Clemson 24-10 California (Sep 25, 2026) Final Score

Team pages: Clemson · California

Clemson3-124

California2-210Final

Fri, Sep 25 · California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, Calif. · Crowd 41,778

Clemson beat California 24-10.

We had Clemson favored. It won.

Next: Clemson lost to Miami 41-13, Sat Oct 3

Next: California lost to UNLV 39-31, Sat Oct 3

Top comment in the game thread

Not gonna blame our D, they've been out there for 40+ minutes getting no help and have given up only 17

Q4 2:58 · r/CFB game thread · Fri, Sep 25

How it swung

The turning point: Reynolds sacked, fumbles, California goes ahead 7-0 (Q1, 5:15). Clemson went from 55% to 24% to win.

Before kickoff, our ratings gave Clemson a 64% chance, and the closing betting line (Clemson was a 2.5-point favorite) put it at 58%.

Clemson won by 14, after dipping to 24% in the first quarter.

Up to 76% in the first quarter, then California lost it.

Punt return TD

Clemson · Q3 3:5775-yard TD run

Clemson · Q4 2:58

FinalClemson 24-10 CaliforniaClemson wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.

The two plays that swung it

1Q1 5:15FumbleReynolds sacked, fumbles, California goes ahead 7-0Clemson 55% → 24% (−31)
2Q3 3:57Special teamsWesco 65-yd return TD, Clemson goes ahead 17-10Clemson 50% → 74% (+24)

The two plays that swung it

1Q1 5:15FumbleReynolds sacked, fumbles, California goes ahead 7-0California 45% → 76% (+31)
2Q3 3:57Special teamsWesco 65-yd return TD, Clemson goes ahead 17-10California 50% → 26% (−24)

What fans said, play by play

The line in bold above each quote is written by our model from the thread’s comments and the play-by-play.

Q2 6:16Cal penalty on Reynolds run sets up Clemson touchdown driveWeak ass flag. C’mon.r/CFB game thread
Q4 2:58Davidson runs for 75-yard touchdown as Cal fans rage at coachingQuoted at the top of the page.Wow, exactly like UCLAr/CFB game thread

Clemson’s chance to win after every play.

How to read this chart

Starts from the pregame line (Clemson -2.5), at 49% for Clemson (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores. Outlined diamonds mark rare plays. Under the scores, r/CFB comments per minute from fans with a California or Clemson flair (933 and 1,195); both sides share one scale, regulation only. A gold diamond marks a play fans were reacting to.

Watch the plays

The bar and the arrow show Clemson’s chance to win after each play; the logo is the team the play helped.

Every drive

Clemson scored on 3 of its 9 drives; California on 1 of its 10.

Clemson’s drives are teal, California’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.

From California’s side

California’s best moment: Reynolds sacked, fumbles, California goes ahead 7-0 (Q1 5:15). It lifted California’s win chance by 31 points.

How California fans took it: “Unforgivable everywhere. Most people will be idiots about this but if I don’t see Somerville getting trebucheted into the pacific before the next game this…” r/CFB game thread

“Man, the replay review audio is so cool. This should be standard across the board”

A California fan

How fans reacted

Quiet

The jump was quiet; the crowd was busy.

Two crowds, one game

The words each side’s fans used far more than the other side, from the game thread.

Clemson fans

ball“I was apparently not clear enough on my request to run the ball. Have the rb run the ball and quit running Tait”

California fans

somerville“Cal hasn't had the answer? At this point, I'm. It even sure Somerville knows a question has been asked”

strong“Strong supposedly best contested catch WR in the country Ain't seein it”

Both sets of fans kept coming back to: call, run, now, half.

What it cost

Clemson’s chance to make the playoff rose from 3% to 5%.

Make the playoff

Clemson · won3% → ▲5%

California · lost2% → ▼1%

Win the conference

Clemson · won2% → ▲4%

California · lost2% → ▼1%

Before the game (September 25, 2026) → after this result, in our model.

Box score

Clemson 24, California 10

Clemson covered −2.5 by 11.5. The total, 34, stayed under 52.5.

