The Cal­ifornia football team closes the regular season with a 12:30 p.m. PT kickoff at No. 9 SMU on Saturday. The Golden Bears (6-5, 2-5 ACC) and Mustangs (10-1, 7-0 ACC) will meet for the second time in history.
 
SATURDAY LINEUP
Venue: Gerald J. Ford Stadium (University Park, Texas)
Time: 12:30 p.m. PT
Television (ESPN2): Brian Custer (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), Lauren Sisler (sideline)
Cal Bears Sports Network Powered By Northern California Toyota Dealers: 810 AM
Justin Allegri (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (analyst), Scott Butler (sideline); SiriusXM Ch. 391 SXM App 981, The Varsity App 
 
THE LAST TIME CAL PLAYED SMU …
–  The Mustangs were a 13-7 winner in the only meeting ever between the teams in Berkeley just over 67 years ago on Sept. 21, 1957.
 
CAL …
– Became bowl eligible for the second straight season after recording its sixth win of the campaign last Saturday against Stanford and is bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2018 and 2019.
– Has outscored opponents by a total of 79 points during the 2024 season, 307-228, with its six wins by an average of 16.0 points per game and its five losses by an average of 3.4 points per contest.
– Features the ACC's top scoring defense (20.7 ppg) allowing 12.1 points per game fewer than the 32.8 it gave up in 2023, while also leading the conference in turnover margin (+13, +1.18 per game).
– Is tied for second in the nation with 17 interceptions and is among the country's top 15 in a total of five team categories related to turnovers, also including turnover margin (T3rd), turnovers gained (T8th, 22), fumbles lost (T11th, 3) and turnovers lost (T15th, 9).
– Is ranked in the top 40 nationally in several team categories, including completion percentage (14th, 67.4), team passing efficiency defense (16th 112.22), rushing defense (17th, 106.4 ypg), team sacks (T19th, 2.82 spg), passing offense (21st, 276.1 ypg), defensive touchdowns (T21st, 2), passes had intercepted (T22nd, 6), blocked kicks (T22nd, 2), net punting (29th, 40.96 avg), scoring defense (T29th, 20.7 ppg), third down conversion percentage defense (33rd, 34.4%), total defense (38th, 334.6 ypg), kickoff returns (38th, 22.00), kickoff return defense (39th, 18.38) and red zone defense (T40th, .800).
– Has not forced a takeway in the last two games after a previous string of 11 straight contests with at least one dating back to the final two games of the 2023 campaign.
 
CAL'S DALLAS DB DUO, TEXAS TIES …
– Cal's starting safety duo of Miles Williams (Mansfield/Mansfield HS) and Craig Woodson (Grand Prairie/South Grand Prairie HS) both hail from the Dallas area.
– Williams and Woodson are Cal's lone two sixth-year seniors who have spent their entire collegiate careers with the Golden Bears and are starting together for the first time in 2024.
- Woodson is the only Cal player to start all of the team's last 36 games over the past two-plus seasons and has career totals of 235 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss (-21 yards), 16 pass breakups, five interceptions that he has returned for 41 yards and one touchdown, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two quarterback hurries and one blocked kick.
- Wlliams did not become a starter until this season after playing in 37 games off the bench and primarily on special teams over his first five seasons but has started all 11 games this season.
- Wlliams and Woodson are two of Cal's 20 players who claim Texas hometowns with the others including OL Syris Corley (Taylor), DB Isaiah Crosby (Manor), DB Collin Gamble (Flower Mound), DB Khamani Hudson (Houston), DL Legend Journey (Arlington), OL Tyler Knape (Austin), DB Matthew Littlejohn (San Antonio), WR Josiah Martin (Corinth), OL Aidan Newbill (Austin), DL Michael-Anthony Okwura (Katy), ILB Eze Osondu (Trophy Club), QB Chandler Rogers (Manfield), DB Marcus Scott II (Houston), DL Curlee Thomas IV (Keller), OLB Serigne Tounkara (League City), RB Jamaal Wiley (Stafford), OL Matthew Wykoff (Magnolia) and DB Ryan Yaites (Denton).
 
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