A season opener in Denton, Texas is just about as far removed as the Bears could be from Berkeley, far away from friends, family and fans — in theory. But Cal facing North Texas in Week 1 actually gives a number of players on the team, as well as some members of the coaching staff, a way to return to their roots.

And perhaps for no one is the Bears’ first matchup of the season more of a full circle moment than for Cal’s first-year offensive line coach Mike Bloesch, who comes to Cal after serving as UNT’s offensive coordinator. Bloesch coached the Mean Green offensive line for two seasons before guiding the quarterbacks last year to close out his three-year stint in Denton.

“When I did accept the job, the first thing I did was look at the schedule, and I just was shocked that that was the way it all lined up,” Bloesch said this week. “For our profession, you just focus on the here and the now, so even last year when I was at North Texas I really hadn’t looked ahead to the 2023 schedule, and so [it is] definitely kind of surreal.”

Bloesch said that his wife and kids, who moved out to the Bay Area with him, will also be making the trip to North Texas to watch the Bears and see friends and family.