For the first time in 14 years, NC State’s football team will take the field without Dave Doeren as its head coach when the Wolfpack hosts California at noon Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Doeren was fired over the weekend after the Wolfpack’s 31-28 Friday night loss at Stanford. NC State elevated running backs coach and special teams coordinator Todd Goebbel to interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
This will be the first of three straight home games for NC State, with Duke and Syracuse looming in November. Goebbel pledged to keep building on the foundation Doeren laid as he takes the reins of a program he has been a part of for eight years.
“At the end of the day, I don’t know why I was chosen, but I do accept the responsibility and respect NC State and the program that was built by Coach Doeren,” Goebbel said during a Monday press conference. “And I’m going to lead this team the best way I know how. I’m going to be me, and we’re going to put a good product on the field on Saturday.”
Like NC State, Cal has had an up-and-down season in the first under coach Tosh Lupoi. The Bears stunned Virginia Tech, but got blitzed by Wake Forest in recent action and gave up 42 points in the second half by SMU last Saturday.
Here is everything you need to know about Saturday’s NC State vs. Cal matchup, including TV and radio information, odds, injury updates, stat comparisons, series history and more.
🔄 Last Updated: October 27, 2026 1:37 pm
🏟️ How to Watch NC State Football vs. California
Matchup: California (3-5, 2-3 ACC) at NC State (3-4, 1-3)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Carter-Finley Stadium (Raleigh, NC)
TV Station: ACC Network
Broadcast Crew: Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), Dave Clawson (color), Madison Hock (sideline)
📻 How to Listen to NC State Football
Wolfpack Sports Network:
- Raleigh/Triangle: Flagship WRAL-FM (101.5)
- Charlotte: WXRC-FM (95.7)
- Greensboro/Triad: WVBZ-FM (105.7)
- Asheville: WWNC-AM (570)
- Wilmington: WILT-FM (103.7)
- Fayetteville: WMRV (106.5 FM, 1450 AM)
Radio Crew: Matt Chazanow (play-by-play), Johnny Evans (analyst), Jeff Gravley (sideline)
📊 NC State Football vs. California Betting Odds
Spread: NC State -6.5
Over/Under Total: 56.5 points
Moneyline: California +205 | NC State -255
Lines courtesy FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds will be refreshed periodically during the week. All lines are subject to change.
🩹 Injury & Availability Updates
The Atlantic Coast Conference releases its initial Football Availability Report on Wednesdays for Saturday games, followed by daily updates leading up to kickoff.
Official availability reports for NC State vs. Cal have not yet been released. NC Football News will update this section after the conference publishes its first report.
NC State
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California
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⏪ 2026 Season Rewind
NC State Results (3-4, 1-3)
Virginia 34, NC State 8
NC State 73, Richmond 0
Vanderbilt 35, NC State 31
NC State 41, Appalachian State 31
NC State 31, Louisville 28
Wake Forest 38, NC State 14
Stanford 31, NC State 28
California Results (3-5, 2-3)
UCLA 45, Cal 24
Cal 21, Syracuse 18
Cal 49, Wagner 7
Clemson 24, Cal 10
UNLV 39, Cal 31
Cal 25, Virginia Tech 20
Wake Forest 41, Cal 7
SMU 59, Cal 20
Last Time Out
Stanford 31, NC State 28 (Oct. 23) – Stanford quarterback Davis Warren threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns, and the Wolfpack lost in a Friday late-night ACC contest on the West Coast. C.J. Bailey threw for two scores, and Will Wilson rushed for a pair of touchdowns for NC State in what would be Dave Doeren’s final game as head coach.
SMU 59, California 20 (Oct. 24) – The Mustangs scored six touchdowns after halftime to pull away from the Bears and avenge a loss to Cal that kept SMU out of the 2025 ACC title game. Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele started at quarterback for the first time in three games, throwing for 265 yards and a touchdown.
🔍 What to Know About NC State-Cal Football
A new era begins for NC State football
NC State dismissed head coach Dave Doeren following last week’s 31-28 loss at Stanford, naming longtime assistant Todd Goebbel to be the interim head coach.
Goebbel, who has spent eight years with the program, inherits a team that has lost two in a row. Defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot also has been relieved of his duties.
“Each Saturday we will field this team that Coach Doeren will be proud of, which will be hard, tough and most importantly together,” Goebbel said Monday.
Quarterback CJ Bailey acknowledged that Doeren’s dismissal caught him by surprise. Bailey said the former coach personally called to deliver the news.
“It was kind of a shocker to me, thinking it wouldn’t happen during the season,” Bailey said.
The question now is how the Wolfpack will respond to a tumultuous week as it attempts to salvage the remainder of its season.