Team totals	Clemson	California
Total yards	363	231
Passing	13 of 21, 108 yds	17 of 30, 145 yds
Rushing	49 for 255 yds	27 for 86 yds
First downs	23	13
Third down	7 of 15	3 of 12
Fourth down	2 of 2	0 of 2
Turnovers	2	2
Penalties	6 for 63 yds	8 for 61 yds
Time of possession	34:07	25:53

Clemson leaders

Passing Tait Reynolds 13 of 21, 108 yds, 1 INT
Rushing Gideon Davidson 22 for 159 yds, 2 TD; Jarvis Green 7 for 31 yds
Receiving Tyler Brown 3 for 29 yds; T.J. Moore 3 for 24 yds

California leaders

Passing Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele 16 of 29, 119 yds, 2 INT
Rushing Adam Mohammed 13 for 51 yds; Ashten Emory 7 for 31 yds
Receiving Ian Strong 3 for 44 yds; Chase Hendricks 4 for 37 yds

No rain and calm

63° at kickoff · no rain recorded · wind 10 mph from the west-southwest, mostly across the field, gusts to 20

September game-day temperatures at California Memorial Stadium

Drag along the chart, or step through the game.

First quarter, 5:15 left7:59 p.m.

Clemson 0, California 7 · California 76% to win

no rain · wind 6 mph from the west · 63°

Reynolds sacked, fumbles, California goes ahead 7-0

Measured at Oakland airport, 11 miles away, and Concord/buchanan airport, 14 miles away. Rain is NOAA's radar-and-gauge estimate at the stadium and wind is an airport reading; neither is measured on the field. Game times come from the play-by-play, good to a minute or two. Source: National Weather Service, through the Iowa Environmental Mesonet; rain radar from NOAA MRMS, through Iowa State University. Field direction from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Before kickoff

Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.

Recent games

Last three games

Clemson · 2-1

Rated 11th in our preseason ratings, 23rd now, down 12 spots.

2-1 in its last three — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.

W 28-20 vs North Carolina #100 of 668

won by 8 as a 3-point favorite

W 22-7 vs Georgia Southern #85 of 668

won by 15 as a 20.5-point favorite

L 10-51 @ LSUTop 25 #27 of 668

lost by 41 as a 10-point underdog

Last three games

California · 2-1

Rated 63rd in our preseason ratings, 72nd now.

2-1 in its last three, including a 3-point win over Syracuse as a 4-point underdog.

W 49-7 vs Wagner #258 of 668

won by 42 as a 58.5-point favorite

W 21-18 @ Syracuse #127 of 668

won by 3 as a 4-point underdog

L 24-45 vs UCLATop 25 #59 of 668

lost by 21 as a 2.5-point underdog

Week by week

California

Wk 1Lvs UCLA24-45
Wk 2Wat Syracuse21-18
Wk 3Wvs Wagner49-7

Clemson

Wk 1Lat LSU10-51
Wk 2Wvs Georgia Southern22-7
Wk 3Wvs North Carolina28-20

Power rating by week

Clemson is rated 6.3 points ahead as of week 3. Our power rating by week; higher is better.

Matchups

Biggest mismatch: California’s passing EPA against Clemson, 70 points

Each row ranks the two sides among all teams. The longer the line, the bigger the mismatch.

California’s EPA/play against Clemson’s defense
California offense, 11th percentile · Clemson defense, 80th
California’s passing EPA against Clemson’s defense
California offense, 21st percentile · Clemson defense, 91st
California’s explosive plays against Clemson’s defense
California offense, 38th percentile · Clemson defense, 78th

Season profile, all the rows

Season profile

ClemsonCalifornia

EPA/play, offense

EPA/play, defense

Success rate, offense

Success rate, defense

Explosive-play rate, offense

Explosive-play rate, defense

Rush EPA, offense

Rush EPA, defense

Pass EPA, offense

Pass EPA, defense

The series

California leads the series 1-0

1 meeting since 1991 · California won the last meeting

1991 · neutral siteCalifornia 37-13

Line, fans and home field

The betting line, and the fans

Clemson fans are feeling it less than most fanbases this week (27th among FBS fanbases), and the other side is no happier.

Clemson favored by 2.5 · Total 52.5

How games like this usually go

Clemson by 2.5, and it went to form

Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game

The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 252 games since 2025 with a favorite of under 3.5 points.

The market

The spread moved 1 point toward Clemson.

The total rose 5 points.

The books’ cut: 4.1%, the margin built into the odds

Home field

California is worth +1.6 points (±3.4) more at home than on the road since 2018 — bottom third of FBS, 10th percentile.

49% at home, 39% on the road against FBS opponents (22-23 home, 17-27 away).

Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads -3.4 at home vs. away over 96 games — inside the ±6.2 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.

Night kickoff — historically worth about half a point more to the home side against the number, and not much more than that. The visitors travel about 2,190 miles to get here.

Where next

Conference standings

Place in the conference, then conference record.

California6th1-0
Clemson4th1-0

Full ACC standings

Clemson beats California 24-10