Time to really experience the All Coast Conference
Teams: Syracuse Orange (6-3, 3-2) at California Golden Bears (5-4, 1-4)
Day & Time: Saturday, November 16, 3:00 pm ET
Location: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA
Line: Syracuse isn’t looking good according to Fanduel’s odds. The Orange opened as +7 underdogs, which has since risen to +8.5 underdogs
TV/Streaming: The CW
Radio: Cuse.com, TK 99/105, WAER 88.3, Sirius/XM 388
Rivalry: Tied 1-1
Current Streak: 1, Cal
First Meeting: 1967 was Larry Csonka’s last year with Syracuse. It also featured the first meeting with Cal at Archbold Stadium. The Orange took a 20-14 win to move to 4-1 on the season at the time. Syracuse would finish 1967 with an 8-2 record.
Last Meeting: A highly anticipated matchup followed in 1968 to complete the home-and-home series between Syracuse and Cal. The Orange were ranked No. 10 while the Golden Bears were ranked No. 11. However, what followed was disappointment for Syracuse, taking a 43-0 loss at California.
Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images
Head Coaches: Syracuse: Fran Brown (first year, 6-3) | Cal: Justin Wilcox (eighth year, 41-47)
Coach Bio: Wilcox, an Oregon native, followed family tradition and played for the Ducks in college as a defensive back. He got a NFL training camp invite with the Washington Redskins but didn’t make the final roster. Wilcox started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Boise State. His first full time assistant job came with Cal in 2003 as the linebackers coach. After three seasons, Wilcox returned to Boise State to become defensive coordinator under Chris Petersen. He remained a highly in demand defensive coordinator among the Power Five conferences. Wilcox served as the defensive coordinator for Tennessee, Washington, USC and Wisconsin before becoming Cal’s head coach in 2017. The Golden Bears have made three bowls under Wilcox, going 1-2 in those games.
Last Year: After a three-year absence, Cal reached bowl eligibility with a 6-6 record. The Golden Bears won their last three games, including away wins at rivals Stanford and UCLA to reach the postseason. Cal lost to Texas Tech in the Independence Bowl 34-14.
Last Game: Cal started well against Wake Forest, capping off the first half with a 29-14 lead. The Demon Deacons made a run late in the game to cut the Golden Bears lead to three. However, Cal put the game out of reach with a touchdown with 1:10 to grab a 46-36 win. The victory would be Cal’s first ACC win in program history.
Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“Fear Me, I’ve Killed Hundreds of Timelords”: Cal leads the nation with 17 team interceptions, picking off three balls against Wake Forest. The Golden Bears are paced by Nohl Williams, who had a pick against the Demon Deacons to increase his FBS lead in interceptions with seven.
If Syracuse Wins: I, for one, vote to add USC and UCLA to the ACC so Syracuse can pick up more wins over California teams.
If Syracuse Loses: I, for one, vote to boycott The CW.
Fun Fact: Cal’s passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach is Sterlin Gilbert. Do with that information what you will.