What to know before Cal and UCLA resume their rivalry in Berkeley

UCLA at Cal

Records: UCLA 0-0; Cal 0-0

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Berkeley

TV: ESPN

Radio: 810-AM

Series history: UCLA leads 58-35-1. The series began in 1933 but the teams have not met since 2023, when Cal prevailed 33-7 prior to the breakup of the Pac-12 Conference

UCLA storylines: The Bruins made a coaching change after a 3-9 record last season, hiring Bob Chesney from James Madison, where he led the Dukes to a remarkable run into the College Football Playoff . . . Chesney assembled a strong transfer class, led 11 players who followed him from JMU. The headliner of that group is running back Wayne Knight, a second-team AP All-American, who rushed for 1,397 yards and racked up 2,039 all-purpose yards . . . Returning dual-threat quarterback Nico Iamaleava passed for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 505 yards and four TDs a year ago.

Cal storylines: Tosh Lupoi becomes the first Cal alum to coach the team since Joe Kapp (1982-86). Lupoi will try to become the eighth Cal coach among the past nine to win his debut game . . . QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele returns after an impressive freshman season in which he passed for at least 200 yards in every game and had 18 passing TDs, most by a true freshman in the country . . . Lupoi’s transfer class includes four offensive skill position players expected to take on significant roles: RB Adam Mohammed (Washington), WR Ian Strong (Rutgers), WR Chase Hendricks (Ohio U) and TE Dorian Thomas (New Mexico).

Stats that matter: Chesney’s JMU teams outscored their opponents by an average margin of 15.9 points over the past two seasons. Chesney and Lupoi dueled last season when JMU scored 34 points in a first-round CFP loss to Oregon, with Lupoi serving as the Ducks’ defensive coordinator . . . Cal played in a bowl game for the third consecutive season in 2025 but has not won as many as eight games since 2019 and has not posted a winning conference record since 2009 . . . Sagapolutele did not throw an interception in his final 178 pass attempts last season.