It won't exactly be like looking in a mirror, but Virginia and California have several things in common as they prepare to meet Saturday in Scott Stadium.

Both schools got off to 2-1 starts to the season, only to falter recently. Each beat Syracuse by three points, got blown out by Wake Forest and fell to SMU. And neither has much margin for error if it hopes to sneak into the bowl lineup.

Otherwise, the teams have different personalities. Here are three Golden Bears that should be on Virginia's radar entering Saturday's matchup (3:30 p.m., ACC Network):

1. QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele

Just a true sophomore, the left-hander has already surpassed 5,000 career passing yards. He threw for a career-high 413 yards and three touchdowns in an early-season romp over Wagner, and he's followed in a long line of Cal quarterbacks that includes Aaron Rodgers, Jared Goff, and Fernando Mendoza.

He has a strong left arm, can make almost every throw, and is considered a possible 2028 NFL draft pick. But his individual accomplishments haven't translated into team success, and there's growing speculation that he'll transfer after the 2026 season.

Cal has lost five of its last six games, and its lone victory in that span -- a wild 25-20 victory over Virginia Tech -- came with Sagapolutele on the sideline with an injury. Backup Jackson Brousseau threw for 321 yards and a touchdown against the Hokies.

Still, Sagapolutele is dangerous. The Cavaliers intercepted him twice last season in a 31-21 win in Berkeley and hope to repeat that on Saturday.

2. WR Chase Hendricks

Cal's offense is about as one-dimensional as it gets. The Bears rank 137th out of 138 FBS schools in rushing, averaging a mere 82.8 yards per game. Only Sam Houston (74.7) is less productive.

That means lots of passes, and Hendricks is usually the first option. The 6-foot, 195-pound senior transfer leads the Bears with 61 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns.

He topped 1,000 receiving yards last season at Ohio, so he'll be a handful for a Virginia secondary that has given up multiple big plays but should be healthier after a bye week.

3. S Kingston Lopa

Cal's defense ranks 13th among 17 ACC teams, allowing 392 yards and 31.6 points per game. Just imagine where the Bears would be without Lopa.

The senior safety is tied for second in the nation with five interceptions. Three of them came against Syracuse, including one pick-six. He's a semifinalist for two major awards: the Chuck Bednarik (given to the nation's top defensive player) and the Jim Thorpe (best defensive back).

Beau Pribula will need to account for Lopa on every throw he makes on Saturday.