California-UC Davis: What to know before Saturday’s season opener

Records: Cal 0-0/0-0 ACC; UC Davis 0-0/0-0 Big Sky

2023 Records: Cal 6-7, 4-5/tied 7th in Pac-12; UC Davis 7-4, 5-3/tied for 5th in Big Sky

Kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Berkeley

TV: ACC Network Extra/ESPN+

Radio:  810 AM The Spread (KGO)

Series history: Cal leads 11-0. The past two meetings were competitive, with the Bears winning 34-13 in 2022 and 27-13 in 2019. Prior to that, Cal outscored the Aggies 345-23 in games dating back to the 1930s.

Cal storylines: The Bears, beginning their first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, open their schedule against FCS-level UC Davis. Cal is 15-0 vs. FCS opponents since 2005. Their first ACC game is Sept. 21 at Florida State . . . Coach Justin Wilcox declined to announce whether returning starter Fernando Mendoza or North Texas transfer Chandler Rogers will get the starting call. He hasn’t ruled out the possibility of both seeing first-half action . . . The status of WRs Mikey Matthews and Tobias Merriweather and OG Sioape Vatikani, starters limited in practice by injuries, will be game-time decisions.

UC Davis storylines: Picked fourth in the Big Sky Conference and ranked No. 17 in the FCS coaches poll, the Aggies are led by first-year coach Tim Plough, a UC Davis alum who served as Cal’s tight ends coach last year . . . The offense features returning Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year Lan Larison, a senior running back who rushed for 1,101 yards and 13 touchdowns in eight games last season . . . Senior quarterback Miles Hastings has thrown for 6,675 yards and 42 TDs in his career . . . Two former Cal players are in their first season on the Aggies’ roster: LB Blake Antzoulatos and CB Tyson McWilliams.

Stats that matter: Junior RB Jaydn Ott needs 1,156 rushing yards to eclipse Russell White’s 32-year-old Cal career record of 3,367 yards . . . Cal’s defense shared the FBS lead with 27 takeaways last season.