California opens 1st season as an ACC team against FCS-level UC Davis

UC Davis at California, Saturday, 5 p.m. ET (ACC Network Extra)

BetMGM College Football Odds: California by 20 1/2.

Series record: Cal leads 11-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

California plays its first game since joining the ACC against FCS neighbor UC Davis. The Golden Bears are looking to make bowl games in back-to-back seasons for the second time since going seven straight seasons from 2003-09. The Aggies were ranked 18th in the FCS rankings and are seeking a signature win in coach Tim Plough’s debut.

KEY MATCHUP

UC Davis’ run defense vs. Cal RB Jaydn Ott. The Aggies don’t deal with running backs like Ott in FCS play and will have a tough job slowing him down. Ott ranks among all active FBS players with a career average of 92.2 yards rushing per game. He has career totals of 2,212 yards rushing and 20 TDs on the ground.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

UC Davis: RB Lan Larison rushed for 1,101 yards and 13 TDs last season despite playing only eight games. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry and is on the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award given to the top FCS player.

California: LB Cade Uluave. The Pac-12 top freshman defensive player last season returns looking to build on his successful debut campaign. He had 66 tackles, 6 1/2 tackles for loss, 2 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions last season.

FACTS & FIGURES

Cal has won each meeting by at least 32 points with an average margin of victory of 32.4 ppg. … Plough was a tight ends coach at Cal in 2023. … UC Davis is 4-21 against FBS teams since moving up to Division I in 2004. The last win came in 2021 at Tulsa. … The Bears are 5-2 in season openers under coach Justin Wilcox. … Cal led the nation last season with 16 fumble recoveries and was tied for the lead with 28 takeaways. … The Bears are undefeated all-time against FCS-level teams with a 15-0 record since 2000.

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By The Associated Press