Cal Returns Home to Host Wagner Looking to Build on First Season Win

After a cross-country trip to Syracuse produced Tosh Lupoi's first win as a head coach, Cal comes back to Memorial Stadium for the softest date on their 2026 schedule. The Bears (1-1) host Wagner (1-2), an FCS program out of the Northeast Conference, on Saturday afternoon. It is the first meeting between the two schools, and it’s exactly the kind of get-well game a team wants before ACC play resumes against Clemson.

The task for Cal is simple to state and easy to overlook: Take care of business, get the offense moving, and stay healthy. Wagner is not built to hang with a Power Four roster, and the Seahawks arrive in Berkeley coming off one of the most lopsided losses in the country this season.

The Bears opened with a disappointing 45-24 home loss to UCLA, then righted the ship in their ACC opener at Syracuse last weekend, winning 21-18. That road win was built on defense and takeaways rather than offense as Syracuse actually outgained Cal 436 yards to 249, but the Bears forced the turnovers that mattered.

Safety Kingston Lopa was the game-changer, intercepting three passes against the Orange, including a 53-yard return that set up the go-ahead score and a pick-six that produced a third of the Bears’ points in the win. Add his pick against UCLA and Lopa has been the most productive playmaker on the roster through two weeks. Sophomore quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has thrown four touchdowns and running back Adam Mohammed has given the ground game a genuine workhorse, with a 120-yard performance against UCLA and a solid performance against Syracus. Still, the offense is averaging just 17.5 points and 329.5 yards a game, and the pass defense has surrendered yardage in bunches. Wagner is a chance to clean both of those up.

Wagner plays in the Northeast Conference, one of the smaller FCS leagues, and is led by seventh-year head coach Tom Masella. The Seahawks went 5-7 a year ago and were picked in the middle of the NEC pack in the preseason. Their home is a cozy 4,000-seat stadium on Staten Island, which tells you most of what you need to know about the resource gap they are staring at Saturday.

The 1-2 start has been uneven. Wagner opened by losing its NEC opener to Robert Morris 28-7, managing just 97 total yards. The lone win came the following week, 31-7 over Southern Connecticut State, a Division II opponent. Then came the trip to James Madison.

Last Saturday's 87-3 loss at James Madison was historic in the worst way. The Dukes set a program record for points and tied the NCAA single-game record with three punt-return touchdowns, two of them by Michael Scott. Wagner's only points came on a first-quarter field goal from Johnny DiSalvatore before the game got away entirely. The Seahawks were held to 204 total yards while JMU piled up 588.

JMU is a strong FBS team and that game will distort Wagner's season averages, so it should be read with some context. But the special-teams breakdown, with three punts returned to the house, reveals a glaring weakness , and it is a specific area Cal's return game could exploit as they try and build some consistency in their shaky special teams units.

On offense, quarterback Benjamin Newman had Wagner's best passing day of the year against Southern Connecticut State, going 23-of-33 for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Matt Morad is the lead back and the closest thing the Seahawks have to a reliable runner, with a touchdown and 83 yards in that same game. Receiver Teree McDonald had a 70-yard, one TD afternoon,and Zion Fowler-El is another decent target. The trouble is that nearly all of Wagner's production has come against the D-II opponent. Against Division I competition, the offense has managed just seven and three points.

Wagner is near the bottom of the FCS in the numbers that matter. The Seahawks are averaging about 13.7 points and 236.7 yards per game on offense while giving up 40.7 points and 339.7 yards per game, figures inflated by the James Madison rout, but low even setting that game aside. There is no single unit on this Wagner team that projects as a national standout at the FCS level. They are clearly a rebuilding NEC squad that has a ways to go before they can be more competitive.

This game is one of the bigger mismatches Cal has seen on their schedule since possible Presbyterian nearly two decades ago. The value for the Bears is in becoming more established in what they’d like to do the rest of the season, including a fast start, a clean special-teams game, rhythm for Sagapolutele and more consistent production in the passing game, and heavy carries for much or all of the running back room before the schedule turns serious again in next weekend’s battle against Clemson. If the Bears come out focused, the reserves should see meaningful snaps in the second half. The only real danger is a flat, sloppy performance - the kind Cal can’t afford with Clemson looming.

Expect the Bears to control this one from the opening drive and use it as a tune-up and move away from their prior tendencies to play down to their opponent before getting serious late in the game. In the end, the score that may matter most on Saturday is the one on the injury report.

Saturday’s kickoff will be at 12:30 on the ACC Network. There’s a big push to see attendance not fall off too greatly from their near sellout opener against UCLA, including an offer of four free tickets sent out to all season ticketholders this week. If you missed the offer, make sure to check your email and get those seats filled this weekend! Also stay for the free Train concert following the game for a great day in Strawberry Canyon.

To claim up to four free tickets for season ticket holders, use this link, not the app:

https://calbears.com/sports/2022/7/11/cal-golden-bears-football-tickets

Instructions on how to access the comp offer:
1. Click the link to Sign In on the top right hand corner*
2. Click Buy Now on the Wagner game
3. Pick a section CC-V (These have the comp ticket offer)
4. Click Season Ticket Holder Appreciation (If you don't see it initially, you may have to press (+1 additional price type)
5. Click add to cart and check out

These tickets will be Mobile Delivery. The offer is only good till 6 pm Thursday so get them now!