California Golden Bears HC Justin Wilcox and Captains Discuss Oregon State Matchup

Soon, the long wait will finally end: Oregon State will kick off its 2025 college football season. 

Saturday night at Reser Stadium, the Beavers will square up with the California Golden Bears. Ahead of both team’s season opener, Golden Bears’ head coach Justin Wilcox, starting quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, and starting inside linebacker Cade Uluave spoke with reporters this week about the upcoming matchup. 

Here are highlights from those conversations.

Cal HC Justin Wilcox on new faces in his coaching staff, and their chemistry together

“Yeah, [they’re] very good. They’re professionals. Really sharp guys. Offense, defense, special teams, the collaboration is excellent. And there’s great communication. There’s a lot of ideas, and then its about what’s right, not who’s right. That’s really what we aim to be as a staff - is finding the best idea - if there’s a better way, we’re always looking to do that, and then once we make a decision as a staff we all move forward together.”

Cal HC Justin Wilcox on the responsibilities given to true freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele

“The quarterback position, regardless of their experience, there’s a lot of responsibility. It’s the most important position in all of sports. Every sport, every position player, it is. I mean, that’s just the reality of it. And it takes everybody: we got to do a great job up front with the offensive line, and not only blocking run and pass but protection calls, and then the receivers making a play or the running game get going, the tight ends doing their part, and us as coaches putting the offense in great positions. So I think its a shared responsibility.”

Cal HC Justin Wilcox’s scouting report on Oregon State’s stars

“I think Murphy’s [starting QB Maalik Murphy] a big guy. He can throw the ball. Very, very highly recruited guy out of southern California, a couple stops now, which its not unique anymore, very very successful last year as a starting quarterback. So he’s got that experience.”

“Hankerson [starting RB Anthony Hankerson] is a tough tackle. He runs very, very hard. He reminds us a bit of Isaiah Ifanse [Cal RB from 2018-23], you remember Ifanse? A very tough guy to tackle, runs really well.”

“Walker [starting WR Trent Walker] is a really smooth route runner. He was really productive for them last year. So they’ve got really good skill players and their O-line, always, traditionally at OSU they’ve always had great O-lines, coach Cav [OL coach Mike Cavanaugh] and that group, they do a fantastic job. Gundy’s [OC Ryan Gunderson] a really good coach.”

Cal QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele on butterflies & nerves before his first career start

[rapidly] “First and foremost, I just want to give all glory to my lord and savior Jesus Christ, just for blessing me with the ability to play this game.”

“Obviously, there’s always nerves before that game, but I think its more good nerves, just excited to go out there and play with my brothers. Just have a fun game and compete at a high level.”

Cal QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele on facing a hostile crowd at Reser Stadium

“I think that’s the best place to start, especially as my first game in college. You know you get everything: you get to go against a great team, you get the background, you get the noise, you get to experience that for the first time, and I just think once you experience that then its only up from there.”

Cal LB Cade Uluave on being named a team captain in 2025

“Man, it’s truly a blessing. It’s a cool opportunity to be named captain, and I’m just super grateful. It also puts me in a role to be a leader on the team, and be someone that everyone can turn to. A resource that everyone has. So being named captain is a blessing, and kind of shows that I’m really dedicated to the team, willing to do whatever, and hopefully that translates to the people; if they see me giving it my all or doing everything I can, hopefully other people follow and they’ll help us throughout the season.”

Cal LB Cade Uluave reflecting on his “Welcome to D1 College Football” moment

[smiles] “Oh man. It was here [at Cal] against Auburn my freshman year. I’m on kickoff, running down, and there’s a hole; it’s wide open. I’m like, ‘oh, this is great’. I’m runnin’ a little bit. There’s a guy on the opposite side of the field running a full head of steam, just heading right for me, and I didn’t see him. So I’m running, and I just get lit up. Blown up. Just absolutely obliterated. And I get back up, I start running again - it kind of took me a minute to actually register what actually happened - I’m running off the sidelines and I’m like, ‘sheesh, I just got smoked’. That was kind of my welcome to college football moment. It taught me to always keep my head on a swivel. You never know.[with enthusiasm] It’s great.”