What to know before Cal hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday

VIRGINIA TECH AT CAL

Records: Cal (2-3, 1-1 in ACC); Virginia Tech (4-1, 1-1 in ACC)

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Berkeley

TV: ACC Network

Radio: 810-AM

Series history: Tied 1-1; Virginia Tech won 42-34 in double-overtime last year at Blacksburg, Virginia

Cal storylines: The Bears return to ACC play after closing their nonconference schedule with a 39-31 loss at UNLV. Cal has dropped its past two games . . . Pat McCann takes over as offensive play-caller after assuming the role for the second half vs. UNLV and helping the Bears post 24 points . . . QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is listed as questionable after sustaining a concussion at UNLV. If he cannot go, junior Jackson Broussseau will get the call. He passed for 200 yards with two TD passes in the second half against UNLV . . . Also listed as questionable are RB Adam Mohammed (knee), safety Kingston Lopa (head), ILB Kamar Mathudi, WR Chase Hendricks and DB Aiden Manutai.

Virginia Tech storylines: The Hokies are coming off a 35-33 loss to Pitt in which they turned the ball over four times, outgained the Panthers 499 yards to 295 and missed a 36-yard field goal on the game’s final play . . . Tech is coached by James Franklin, who was fired by Penn State at mid-season last fall when the Nittany Lions after winning nearly 70 percent of his games. He led the Hokies to their first 4-0 start since 2017 . . . Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who came with Franklin from Penn State, has been dynamite, completing 74 percent of his passes, with 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions . . . Jeffrey Overton Jr. ranks third in the ACC with 455 rushing yards and Luke Reynolds leads all tight ends nationally with 37 catches.

Stats that matter: Cal ranks 16th among 17 ACC teams in both rushing (95.0 yards per game) and rushing defense (187.4) . . . Virginia Tech is the ACC’s second-leading scoring offense, averaging 41.2 points. The Hokies opened their season with a 73-3 win over VMI and have scored fewer than 33 points just once . . . With wins at Maryland and Boston College, Tech is among just seven teams nationally with at least two road victories over Power Four teams.