The Atlantic Line
Cal beats Virginia Tech with a backup quarterback and a new playcaller as Sagapolutele sits
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was ruled out with a concussion after warmups. Jackson Brousseau threw for 321 yards in his first Cal start and Ashten Emory scored with 18 seconds left.
Cal played Virginia Tech on Saturday without its starting quarterback and with a different man calling plays, and still won, 25-20 in Berkeley on an Ashten Emory touchdown run with 18 seconds left.
Sophomore Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was ruled out after pregame warmups as he recovers from a concussion sustained in last week's loss at UNLV, ESPN reported. Safety Kingston Lopa, whose five interceptions led the FBS, also sat with a concussion, and running back Adam Mohammed missed a second straight game.
A first start, and a new voice on the headset
Colorado State transfer Jackson Brousseau made his first start for the Golden Bears and went 29 of 43 for 321 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, per the ESPN box score. He had come on in relief at UNLV and led Cal from 24-7 down to a fourth-quarter lead before the Bears lost 39-31.
The plays were coming from passing game coordinator Pat McCann. Coach Tosh Lupoi took play-calling away from offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville in the middle of the UNLV game, a change Lupoi confirmed Tuesday, according to ESPN. Somerville had come from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with no coordinator experience. McCann previously ran the offense at Fresno State. General manager Ron Rivera framed the move bluntly: "If you continue to do the same thing, isn't that insanity?"
How it finished
Cal trailed for most of the afternoon. Field goals of 35 and 22 yards kept the Bears within 14-13, and Brousseau's 3-yard touchdown pass to Carson Perry-Smith put them ahead 19-14 with 4:06 left. Virginia Tech answered with a 73-yard drive and a 1-yard Ethan Grunkemeyer run to lead 20-19 with 1:15 to go. Brousseau then took Cal 75 yards in six plays, and Emory, filling in for Mohammed, went in from 2 yards out for his second touchdown.
Cal's offense leaned almost entirely on the pass: 321 yards in the air, 82 on the ground. Grunkemeyer threw for 288 yards for the Hokies, but kicker John Love missed from 55 and 39 yards a week after missing a potential winner against Pitt. Virginia Tech has dropped two straight, both by one score, after a 4-0 start.
What it means next week
Cal is 3-3 and 2-1 in the ACC. Its quarterback question carries straight into next Saturday, when Wake Forest (5-1) comes to Berkeley off a 38-14 win at NC State. ESPN has not yet set a kickoff time. Whether Sagapolutele clears protocol, and whether Lopa returns to a secondary facing Gio Lopez, will shape that game. Virginia Tech (4-2) hosts Georgia Tech at 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
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