The Clemson Tigers' first road game in ACC play takes them to a place they've never visited, and one that would have once been unfathomable not all that long ago. The Tigers visit Berkeley to take on the California Golden Bears in a late Friday night kickoff in Week 4 of the 2026 college football season.
Clemson (2-1 overall, 1-0 conference) and California (2-1, 1-0) are both unranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25. Both teams are coming off wins in Week 3.
Ahead of Clemson-California, ESPN announced who will have the call of Friday's game. Mike Monaco and Jordan Rodgers will call the action from the broadcast booth at California Memorial Stadium. Dana Boyle will report from the sidelines.
Kickoff is 10:30 p.m. ET. The game will be
televised on ESPN.
For Monaco and Rodgers, it's the duo's first time calling a Clemson game. Monaco joined ESPN in 2019 and has called college sports, Major League Baseball, NHL and tennis events in his seven-plus years with the network.
Rodgers was the color commentator on SEC Network's weekly "SEC Saturday Night" games prior to this season when the former Vanderbilt quarterback took an expanded role with ESPN.
The Tigers are coming off a 28-20 come-from-behind win over Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels at Clemson Memorial Stadium. They overcame an early 17-3 deficit -- and Mother Nature -- to rally for two touchdowns in the game's final five-plus minutes after a weather delay that lasted over 2 1 /2 hours.
Clemson took its first lead of the day on an 8-yard touchdown run from sophomore tailback Gideon Davidson with 5:01 to play. Tom Allen's defense forced a turnover on downs, then Tyler Brown took a 34-yard rush into the end zone for a 28-20 lead with a minute remaining.
Elliot Washington Jr. intercepted a Billy Edwards pass 29 seconds to play to secure the win for the Tigers. Former four-star freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds was 20 of 29 for 215 yards with one touchdown and one interception in his first career start. Davidson rushed for 105 yards on 15 carries, and Bryant Wesco Jr. led Clemson receivers with 77 yards on five receptions.
Cal defeated Wagner, 49-7, in Week 3. The Golden Bears fell 45-34 to UCLA in their season opener and defeated Syracuse, 21-18, in their ACC opener in Week 2 at JMA Wireless Dome in New York.
Cal is led by first-year head coach Tosh Lupoi, a former Nick Saban assistant at Alabama from 2014-2018 and later the Oregon Ducks' defensive coordinator under Dan Lanning from 2022-25.
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Clemson football schedule 2026
All times Eastern.
- Sept. 5: at LSU Tigers (L, 51-10)
- Sept. 12: vs. Georgia Southern Eagles (W, 22-7)
- Sept. 19: vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (W, 28-20)
- Sept. 25: at California Golden Bears, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
- Oct. 3: vs. Miami Hurricanes, TBA
- Oct. 17: vs. Charleston Southern Buccaneers, TBA
- Oct. 24: vs. Virginia Tech Hokies, TBA
- Oct. 31: at Florida State Seminoles, TBA
- Nov. 7: at Syracuse Orange, TBA
- Nov. 14: vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, TBA
- Nov. 20: at Duke Blue Devils, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
- Nov. 28: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks, TBA
Record: 2-1 overall, 1-0 conference.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: TV channel, commentators for Clemson football vs. California













