CLEMSON — Clemson football departed Wednesday morning for the West Coast, making its first trip to Cal and its second ACC matchup of the season.
The Tigers enter Friday night’s matchup at Cal following a 28-20 comeback victory over North Carolina in a game that became the longest in Memorial Stadium history after three separate lightning delays.
The unusual finish created a quick turnaround for Clemson, which will now travel across the country for a 10:30 p.m., ET kickoff against the Golden Bears.
The ACC added Cal, Stanford and SMU in 2024, creating new conference matchups and destinations for its members. Friday will mark Clemson’s first game on the west coast since the conference expansion.
The Tigers (2-1, 1-0 ACC) must adapt to this new environment and time zone.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney addressed that Clemson will practice at a community college near Cal and adjust its schedule to mirror its normal routine as closely as possible while accounting for the time change.
“There’s a lot of operational stuff, and I appreciate all the people who work really hard,” Swinney said. “They do stuff that you don’t have to think about. They make it easy.”
The Tigers had to quickly reset after Saturday’s lengthy battle with North Carolina. The game kicked off at noon, but three lightning delays extended the game late into the afternoon, wrapping up just before 6 p.m. Swinney said the team has gained valuable experience from dealing with repeated delays.
Clemson also dealt with a near two-hour delay at LSU to open the season and a two-hour delay at home against Georgia Southern in Week 2.
“We all learn from experience,” Swinney said. “There’s no greater teacher in life than our own experience.”
That experience could prove important as Clemson faces another unusual kickoff time on Friday night.
FACING A TOUGH CAL TEAM
Cal enters the matchup 1-0 in the ACC (2-1 overall), after a 21-18 victory over Syracuse and presents another challenge for the Clemson offense.
Swinney praised the Golden Bears’ defense, particularly their secondary.
“When you look at them defensively, they present a lot of problems,” Swinney said. “They play well collectively as a group, and this is easily the biggest secondary we’ve seen.”
The Tigers will also have to account for Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who Swinney described as one of the top quarterbacks Clemson has faced.
“This is a pro,” Swinney said. “If you want to know what an NFL quarterback looks like playing college ball, that’s this kid. He’s an elite passer.”
Clemson will need to limit Cal’s passing attack while continuing to build on the offensive momentum it found against North Carolina.
TEAM DEVELOPMENT
The quarterback position remains a storyline heading into Friday.
Swinney said Christopher Vizzina continues to make progress and has returned to taking reps in practice.
“He’s getting better and better each day,” Swinney said. “His arm’s fine, his shoulder. It’s just like being able to really turn and really push the ball, load the ball.”
True freshman, Tait Reynolds, meanwhile, continues to gain experience after stepping into the lineup against North Carolina.
Swinney said he wants the freshman to build off the poise he showed late in Saturday’s victory.
“He really executed with so much just poise and precision down the stretch,” he said.
Wide receiver Tyler Brown said the offense has embraced Reynolds as he adjusts to the college game.
“We just want to wrap our arms around him,” Brown said. “He’s a great young quarterback, but he’s a true freshman.”
Brown said Clemson’s offense is focused on helping Reynolds slow the game down and gain confidence. The senior was also at the center of one of the most discussed moments from Clemson’s win over North Carolina.
With Clemson leading 21-20 with a minute to go in the game, Brown continued running after picking up a first down, instead of going down so the team could run out the clock. He ended up scoring, which gave the Tar Heels an opportunity to tie the game.
Swinney explained they regularly prepare for those situations through situational drills and in team and positional meetings. Brown said he considered going down but trusted Clemson’s defense to finish the game.
“I have trust in my defense, and they got the job done,” he said.
The victory gave the Tigers momentum after a slower start to the season, “it was good for the soul to get some energy and momentum back,” Brown said.
Clemson will look to carry that momentum to Berkeley, Calif.
The Tigers will take on Cal Friday night at California Memorial Stadium in their first-ever matchup with the Golden Bears. With a cross-country trip, a late kickoff and a new conference opponent, Clemson will face another test of its preparation and ability to adjust.