Miami Hurricanes vs. Cal Golden Bears FAQ: What to know about the matchup

The No. 8 Miami Hurricanes (5-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) make their first trip out of Florida this season to face the California Golden Bears (3-1, 0-1 ACC) on Saturday.

Kickoff is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. from Berkeley’s California Memorial Stadium, with the game also being the site of ESPN’s College GameDay.

Here is what you need to know about the matchup.

How can I watch the Miami Hurricanes vs. Cal Golden Bears game?

The Hurricanes’ road game against Cal will be televised on ESPN. It is also available on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.

Who is favored in the Miami Hurricanes vs. Cal Golden Bears game?

As of Friday morning, the Hurricanes are listed as a 10.5-point road favorite against the Golden Bears, according to Odds Shark. The over/under is 55 points.

What is the history between the Miami Hurricanes and Cal Golden Bears?

Saturday will be the fifth all-time meeting between Miami and Cal. The Hurricanes are 2-2 in the series, including winning the only other meeting in Berkeley 52-24 on Sept. 15, 1990. Miami and Cal most recently met in the Emerald Bowl to cap the 2008 season. Cal won that game 24-17. The other two meetings too place in Miami, with the Hurricanes winning 31-3 on Sept. 16, 1989, and losing 9-7 on Oct. 10, 1964.

What were the expectations for the Miami Hurricanes and Cal Golden Bears entering the season?

The Hurricanes were voted to finish third in the 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Golden Bears were voted to finish 10th in the ACC in their first season playing in the league.

How have the Miami Hurricanes and Cal Golden Bears done so far this season?

The Hurricanes swept through their nonconference schedule with a 41-17 road win at the Florida Gators followed with a 56-9 blowout win against Florida A&M, 62-0 shutout of Ball State at home and 50-15 win over USF on the road. Miami followed with a come-from-behind, 38-34 win over Virginia Tech to start ACC play.

The Golden Bears won their first three games of the season against UC Davis (31-13), Auburn (21-14) and San Diego State (31-10) before dropping their ACC opener against Florida State 14-9.

What are three keys for the Miami Hurricanes against the Cal Golden Bears?

▪ Limit the interceptions: The Golden Bears lead the nation with 10 interceptions through their first four games of the season. Miami quarterback Cam Ward has generally been clean in the passing game but he will need to make sure he minimizes mistakes against a defense that has a knack for forcing turnovers.

▪ Get the run game going: On the surface, the Hurricanes have averaged 193 rushing yards per game this season, good for 38th nationally.

But some context on that: Of their 965 rushing yards, 214 yards (22.2 percent) have come on four plays: A 91-yard Jordan Lyle rushing touchdown against USF, runs of 34 and 56 yards by Ajay Allen on consecutive plays against Ball State and a 33-yard touchdown run by Damien Martinez against FAMU. All four of those plays have come in the second half of games at a point when Miami already had a commanding lead. Remove those four plays and the Hurricanes have run for 751 yards on 159 carries in five games.

The passing game has done its job, but the Hurricanes can’t afford to become one-dimensional. And their running back room — with Martinez, Lyle and Mark Fletcher Jr. leading the charge — is too talented to not produce early in games.

▪ Don’t let external variables impact the game: The Hurricanes had to make the cross-country journey to play this conference game. There’s the atmosphere of “College GameDay” surrounding the contest. There’s the continued pressure to keep their perfect record intact as conference play continues and the need to shake off an uncharacteristically sloppy game against Virginia Tech. This Miami team has been a poised bunch so far this season. Let’s see if that continues.

Who are some Miami Hurricanes players to watch?

▪ Quarterback Cam Ward: Ward turned the ball over three times last week against Virginia Tech but flourished when it mattered the most by leading the Hurricanes to touchdowns on each of their final three possessions to help secure the come-from-behind victory.

Ward enters the week with a nation-leading 18 touchdown passes while ranking third in passing yards per game (356.4).

▪ Safety Mishael Powell: Powell leads the Hurricanes with three interceptions, including picks in each of Miami’s past two games.

▪ Offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa: The sophomore right tackle has graded out as team’s top offensive lineman through the first five games.

Who are some Cal Golden Bears players to watch?

▪ Defensive back Nohl Williams: The fifth-year senior already has four interceptions this season, tied with UNLV’s Jalen Catalon for the most in the country.

▪ Running back Jaydn Ott: An ankle injury has limited the junior’s production so far this season (just 133 rushing yards on 40 carries), but Ott has a track record for success. He ran for 2,212 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first two seasons.

▪ Quarterback Fernando Mendoza: The redshirt sophomore is a Miami native who graduated from Columbus High (Mario Cristobal’s alma mater) and grew up a Hurricanes fan. He enters the week having completed 67 percent of his passes (83 of 123) for 892 yards and five touchdowns against two interceptions.