Cal holds off Virginia Tech 25-20 with Sagapolutele sidelined

Cal beat Virginia Tech 25-20 at California Memorial Stadium last Saturday, and it did so without its starting quarterback. Running back Ashten Emory scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, after the Hokies had taken a one-point lead late.

The Bears got there shorthanded. Golden Bear Report on On3 posted a photo gallery from the Oct. 10 game by photographer Nina Glick. Its captions show quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele on the sideline, ruled out while he recovers from a concussion. Running back Adam Mohammed also missed the game with an injury. Jackson Brousseau played quarterback for Cal, throwing from the first quarter on and running the ball in the third.

According to the On3 captions, the second quarter was busy. Virginia Tech receiver Ayden Greene opened the scoring with a touchdown for a 7-0 lead. Emory answered with a rushing score, Marcellous Hawkins Jr. found the end zone for the Hokies, and Cal outside linebacker Solomon Williams added a sack. In the second half, Hokies quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer scored on a 1-yard run to put Virginia Tech ahead 20-19. Emory then scored again to make it 25-20, and Cal held that margin to the finish.

The gallery also shows Cal fans protesting a fourth-quarter penalty on AJ Tuitele, and safety Isaiah Crosby making a tackle on Hawkins. After the final whistle, coach Pat McCann walked off the field and Sagapolutele joined his teammates in the celebration.

The win brings Cal to 3-3, and the schedule now gets harder. No. 21 Wake Forest (5-1) visits Berkeley on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2. The Demon Deacons are favored at -335 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, and DraftKings has the best sportsbook number on Wake Forest at -360. The spread has Cal at +9.5 and the total is 53.5. Full prices are on the Wake Forest at Cal odds page.

The line could change with Sagapolutele's status. Cal won Saturday with Brousseau in the lineup, but a ranked opponent is a tougher test. Whether Mohammed is back in the backfield will also matter for an offense that leaned on Emory to close out the Hokies.

Virginia Tech is now 4-2 and returns home to face Georgia Tech (2-3) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ACC Network. Despite the loss in Berkeley, the Hokies are clear favorites. They sit at -355 on Novig and -375 at DraftKings, the best sportsbook price on them, with a 10.5-point spread and a total of 56.5. Prices are on the Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech odds page.

For the Hokies, the job is to rebound after a game they led twice and lost in the final quarter. For Cal, a win over a ranked Wake Forest team would make two straight while its starting quarterback recovers.