Syracuse football opens ACC play against Cal Saturday (preview)

Syracuse football will face its first ACC test of the 2026 season Saturday, when the Orange host California at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., with the game airing on the ACC Network.

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Syracuse enters the matchup 1-0 after opening the season with a dominant performance against New Hampshire. The Orange rolled to a 66-3 victory, piling up 513 yards of total offense while holding the Wildcats to 155 yards. Quarterback Steve Angeli completed 20-of-29 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns in his first game since September 2025, while Umari Hatcher broke out with eight catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

Cal, meanwhile, enters Saturday 0-1 after opening its season with a 45-24 loss to UCLA. The Golden Bears were tied with the Bruins entering the fourth quarter before UCLA pulled away.

The matchup features an intriguing quarterback battle between Angeli and Cal sophomore Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. Sagapolutele started all 13 games for the Golden Bears as a freshman last season and threw for 3,454 yards and 18 touchdowns. He opened this season with 271 passing yards and two touchdowns against UCLA.

Syracuse has won its first two ACC openers under head coach Fran Brown and will look to make it three straight.

GAME WEEK LINKS

• ORANGE OPEN ACC SLATE WITH CAL SATURDAY (Cuse.com)
• What Fran Brown said heading into Saturday’s first ACC game for Syracuse football (SI.com)
• Syracuse vs Cal: TV/streaming, time, odds, history & more (NunesMagician.com)
• 5 THINGS TO KNOW: ‘CUSE VS. CAL (Cuse.com)
• Syracuse football: what’s college football saying about the Orange after Week 1? (NunesMagician.com)

FRAN BROWN’S MONDAY PRESS CONFERENCE

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Kyle Evans

Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.