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Wk 7 · 2026

Wake Forest Demon Deacons at California Golden Bears — Sat, Oct 17

Sat, Oct 17 · California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA · ESPN2

Weather at kickoff

81°F clear
0% chance of precipitation · wind 2 mph
Forecast from Open-Meteo
at
10:30pET
no line posted yet
Ratings differential WAKE by 12.2

What is at stake

A ACC game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Wake Forest: +11.2#27
Efficiency margin
California: -3.4#82
Wake Forest: 36.5
Offense (pts/100)
California: 29.3
Wake Forest: 16.3
Defense (pts/100)
California: 23.7
Wake Forest: 65.8
Pace (plays/g)
California: 71.2
Wake Forest: 6.61
Yards / play
California: 5.58
Wake Forest: 4.70
Yards / play allowed
California: 5.60
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Wake Forest: 36.8
Points / game
California: 26.7
Wake Forest: 21.5
Points allowed
California: 25.5
Wake Forest: 435
Yards / game
California: 397
Wake Forest: 332
Yards allowed
California: 368
Wake Forest: 237
Pass yds allowed
California: 192
Wake Forest: 95
Rush yds allowed
California: 175
Wake Forest: 0.50
Turnovers / game
California: 1.33
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Wake Forest form

W 38-14at NCSUW 57-3vs STANW 30-27at LOUL 20-33vs MIAW 38-36at PUR
2026 season

California form

W 25-20vs VTL 31-39at UNLVL 10-24vs CLEMW 49-7vs WAGW 21-18at SYR
2026 season

Wake Forest this season

Straight up5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Against the spread4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Over / under3-3 · 50% (6 games)

California this season

Straight up3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Against the spread2-4 · 33% (6 games)
Over / under2-4 · 33% (6 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 4

OpponentWake ForestCalifornia
Stanford
ACC
vs W 57-3 previewvs Wk 12 · scheduled preview
NC State
ACC
at W 38-14 previewat Wk 9 · scheduled preview
Virginia
ACC
vs Wk 9 · scheduled previewat Wk 11 · scheduled preview
SMU
ACC
at Wk 11 · scheduled previewat Wk 8 · scheduled preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, California leads 1–0 · California won the last one
1 meeting in 2006–2026 · average margin 10.0 points toward California
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20242024-11-08California 46 — 36 Wake Forestat WAKECalifornia

Wake Forest leaders 2026 regular season

PassingGio Lopez QB #398/151, 1377 YDS, 10 TD, 1 INT
Steele Pizzella QB #63/6, 63 YDS
RushingTy Clark III RB #450 CAR, 258 YDS, 3 TD
Deuce Lawrence RB #2247 CAR, 235 YDS, 2 TD
Gio Lopez QB #348 CAR, 192 YDS, 5 TD
ReceivingCarlos Hernandez WR #837 REC, 603 YDS, 3 TD
Jack Foley WR #109 REC, 172 YDS, 2 TD
Kam Shanks WR #512 REC, 162 YDS, 1 TD
Antonio Meeks WR #148 REC, 155 YDS, 1 TD
Defense
TacklesVincent Firenze LB #2337
Davaughn Patterson DB #536
Aiden Hall LB #2135
SacksLangston Hardy DL #113
Gabe Kirschke DL #103
Zach Lohavichan DL #941.5
InterceptionsDallas Afalava DL #521
Somad Eaddy DB #381

California leaders 2026 regular season

PassingJaron-Keawe Sagapolutele QB #3107/164, 1180 YDS, 8 TD, 5 INT
Jackson Brousseau QB #1129/48, 299 YDS, 2 TD
RushingAdam Mohammed RB #2473 CAR, 336 YDS, 3 TD
Ashten Emory RB #2028 CAR, 103 YDS, 2 TD
Tyree Sams WR #813 CAR, 28 YDS
ReceivingIan Strong WR #923 REC, 299 YDS, 1 TD
Chase Hendricks WR #732 REC, 267 YDS, 2 TD
Adam Mohammed RB #2417 REC, 168 YDS, 1 TD
Mason Mini TE #8512 REC, 152 YDS, 1 TD
Defense
TacklesKingston Lopa DB #229
AJ Tuitele LB #927
Tristan Jernigan LB #3225
SacksAJ Tuitele LB #93
Daniel Harris DB #72
Nate Burrell DL #981
InterceptionsKingston Lopa DB #25
Aiden Manutai DB #141
Isaiah Crosby DB #231
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.