Virginia Tech is looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking 35-33 loss against Pittsburgh as they head across the country to face a banged up Cal that has had a disappointing season so far, but will be eager to turn their season around after a mid-game offensive playcaller change during their loss to UNLV last week.
So with kickoff just hours away, let’s get you ready for today’s matchup between Virginia Tech and California.
Keys to the Game: You can check out Josh Poslusny’s keys to the game and preview here. Virginia Tech’s rushing attack has struggled for much of this season, but this could be a get right opportunity against a Cal rush defense that has struggled a lot this season. The Hokies have the talent in the backfield led by Jeff Overton Jr but the offensive line has to give Overton and Marcellous Hawkins more lanes to work with on a consistent basis. This game could be a great chance to get back on track to provide some more balance for VT’s impressive passing attack.
Hokie to Watch: Aycen Stevens is already tied for sixth on the single-season sack list among all Hokies in the 2020s with 5.5 through the first five games and is well on his way to trying to join Antwaun Powell-Ryland as the second Hokie to record double-digit sacks in a season this decade. Saturday could be a great opportunity to boost that total further against a Cal team that could be in a lot of passing down situations given the many injuries they have on offense. Given how good Stevens has been this season, don’t be surprised if he adds to his sack total Saturday and if he at least has 1.5 vs Cal, then Powell-Ryland will be the only Hokie with more sacks in a single-season this decade than Stevens.
Virginia Tech X-Factor: Jaquez White hasn’t had the best start to his 2026 season, but could turn that around this week. However, he has a big matchup against Ian Strong who had back-to-back 40+ reception, 600+ receiving yard seasons at Rutgers prior to transferring to Cal and is on pace to exceed those numbers against for the Golden Bears this fall. If White can limit Strong, it could make life easier for the Hokies in this matchup.
Injury Update: Virginia Tech is mostly healthy among key players going into this game, though James Franklin did reveal this week that backup LB George Ballance will be out for a while. Meanwhile, Cal has a litany of injury concerns including to their star QB JKS and the nation’s interceptions leader Kingston Lopa. Check out the latest from Josh Poslusny here.
Press Conference Notebooks: Check out Josh Poslusny’s Monday James Franklin and Virginia Tech press conference notebook here and his Wednesday media availability notebook here.
Tim Thomas
It’s not easy traveling all the way across the country, with Virginia Tech experiencing that this week arriving Friday morning instead of their originally-planned Thursday arrival in the Bay Area.
The Golden Bears not only have lots of injury concerns on offense headlined by their star QB JKS, but also a defense that has struggled to stop the run so far and could be without the nation’s leader in interceptions in Kingston Lopa. This could be a major get-right game for Jeff Overton Jr and the Hokies’ rushing attack, while Ethan Grunkemeyer and the passing attack is the best passing offense that Cal has faced all season. I expect that will show in this game with the Hokies’ offense firing on all cylinders.
Meanwhile, Tech’s defense faces a fascinating matchup against a banged up Cal offense that may be on a backup QB and a backup RB while also having a new playcaller that just got promoted mid game. The good news is that VT seemed aware of the change before Cal made it public with James Franklin sharing that he thought it was Pat McCann calling plays in the second half vs UNLV days before Tosh Lupoi revealed McCann had been promoted to the offensive playcaller role in place of OC Martin Somerville.
Ultimately, VT has a talent edge and a massive coaching edge that will pay off in this game. Tosh Lupoi looks like a man who is learning on the job and possibly not fit for his job while James Franklin knows how to run a program. That will show and be a big reason why the Hokies live up to their potential and Cal doesn’t as the Hokies cruise to victory in Berkeley.
Pick: Virginia Tech 38, California 17
Adam Firebaugh
Last week's loss to Pitt was among the most heartbreaking in recent memory, but where in years past it would have broken Virginia Tech, it feels as though this year is different with Franklin at the helm.
Despite a cross-country trek, despite the issues on display against Pitt, this game feels ready-made for a bounce-back statement win. In Franklin's career, his teams are 30-22 all-time in games following a loss. His record is even better against unranked opponents (18-9). In this case, Cal has sputtered so far under Tosh Lupoi to say the least, as quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has looked all out of sorts, and the Golden Bears' defense has been porous. I expect Franklin to get his offense right after coughing it up four times against Pitt, and the defense should fare better against Cal, which has struggled to run the ball. The latter should especially be true if JKS doesn't play after he suffered a head injury against UNLV last week
Overall, the Hokies have every opportunity ahead of them in this one to right the ship and regain some of their momentum heading into the heart of conference play. It's up to them to take care of business.
