CAL (3-6, 2-4 ACC) vs. VIRGINIA (4-5, 2-4 ACC)

SITE: Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, Virginia

WHEN: Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Pacific time (3:30 p.m. Eastern time)

TV: ACC Network -- Roxy Bernstein (Play-By-Play), Dave Clawson (Analyst), Madison Hock (Sideline Reporter)

RADIO: 810 AM -- Justin Allegri (Play-By-Play), Mike Pawlawski (Analyst), Scott Butler (Sideline Reporter)

BETTING LINE: Virginia is favored by 10.5 points according to FanDuel, and Virginia is favored by 10 points according to DraftKings, as of Friday. Over/under is 46.5 points.

WEATHER FORECAST: Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville will be partly cloudy with a temperature of about 50 degrees when the game begins, dropping down to about 40 degrees by the time the game ends when skies will be clear. There is no chance of rain.

Cal-Virginia History

This will be just the second meeting between Cal and Virginia in football and will be the first to be played on the Cavaliers’ home field. Their only previous matchup occurred last year in Berkeley when Virginia, then ranked No. 14, defeated Cal 31-21. Cal had 8 rushing yards in that game, and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw two interceptions and was sacked four times.

CAL PLAYER AVAILABILITY: Tight end Dorian Thomas, wide receiver Jordan King, defensive lineman Nate Burrell and running back Carter Vargas are out. Linebacker JD McKinley is questionable.

VIRGINIA PLAYER AVAILABILITY: Linebacker Landon Danley, and wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. are out. Linebacker Maddox Marcellus is doubtful.

Cal Storylines

---Cal has altered it goals for the rest of the season. Head coach Tosh Lupoi and general manager Ron Rivera this week described the last three games as an opportunity for growth and development, taking the focus off this season and placing in on the football program’s future.

---Cal needs to win its final three games to become bowl-eligible for the fourth straight year and to have a chance at its second straight winning season. Cal also must win its final three games to avoid a 17th consecutive season without a winning conference record. Losing all three games would give Cal its worst record since 2013, when the Bears finished 1-11.

---Cal and Virginia are both coming off byes. Cal was 1-1 after bye weeks last year, beating North Carolina 21-18 and losing to Stanford 31-10. Last week was Cal’s only bye week of this season.

---Cal is riding a three-game losing streak, and the Bears lost those three games to Wake Forest, SMU and North Carolina State, by a combined margin of 131-37. Cal has lost five of its las six games, with a 25-20 upset victory over Virginia Tech being the only Cal win in that span.

---Cal seems healthier for this game than it has for any game since the opener.  The only players unavailable this week are players who have been sidelined all season or nearly all season.  All offensive linemen and all wide receiver are available as is running back Adam Mohammed.

---Cal has been assessedmore penalty yards (763) than any other team in the country.

---Cal has had virtually no running game this season, much like last season.  The Bears rank 137th of 138 FBS schools in rushing yards per game, ahead of only Sam Houston. The Bears’ 3.02 yards per rhing attempt is better than only three schools, Kent State, Old Dominion and Sam Houston. Cal will try to run the ball against Virginia, which does not have a strong run defense.

---Cal needs to have an effective pass rush against Cavaliers, who have allowed 28 sacks this season. However, Cal has recorded just two sack over the past three game combined.

---This week’s game is Cal’s final road game of the season before finishing with home games against Stanford and Pitt. Cal is 1-3 in road games this season, beating Syracuse 21-18, but losing to UNLV (39-31), SMU (59-20) and North Carolina State (31-10).

---Cal and Virginia are among six teams tied for 10th place in the ACC standings with 2-4 records.

Virginia Storylines

---Virginia was ranked 25th in the country when it started the season 2-0, but now the Cavaliers are just trying to avoid finishing with a losing record for the fourth time in five years.

---The Cavaliers are also riding a three-game losing streak, losing to SMU 23-13, Duke 19-16 and Wake Forest 51-7 in its most recent game.

---Virginia is coming off a bye week, and the Cavaliers are 7-0 in their last seven games after a bye.

---Virginia is 4-1 at home this season, and has won 10 of its last 12 games at Scott Stadium.

---Virginia needs to win two of it final three games – against Cal, North Carolina and Virginia Tech – to be bowl-eligible for the second straight year but for just the second time in the past seven seasons.

---Virginia had the best regular-season ACC record in the conference last year at 7-1 before losing to Duke in the ACC championship game. The Cavaliers were picked to finish sixth in the ACC in this year’s preseason poll.

---Linebacker Maddox Marcellus, Virginia’s leading tackler who has 44 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss, is unlikely to play against Cal because of an injury.

---Virginia has a strong pass defense, which will make things difficult for Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.  The Cavaliers ranks third in the ACC in passing yards allowed (189.7), and they lead the conference in completion-percentage allowed. Opposing teams are completing just 53.8 percent of their passes.

---Cavaliers quarterback Beau Pribula has a good touchdown-to-interception ratio (14 TD passes, 3 interceptions) and ranks seventh in the ACC in passer rating. However, Virginia has allowed 28 sacks, tied for the most in the conference. Cavalier quarterbacks were sacked seven times in the past two games combined.

Cal Players to Watch

QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele – 11 TD passes, 6 interceptions, needs to finish the season strong

WR Ian Strong – Affected by injuries lately, had two catches for 11 yards in Cal’s last game against North Carolina State

WR Chase Hendricks – Tired for third in the ACC in receptions with 61

LB AJ Tuitele – Team leader in tackles with 53, tied for the team lead in sacks with 3.0

S Kingston Lopa – 5 interceptions, tied for the second-most in the country

RB Adam Mohammed – Team leader in rushing with 363 yards, had 27 yards on nine carries in Cal’s last game against North Carolina State.

Virginia Players to Watch

LB Kam Robinson – Preseason all-ACC; 5.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception

DE Fisher Camac – 4.5 tackles for loss, 7 quarterback hurries

DE Matthew Fobbs-White – 8.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 9 quarterback hurries

QB Beau Pribula – 14 TD passes, 3 interceptions

RB Jekail Middlebrook – 513 rushing yards, 4 TDs

WR Da’Shawn Martin – 26 receptions, 6 TD catches

JAKE'S PICK: Virginia 28, Cal 17

JEFF’S PICK: Cal 21, Virginia 20

XANDER TILOCK’S PICK (Virginia Cavaliers on SI): Virginia 24, Cal 21