👉 Who is going to be NC State’s next head coach? Keep up with the NCSU football coaching search on NC Football News.
Both teams battling for bowl eligibility
Against the backdrop of a coaching search in Raleigh, NC State and Cal both are battling to become bowl eligible. Both need three more wins to get to the magical six-win standard. That means the Pack must go at least 3-2 the rest of the way and the Bears must close 3-1.
The Wolfpack has dropped three of its last four games, while the Golden Bears have lost two straight by a combined 73 points, falling 41-7 to Wake Forest and 59-20 to SMU.
A victory Saturday would provide a much-needed lift for either program. A loss would leave NC State with little margin for error and put Cal on the brink of missing the postseason.
Can NC State get a new-coach boost?
The Wolfpack will look for an immediate response under interim coach Todd Goebbel following the dismissal of Dave Doeren. Cal experienced a similar midseason coaching change in 2025, responding with a 38-35 upset of SMU in its first game after parting ways with Justin Wilcox.
Whether NC State will enjoy a similar bump over the back half of the season remains to be seen, but Goebbel has emphasized keeping the Wolfpack united as it attempts to turn around a disappointing 2026.
Playing at home this weekend – on homecoming no less – should give the Pack an extra boost.
📊 NC State Football vs. California Stat Comparison
NC State Team Highlights
- Points For: 32.3 points per game
- Points Against: 28.1 points per game
- Passing Offense: 257.6 yards per game
- Rushing Offense: 162.3 yards per game
- Passing Defense: 240.7 yards per game
- Rushing Defense: 139.3 yards per game
NC State Individual Leaders
- Passing: C.J. Bailey – 143-of-219, 1,763 yards, 11 TDs, 4 INTs
- Rushing: Jayden “Duke” Scott – 62 carries, 358 yards, 4 TDs
- Receiving: Keenan Jackson – 30 catches, 456 yards, 6 TDs
- Tackles: Popo Aguirre – 61 tackles (27 solo)
- Interceptions: Jackson Vick, Brody Barnhardt and Jaren Sensabaugh – 1 interception each
- Scoring: Kanoah Vinesett (7-of-7 FG, 27-of-27 PATs) and Will Wilson (8 TDs) – 48 points each
California Team Highlights
- Points For: 23.4 points per game
- Points Against: 31.6 points per game
- Passing Offense: 285.3 passing yards per game
- Rushing Offense: 84.0 rushing yards per game
- Passing Defense: 210.0 passing yards per game
- Rushing Defense: 192.1 rushing yards per game
California Individual Leaders
- Passing: Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele – 149-of-219, 1,555 yards, 10 TDs, 5 INTs
- Rushing: Adam Mohammed – 73 carries, 336 yards, 3 TDs
- Receiving: Chase Hendricks – 54 catches, 498 yards, 3 TDs
- Tackles: Isaiah Crosby – 46 tackles (30 solo), 3.0 TFLs
- Interceptions: Kingston Lopa – 5 interceptions
- Scoring: Towns McGough – 31 points (6-of-8 FGs, 13-of-13 PATs)
The Numbers Game
- Ball hawk: Cal’s Kingston Lopa has intercepted five passes this season, tied with Louisville’s Kaleb Beasley for most in FBS. Lopa has one touchdown return.
- Third-down success: NC State has converted 53 of 101 third-down opportunities (52.5%), compared with just 44 of 121 (36.4%) for Cal.
- Ground-game mismatch: NC State averages 162.3 rushing yards per game and has scored 16 rushing touchdowns. Cal averages only 84.0 rushing yards while allowing opponents 192.1 yards per game and 20 rushing touchdowns.
- Second-half struggles: NC State has outscored opponents 135-72 before halftime but has been outscored 125-91 in the second half.
- Fourth-down vulnerability: Cal opponents have converted 11 of 12 fourth-down attempts (91.7%), while the Golden Bears have succeeded on only six of their own 21 attempts (28.6%).
- Touchdown machine: NC State backup quarterback Will Wilson has scored eight rushing touchdowns on just 42 carries, despite gaining only 173 yards on the ground. He continues to be an effective short-yardage option even when everyone knows he’s going to keep the ball.
- Wolfpack’s sure foot: NC State kicker Kanoah Vinesett has made all seven field-goal attempts and all 27 extra-point attempts this season.
📚 Series History
- NC State leads the all-time series 1-0
- The Wolfpack rallied to beat the Bears 24-23 in Berkeley on Oct. 19, 2024 in Cal’s first year in the ACC. CJ Bailey threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns. NC State trailed 23-10 heading into the final quarter.
🔗 More North Carolina College Football Coverage
- NC State Football Schedule
- ACC Standings
- 2026 week-by-week schedule
- North Carolina college football scores
