Cal at Virginia Tech: Bowl Eligibility at Stake

California (5-2, 2-1) travels to Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech (2-5, 1-2) Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the Hokies listed roughly a 4.5–5.5-point favorite and the over/under near 50.5 as temperatures fall into the 30s. A Cal victory would make the Golden Bears bowl-eligible (6-2) and keep them in contention in a wide-open ACC, a point emphasized by coach Justin Wilcox. True freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has emerged as Cal’s starting quarterback (1,696 passing yards, fourth in the ACC), though the Bears will be without running backs LJ Johnson Jr. and Brandon High Jr. and may be without kicker Abram Murray. Virginia Tech has lost two straight and is now led by interim coach Philip Montgomery after an 0-3 start cost the previous coach his job; the Hokies hope to get RB Terion Stewart and WR Cameron Seldon back and will lean on home-field advantage. This is Cal’s first trip to Blacksburg and the teams’ first meeting since the 2003 Insight Bowl.