The Bears' comeback at UNLV was the best and worst of them in one night. They trailed 24-7 at halftime, recovered an onside kick to open the third quarter and scored 24 unanswered points to take the lead. Then Jackson Arnold drove UNLV right back and finished with 5 total touchdowns in a 39-31 win. Cal outgained the Rebels 464 to 331 and still lost, mostly because it was flagged 16 times for 147 yards.
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The bigger worry for Cal is the secondary. Kingston Lopa, who leads the nation with 5 interceptions, left early with an injury. Nickel Cam Sidney was ejected for targeting in the first quarter, and defensive back Daniel Harris was tossed for the same thing in the fourth. A second-half targeting call usually carries into the first half of the next game, so Cal's defensive backfield could look thin early. Who's available back there matters more than usual against a Tech offense that just put up nearly 500 yards.
Both teams lost games last week they could have won, and both have the yardage to show for it. The difference is where the losses came from. Tech's was turnovers and one bad quarter, which usually don't repeat week to week. Cal's was penalties and a defense that got thinner as the game went on, and that's harder to fix in 7 days. Tech also has to travel across the country for an ACC game, which is no small ask after a draining Friday night.
The forecast is 64 degrees and cloudy with a 9 mph breeze and no rain, so weather shouldn't decide anything. Both teams are 1-1 in the ACC. For Tech, this is a chance to show the Pitt game was a fluke. For Cal, it's about stopping a 2-game slide before it turns into a lost October. Whether wide receiver S. Peterkin plays (questionable, foot) and who starts at quarterback for Cal will shape this game more than anything else between now and Saturday.