After both teams went 1-4 in October, Virginia and Cal return from bye weeks with a limited path to potential bowl games.
Both squads carry three-game losing streaks into Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference contest in Charlottesville, Va.
Virginia (4-5, 2-4 ACC) must win two of its last three games, while Cal (3-6, 2-4) needs to sweep its last three for bowl eligibility.
The Cavaliers have another home game against North Carolina on Nov. 21 before visiting rival Virginia Tech on Nov. 28. The Golden Bears return home for the Big Game vs. Stanford on Nov. 21 and host Pitt in the Nov. 28 regular-season finale.
Both teams are looking for answers on defense. Virginia was drilled 51-7 by then-No. 14 Wake Forest the last time out, while Cal has dropped its last three games by 34, 39 and 21 points.
First-year Golden Bears coach Tosh Lupoi boasts a defensive background, including stints as the defensive coordinator at Oregon and Alabama and coaching defensive lines with three NFL teams, but the results have not been there.
"This is a guy that's learning, growing. But now it's time," Cal general manager Ron Rivera said during a recent radio appearance on KNBR. "These last three games, hopefully four, the trajectory has to be going north. We have to show that we are growing, there has been some growth and development of our players, our team, and the culture is getting stronger. Those are all things that you have to have going forward."
Cal ranks 15th in the ACC in scoring defense (31.6 points per game), 15th in rushing defense (184.6 yards per game) and 14th in sacks (15).
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is expected to remain the quarterback for the Golden Bears. He has completed 67.4% of his passes for 1,751 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions in eight games but has lost his last five contests.
The season has been a step backward for Virginia under fifth-year head coach Tony Elliott after finishing 11-3 with a Gator Bowl victory last season.
"We've got to get back to being the team that we were to start the year," Elliott said Monday on Virginia's YouTube channel.
"It's not like we're just busting a bunch of plays or turning the ball over all the time," he added. "It's the simple, routine plays that we got to get back to making. And that's what the focus was (during the bye week)."
Elliott said the entire depth chart would be reevaluated after the lopsided loss to Wake Forest, which means backup quarterback Eli Holstein could see more playing time. The Pitt transfer has completed 24 of 34 passes for 282 yards, three TDs and no picks in four games in relief of starter Beau Pribula.
--Field Level Media