California Golden Bears vs Florida State Seminoles Matchup

ESPN2 will be covering the California Golden Bears vs. Florida State Seminoles matchup, set for 7:00 ET on Saturday, September 21st, at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. California comes in with a 3-0 record, while Florida State is looking for their first win of the season. The over/under line is 44.5 points, and the Seminoles are the slight -2.5 point favorites at home. The money line odds are +106 for California and -128 for Florida State.

Golden Bears vs. Seminoles Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: California Golden Bears at Florida State Seminoles
Where: Tallahassee at Doak Campbell Stadium
Date: Saturday, September 21st
Betting Odds FLST -2.5, CAH +106 | FLST -128 O/U 44.5

Golden Bears Preview:

California is now 3-0 after a 31-10 victory over San Diego State. The Golden Bears, favored by -19.5 points, not only won but also covered the spread. The game’s over/under was set at 48.5 points, but the teams combined for just 41, resulting in the under hitting.

After leading 7-3 at the half, California dominated the third quarter, adding 14 points while holding San Diego State scoreless. The Aztecs managed just seven points in the fourth quarter, while the Golden Bears added 10 more points to seal the win.

Golden Bears Offense Breakdown

California's offense was dominant in their 31-10 win, racking up 473 total yards and 21 first downs. The ground game was particularly effective, with the Golden Bears rushing for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Jaivian Thomas led the way with 169 yards on 17 carries, averaging 9.9 yards per attempt. The passing game added 198 yards and two touchdowns, with Fernando Mendoza completing 72.4% of his passes for 198 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. His passer rating for the game was 99.5.

Nyziah Hunter was the top receiver for California, recording four catches for 52 yards.

Golden Bears Team Defense

California's defense was effective in their last game, holding San Diego State to just 10 points and 276 total yards. The Golden Bears' secondary came up with two interceptions, but they did allow one passing touchdown and 166 yards through the air. Against the run, they were solid, giving up only 110 yards on 35 carries.

Seminoles Preview:

Seminoles Offense Breakdown

Florida State's offense struggled in their 20-12 loss to Memphis, totaling just 238 yards and 12 points. The Seminoles managed only 37 rushing yards on 24 attempts, with their only rushing touchdown coming from DJ Uiagalelei. In the passing game, Uiagalelei completed 16 of 30 passes for 201 yards, with one interception and a passer rating of 60.56.

Malik Benson was the top receiver for the Seminoles, recording five receptions for 99 yards. Florida State's offense will need to improve their ground game and protect Uiagalelei better to be more effective in the next game.

Seminoles Team Defense

Florida State's defense will look to improve after giving up 337 yards in their most recent game. Memphis found success through the air, throwing for 272 yards and two touchdowns while completing 25 of 39 pass attempts. The Seminoles' defense did manage to pick off one pass, but they'll need to tighten up against the pass in their next game. On the ground, Florida State was more effective, holding Memphis to just 65 rushing yards.

Golden Bears vs Seminoles Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last five road contests, California has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 22 points per game.
In their last ten games at home, the Florida State Seminoles have a straight up record of 8-2 while going 7-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 30 points per game in this stretch.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the California Golden Bears have a straight up record of 2-8. But, their mark vs the spread was just 5-5.
As the betting favorite, the Florida State Seminoles have an ATS mark of just 4-6 in their last ten games. Florida State posted a straight up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.