Cal vs. Louisville 2025 Preview: Can the Bears Get Upset Win On the Road?

We are at that point in the season again. The part where Cal starts strong before struggling to get into a bowl game. The Golden Bears have dropped three out of their last four games, and tensions are on the rise. The fans, players, and coaches can feel this season slipping away. Still, there’s plenty of time and opportunities to right the ship and get this season back on track. It doesn’t get any easier, though, as Cal will have to go on the road to play a tough Louisville team.

California Golden Bears vs. Louisville Cardinals: 2025 College Football Preview

It feels like I write this every week at this point, but this is the first-ever matchup between these two programs. It’s a new experience for everyone travelling to the game; but Louisville looks like they have a great stadium, and the atmosphere always seems to be top-tier. There are pros and cons to conference realignment, but one of the pros is that fans and teams get to experience new stadiums and cities they would not normally attend. You never know who might be your newfound rival, but a team associating itself with the color red and Cardinals might be a place to start.

Keys, Players, and Predictions

Key Players for Cal

This might be a hot take, but the player Cal is missing the most from the offseason transfers is wide receiver Nyziah Hunter. Cal lacks playmakers on the boundaries. And as of right now, the offense is lacking juice as a whole. Someone on the unit has to step up. The player worth keeping your eye on is tight end Mason Mini.

Sure, he’s a tight end, but when they throw to him, he’s productive. He can also throw bombs down the field, too. Opposing defenses do not respect the Cal receiving corps right now, so what better way to open that up than by feeding your tight end? Get him involved early and often to take the pressure off of everyone else, and who knows, maybe things will open up more.

On defense, losing Ryan McCulloch was a big blow early in the season. Cal lacks depth at that position, and teams are really starting to take advantage of a defensive line that is struggling. One player most fans had huge expectations for, but has fallen quite short, is edge rusher TJ Bush.

Bush does have four sacks on the season, but Cal needs more out of him. Opposing quarterbacks have too much time in the pocket, and it’s causing the secondary to get shredded at times. I’m not saying he needs to turn into an All-American, but it would be nice to see the Bears get pressure and sacks without having to blitz. It certainly would go a long way in this game.

Key Players for Louisville

Louisville has one of the better rushing attacks in the entire country, and a lot of it is because of Isaac Brown. Plain and simple, Brown is a fantastic running back. In eight games this season, he’s already up to 782 rushing yards and five touchdowns. That may not seem like a lot, but there were a few games he hardly got any touches in, early in the season. In fact, in the past three games, he has rushed for 448 yards. Brown’s got speed and the vision to find holes in the defensive line. If Cal wants to win this game, letting Brown stay hot cannot be in the cards.

Sticking with the offensive side of the ball, Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell presents another difficult challenge for this Cal defense. The senior wide receiver has had some huge games this season. On the year, he has 56 catches for 743 yards and six touchdowns. He appears to be quarterback Miller Mosses’ premier target, and Bell has done nothing but deliver. This offense is fueled by explosive plays, and Bell is at the core of most of them. Keeping him covered is going to be a tough ask, but Cal has got to find a way not to let him go scorched earth.

2025 Game Preview: Can Cal Play Spoiler?

There’s always reason to be optimistic about Cal in every game. While they can absolutely win out the rest of their schedule, history tells us they won’t. They have four games remaining, and it’s a struggle to find where they get that one win to become bowl-eligible. With that said, the Golden Bears have to take it one week at a time, and it starts with Louisville.

The Cardinals are tough, really tough. They have dreams and aspirations of making the College Football Playoff, and if they win out, they will. Jeff Brohm is one of the best coaches in all of college football, and his team is running on all cylinders. Their offense is tough to stop, and their defense doesn’t slouch, either. They’re heavy favorites in this game, as they should be. The vibes are incredibly low in Berkeley right now, but each week is another opportunity to right the wrongs. Playing spoiler on the road against a very good team would go a long ways towards bringing the good vibes back to Strawberry Canyon.

Prediction: Cal 14, Louisville 31