Clemson is 2-0 at home so far in this young football season. Taking care of their house is one of the Tigers’ goals this season after last year produced the program’s first losing record in Death Valley since 1998.

Though it has only been one game, Clemson is 0-1 on the road, and it was an awful experience in Baton Rouge, La., as the Tigers suffered their worst loss to open a season since 1996.

“We want to have a great year, so we certainly have to play well at home, but you got to go find a way to win some on the road too,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said.

That mission starts tonight at Cal, where the Tigers are headed West for the first time since beating Alabama in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Santa Clara, Calif. It’s the program’s first trip to California for a regular season game since 1966.

The Tigers have never won a regular season game in California. This will be their third attempt at trying to win a true road game in the Golden State.

“This is another opportunity for us against another team that is undefeated in the league,” Swinney said. “Nobody wants to lose a game, so this is going to be a tough, tough fight.”

Last year, Clemson was 4-1 in true road games. Since 2015, the Tigers are 44-11 in true road games and 9-2 in their last 11 road games.

Clemson has won its last three ACC road games.

Clemson (2-1, 1-0 ACC) at Cal (2-1, 1-0 ACC)

• Kickoff: Tonight, 10:30 p.m., ET
• Location: Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, Calif.
• TV: ESPN
• Spread: Clemson minus-1.5
• Total: 50.5 points
• Series: Cal leads 1-0
• First Meeting: The teams first met in the 1992 Citrus Bowl to end their 1991 campaigns. Prior to the game, Clemson had won five consecutive bowl games, but Clemson left Florida with its first bowl loss since 1985 when No. 14 Cal topped No. 13 Clemson, 37-13.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

The Tigers are looking to improve to 2-0 in ACC play for the first time since 2024, when those Tigers started the year 5-0 in the ACC. A win keeps Clemson undefeated in league play and sets up a mammoth matchup against No. 6 Miami next week in Death Valley.

KEY MATCHUP

The verdict is obviously still out on Clemson’s offensive line. The Tigers improved a ton in last week’s win over North Carolina in what was perhaps one of the line’s best performances in almost two years. However, can they do it again? Cal’s run defense ranks last in the ACC in yards per carry, allowing 5.3 yards per carry the first three weeks of the season. Clemson averaged 5.2 yards per carry against the Tar Heels last week. Can the Tigers stay ahead of the chains and keep the offense on time? Whoever wins this battle in the trenches wins the game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds played well in the last 35 minutes of the UNC game. He seemed confident and he seemed poised. He finished the game by completing his last seven passes and was 20 of 29 for 211 yards and a TD. He also ran the ball better and made decisions in the RPO game, something he has to continue to do if the Clemson offense wants to improve. The freshman also needs to show patience when running the football, especially on the quarterback power plays.

Cal quarterback Jaron-KeaweSagapolutele is one of the premiere quarterbacks in the country. He has already thrown for 866 yards this season, while throwing seven touchdowns with two interceptions. He is averaging 8.0 yards per attempt, while completing 66.7 percent of his passes (72-108). A lefty, the sophomore stands 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. Though he is very athletic, Sagapolutele wants to stay in the pocket. He looks to pass first, even when things break down. Because his offensive line is not very good, Sagapolutele will get the ball out of his hands fast, where he tries to get his playmakers the ball in space, such as wide receivers Ian Strong and Chase Hendricks.

THIS AND THAT

Cal safety Kingston Lopa leads the nation with 5 interceptions from his strong safety position. One of those interceptions, he returned 24 yards for a TD in the Bears’ win at Syracuse in Week 2. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound junior has picked off a pass in every game so far this season. The Oregon transfer did not intercept a single pass in his two-years with the Ducks.

FINAL ANALYSIS

There are a lot of similarities in this game, though I give the Bears the edge at quarterback. However, the O-Lines and D-Lines seem identical, as do the teams running backs, wide receivers and secondary. The difference in this game could come on special teams. Cal has had issues through the first three weeks when it comes to covering punts and kick returns, as well as kicking off, where the kicker has kicked the ball out of bounds four times. Earlier this week, on his coaches show radio show, Swinney said he thinks they have a chance to have a big play or two in special teams. The way Clemson has played on special teams thus far, compared to how Cal has played, he might have a point. I guess we will see, but this is the one area where Clemson has a very distinct advantage.

Prediction

Clemson 27, Cal 23