Cal faces No. 23 SMU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium Saturday

Cal prepares for No. 23 SMU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium

Kickoff is set for 9 a.m. PT Saturday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas.

Series history shows SMU leads 2‑1, with Cal’s most recent win coming 38‑35 at Berkeley against a 21st‑ranked Mustangs team last season.

Cal enters the game after a 41‑7 loss to now‑17th‑ranked Wake Forest and has won its two previous matchups against AP Top 25 opponents, though its overall record in such games since the start of the 2021 campaign is 3‑17.

Senior quarterback Kevin Jennings leads the ACC with an average of 305.6 passing yards per game for SMU. The Mustangs also feature senior running back Kendrick Raphael, a former Cal transfer who has rushed for 537 yards and six touchdowns this season.

For Cal, senior quarterback Jaron‑Keawe Sagapolutele is expected to start after missing the Virginia Tech game with a concussion and returning off the bench against Wake. He previously posted a career‑high 330 yards and four touchdowns in the prior year’s win over SMU.

Running back Ashten Emory was not listed on the latest injury report and is presumed available. Wide receivers Ian Strong and Jordan King are listed as questionable, while RB Adam Mohammed, DT Nate Burrell and TE Dorian Thomas are out.

First‑year head coach Pat McCann continues to serve as play caller, a role he assumed in the second half of the UNLV game.