The Boston College football program starts conference play for the 2025 season with a road matchup at Stanford on Sept. 13 at 10:30 Eastern Standard Time.
While the Eagles face a long trek ahead of them to begin ACC competition, BC does not have to travel back to California—over 3,000 miles away—to face its next opponent from the same state, the California Golden Bears.
Stanford and California? In the Atlantic Coast Conference? The ACC’s fairly-recent conference realignment, which officially went into effect for the 2024 season, still raises eyebrows, but this is the new reality of college athletics.
With a bye week in between—the first of two bye weeks the Eagles have, the second occurring between Nov. 15 and 29—BC football will first visit Stanford before hosting Cal in Chestnut Hill on Sept. 27.
Here is a look at the matchup.
Offense
While a good chunk of the Golden Bears’ defensive secondary went to the National Football League this offseason, Cal’s biggest loss from 2024 is rising redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who transferred to Indiana on Dec. 24 following a stellar sophomore campaign.
Mendoza, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound gunslinger from Miami, Fla., appeared in 11 games last year and passed for 3,004 yards with a 69 percent completion rate. His touchdown-to-interception ratio of 16 to six ranked in the top five in the ACC.
However, the Golden Bears inherited 36 players through the transfer portal this offseason. Two of them, quarterbacks Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Devin Brown, are now the viable frontrunners for the starting QB job in Berkeley.
Sagapolutele isn’t necessarily a true portal addition, considering the freshman signal caller never played a game for his former team, Oregon. But his flip is truly a massive addition to the Cal locker room, as Sagapolutele (6-foot-3, 225 lbs.) established himself as one of the best freshman prospects in the country prior to transferring and is eager to make his name a household staple.
Brown, meanwhile—also 6-foot-3 and over 200 lbs.—comes from Ohio State after sitting multiple years behind QB’s such as Will Howard, Kyle McCord, and C.J. Stroud, all of whom are in the NFL. As the clear veteran of the two, Brown will likely begin as the heir to Mendoza, but only time will tell how long that throne lasts.
Running back Kendrick Raphael, previously at North Carolina State, has a solid chance of leading the Golden Bears’ backfield after amassing 425 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 78 carries for the Wolfpack last season, including averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
Defense
Cal’s losses on the defensive side of the ball include defensive backs Nohl Williams (Kansas City Chiefs, 85th pick), Craig Woodson (New England Patriots, 106th pick), Marcus Harris (Tennessee Titans, 183rd pick), as well as linebacker Teddye Buchanan (Baltimore Ravens, 129th pick).
Still, there were some good pickups among the 36 incoming transfer additions to the Golden Bears’ roster.
That includes outside linebacker/edge TJ Bush from Liberty. Bush racked up 22 solo tackles and 5.5 sacks last season and is poised to be a mainstay on Cal’s defensive line in 2025. Buom Jock, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound inside linebacker from Colorado State, led the Rams with 100 tackles in 2024, including 2.5 sacks, and bolsters that interior as well.
Other noteworthy additions include linebackers Harrison Taggart and Jayden Wayne, along with defensive back Tristan Dunn.
Cal ranked eighth in the ACC in sacks with 35 total in 2024, and its new depth at the linebacker and defensive line positions will only—at the very least—marginally improve that mark.
The Golden Bears were tied for first in interceptions in the ACC last year with 17, however—the other program to register 17 was Boston College for that matter—and the potential for the Golden Bears’ secondary has severely dropped heading into 2025.
Schedule
Unlike Boston College, Cal does not have a two-week long break before it comes to Chestnut Hill to face the Eagles. The Golden Bears will be crossing the country from San Diego, Calif., where they play San Diego State on Sept. 20—seven days prior to the matchup against BC.
Cal opens its season on the road in Corvallis, Oreg. against Oregon State on Aug. 30 before initiating a two-game home stint against Texas Southern and Minnesota.
After traveling back from Stanford on Sept. 14, the Eagles have a moment of rest in between its matchup with the Cardinal and the Golden Bears.
Outlook
Just this past year, in O’Brien’s first season at the helm, BC did not play to such a great standard in games following bye weeks, losing a pair of games to Virginia and Virginia Tech by a combined score of 66-35.
The Eagles have had far more roster turnover than Cal, however, and since this matchup occurs earlier in the season, it might be a chance for O’Brien to take advantage of a team still learning the ropes of its chemistry. O’Brien has already built a sound foundation with the players on his current roster, and since it is a home game, this projects to be a favorable contest for BC.
The only difference maker could be BC’s quarterback situation, as the QB competition between the Eagles’ primary starter in 2024, Grayson James, and Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan has still yet to play out.
Boston College vs. California:
Date: Sept. 27, 2025
Time: TBD
TV: TBD
Location: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Series: Boston College leads the all-time series 1-0.
Head Coach: Justin Wilcox
Offensive Coordinator: Bryan Harsin
Defensive Coordinator: Terrence Brown and Vic So’oto
2024 Record: 6-7
Players to Watch: LB/EDGE TJ Bush, QB Devin Brown, RB Kendrick Raphael, LB Buom Jock, WR Jacob De Jesus
Top Newcomer: QB Devin Brown
Location: Berkeley, Calif.
Founded: 1868
Enrollment: 45,882
Nickname: The Golden Bears
Colors: Berkeley Blue and California Gold
Mascot: Oski the Bear
Last Time Beat Boston College: Never
Last Time Won ACC: Never
National Championships: 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1937
Conference Championships: 14 (mix of PCC, Pac-8 and Pac-10)
Bowl Appearances: 25
Last Time Didn’t Play in a Bowl: 2024
Heisman Trophies: None
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 4- defensive back Nohl Williams, third round (No. 85), Kansas City Chiefs; Craig Woodson, fourth round (No. 106), New England Patriots; linebacker Teddye Buchanan, fourth round (No. 129), Baltimore Ravens; defensive back Marcus Harris, sixth round (No. 183), Tennessee Titans.
Last Four Recruiting Class Rankings: 2025- No. 70; 2024- No. 55; 2023- No. 80; 2022- No. 59
Aug. 30: at Oregon State
Sept. 6: vs. Texas Southern
Sept. 13: vs. Minnesota
Sept. 20: at San Diego State
Sept. 27: at Boston College
Oct. 4: vs. Duke
Oct. 17: vs. North Carolina
Oct. 24: at Virginia Tech
Nov. 1: vs. Virginia
Nov. 8: at Louisville
Nov. 22: at Stanford
Nov. 29: vs. SMU
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