CAL at WAKE FOREST
Records: Cal 4-4, 0-4 ACC; Wake Forest 4-4, 2-2 ACC
Kickoff: 5 p.m. Friday at Allegacy Stadium, Winston-Salem, N.C.
TV: ACC Network
Radio: 810 AM The Spread (KGO)
Series history: First meeting
Cal storylines: The Bears, still chasing their first ACC victory, expect to be healthier than they have been in a couple months. Expected back after missing one or more games due to injury are ILB Cade Uluave, OT TJ Session, TE Corey Dyches and OLB Ryan McCulloch. Transfer WRs Tobias Merriweather (Notre Dame) and Kyion Grayes (Ohio State), projected before the season as the team’s best deep threats but yet to play due to injuries, practiced the past two weeks and are closer to making their Cal debuts . . . Before the bye week, Cal delivered its most complete performance of the season, a 44-7 non-conference rout of former Pac-12 rival Oregon State.
Wake Forest storylines: The Demons Deacons are coming off back-to-back 3-point victories over UConn and Stanford but they lost by a combined margin of 89-20 in games against Ole Miss and Clemson, their two strongest opponents . . . One-time Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier threw three touchdown passes in the win at Stanford . . . Two other weapons are running back Demond Claiborne (711 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns) and wide receiver Taylor Morin, who has 202 career catches and also is tied for fourth nationally with a 17.5-yard punt return average . . . Wake has struggled to pressure the quarterback, with just 10 sacks through eight games, ranking 122nd nationally.
Stats that matter: Cal ranks 13th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 17.25 points per game, and has held six opponents to 17 points or fewer for the first time since 2010 . . . The Bears are second nationally in turnover ratio at plus-1.62 per game (18 gained, 5 lost) . . . Cal has outscored its opponents 61-8 in the third quarter but is on the short end of a 63-36 disparity in the fourth quarter.
