Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech Football (4-1, 1-1 ACC) will play their third road contest of the 2026 campaign as they face Cal on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The matchup, which pits the Hokies and the Golden Bears against each other for just the second time as conference competitors, will be the furthest distance that the Hokies will travel for a game in the regular season.
The Hokies will look to find themselves back in the win column against a Cal team that has split their two conference matchups through 2026. Read below to snag the First Look at the Hokies’ road contest against the Golden Bears on Saturday afternoon.
How to Follow:
TV: The game will be televised on ACC Network with Justin Kutcher, Max Browne and Madison Fitzpatrick on the call.
Radio: The Virginia Tech Sports Network can be heard on 40+ radio stations across the Commonwealth including 105.3 FM in Blacksburg. Bill Roth will handle play-by-play duties while Mike Burnop provides color commentary and Evan Hughes reports from the sideline.
Streaming: Catch the game on the ACC Network via ESPN or the ESPN app.
Live Audio: Listen to live audio coverage of the matchup at HokieSports.com/listen or through the HokieSports mobile app.
Live Stats: Monitor the game through live stats on HokieSports.com, including play-by-play updates and full team and individual statistics.
Social Media: Stay connected with the Hokies on Twitter (@HokiesFB), Instagram (@hokiesfb), and Facebook (@VirginiaTechFB).
Storylines to Follow:
Virginia Tech’s high-flying offense matches up against a Cal defense that has fared poorly in recent games.
Saturday afternoon’s matchup provides an opportunity for the Hokies to produce offensively when the team takes the field at California Memorial Stadium. Through five games this fall, Tech’s offense ranks second among the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) behind a whopping 41.2 points per game and a total of 26 scores.
The engine of this high-powered offensive front is junior Ethan Grunkemeyer, whose 74% completion percentage (4th in ACC) compliments his 1,446 passing yards and 11 touchdowns through the air. Grunkemeyer’s most frequent targets – tight end Luke Reynolds, wide receivers Que’Sean Brown and Ayden Greene and running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. - have also added invaluable support, as the quartet have combined for over 1,100 receiving yards this season.
Contrastingly, the Cal defense has struggled to limit opposing offenses, allowing a conference third-worst 26.6 points per game to their competition. This is compounded by the fact that the Golden Bears have dropped their two most recent matchups – and let up a combined 63 points in the two losses.
Tech will have to prepare for multiple Golden Bears quarterbacks until the starting role is announced this week.
Perhaps one of the more interesting storylines coming from Saturday’s upcoming contest is who the Hokies will be facing at quarterback.
Cal true sophomore Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who currently has 1,180 passing yards and eight touchdowns in 2026, felt a significant hit with 43 seconds left in the second quarter of their weekend matchup against UNLV. While the Golden Bears’ gunslinger was medically cleared to return, head coach Tosh Lupoi held Sagapolutele out as a precaution.
In Sagapolutele’s absence, redshirt junior Jackson Brousseau entered the contest, a 6-foot-4 transfer who started eight games for Colorado State in 2025. Brousseau would throw for 200 yards and a pair of scores in what would be a 39-31 loss to the Rebels.