked No. 17 in the FCS coaches poll, the Aggies are led by first-year coach Tim Plough, a UC Davis alum who served as Cal’s tight ends coach last year. . . The offense features returning Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year Lan Larison, a senior running back who rushed for 1,101 yards and 13 touchdowns in eight games last season. . . Senior quarterback Miles Hastings has thrown for 6,675 yards and 42 TDs in his career. . . Two former Cal players are in their first season with the Aggies: LB Blake Antzoulatos and CB Tyson McWilliams.
Statistics That Matter: Junior RB Jaydn Ott needs 1,156 rushing yards to eclipse Russell White’s 32-year Cal career record of 3,367 yards. . . Cal’s defense tied for the FBS lead with 27 takeaways last season.