FSU football's DJ Uiagalelei has Cal coach Justin Wilcox's full attention. Here's why
Florida State football wants to give California a warm ACC welcome.
Cal will travel 2,267 miles to Tallahassee for its first-ever conference game. Saturday's showdown between the undefeated Golden Bears (3-0) and winless Seminoles (0-3) kicks off at Doak Campbell Stadium at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Even as the Seminoles search for their first win, they enter as the 2.5-point favorite.
Cal's head coach, Justin Wilcox, said his team is looking forward to the game.
"They're a very gifted team, with really good coaches and a proud outfit, so we know what's in store," Wilcox said in his presser. "We'll have to play our best game, and our guys are expecting that."
The Seminoles lost 20-12 to the Memphis Tigers last week and are on the verge of a 0-4 start for the second time in four years under Mike Norvell. They also dropped games to Georgia Tech and Boston College and sit at the bottom of the ACC standings.
Wilcox doesn't let the losing record determine what he sees on film.
"I understand records are the records, but if you sit down in our offices and turn the tape on, you see what you see and trust that. Our players do the same thing," Wilcox said.
"So, we know how gifted they are and how good of coaches and scheme they got. So we're going to need to go play great football on Saturday."
Wilcox said that FSU will be one of Cal's toughest challenges yet. The undefeated Golden Bears are coming off a 31-10 victory over San Diego State. Cal also beat Auburn 21-14 on the road a week prior.
The Golden Bears are looking to start 4-0 for the first time since 2019.
What does it mean for Wilcox?
“Well, it would mean we went out and played our best game of the season thus far and had an opportunity to go 4-0,” Wilcox said. “And so as I mentioned, there's only so many chances you get and it's going to be a great venue.”
Justin Wilcox shows 'ton of respect' for FSU quarterback DJ Uiagalelei
This will be the second consecutive season that Cal's defense will face FSU quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. But in a different uniform.
At Oregon State, Uiagalalei enjoyed a career-night, completing 19 of 25 passes for 275 yards and five touchdowns. The Beavers beat the Golden Bears in an offensive shootout, 52-40.
"He played an excellent game against us last year," Wilcox recalled. "We got a ton of respect for him. He can throw it. He's really hard to tackle because he's so big. So, we got a lot of respect for DJ."
Wilcox also remembered Uiagalelei as a five-star prospect out of Inland Empire, California. He described him as a talented player with physical traits and stature.
However, Uiagalelei's season at FSU has been shaky.
He has thrown for 666 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in three games. Wilcox still believes Uiagalelei will be tough to beat because of his natural passing abilities and being in a different scheme at FSU.
"Anytime you've seen somebody once, you kind of have a little bit more of a feel for him," Wilcox said.
"But it's a different system. This is kind of the world we live in now. You could see guys (that) this is going to happen multiple times throughout the year where we've seen, we've played somebody in a different uniform a year ago.
Miami native Fernando Mendoza grew up watching Florida State football; Other Cal players hailed from Florida
Cal's starting quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, is excited to travel back to his home state to face FSU, a team he grew up following.
The Miami native shared memories of watching different FSU teams in his childhood and the talent they produced.
He mentioned NFL quarterback winnerJameis Winston as an example. He remembered the Heisman trophy-winning quarterback leading the Seminoles to a national championship.
He also mentioned NFL running back Dalvin Cook, who is also from Miami and is one of Mendoza's favorite FSU players.
Mendoza praised FSU's 13-1 season last year and respect for this year's team.
“That's a feat that not many teams can do, and although Florida State has a 0-3 start — and a lot of people might be ragging on them and social media and whatsoever, they're still a really good team," Mendoza told the local press.
In the last three games, Mendoza has thrown for 589 yards and five touchdowns. He piggybacked on Wilcox's presser, saying that FSU could be their biggest challenge yet.
"I would say probably the best defense that we've played or we're going to play this season so far," Mendoza said. "So it's going to be a tough matchup for us, but we're looking forward to executing our job."
Cal has two more players from the Sunshine State. Backup offensive guard Trent Ramsey is from Palm Harbor, outside the Tampa area.
Tallahassee native and Chiles grad Bobby Engstler is also on the roster. The true freshman was the nation's No. 1 combined punter and kicker for the Timberwolves. He was also Tallahassee Democrat's All-Big Bend Specialist of the Year as a senior.
How can I watch FSU football vs. Cal
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21
Time: 7 p.m.
Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
TV: ESPN2
FSU football schedule 2024: TV channels, dates and start times
Saturday, Aug. 24: vs. Georgia Tech* (Aer Lingus College Football Classic) Lost 24-21
Monday, Sept. 2: vs. Boston College* | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo) Lost 28-13
Saturday, Sept. 7: Bye
Saturday, Sept. 14: vs. Memphis | Noon | ESPN (Fubo) Lost 20-12
Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Cal*
Saturday, Sept. 28: at SMU*
Saturday, Oct. 5: vs. No. 14 Clemson*
Saturday, Oct. 12: Bye
Saturday, Oct. 26: at No. 19 Miami*
Saturday, Nov. 2: vs. North Carolina*
Saturday, Nov. 9: at No. 7 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | NBC (Fubo, Peacock)
Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. Charleston Southern
Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. Florida
Saturday, Dec. 6: ACC championship game (Charlotte, N.C)
All times Eastern
BOLD = ACC
* = Neutral Site
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Here's what Cal's coach said about preparing for Florida State football
