California Postgame Notes At No. 9 SMU (11-30-2024)

Charles Woodson (2) and Miles Williams (4) played in their final regular-season games for the Bears.

Photo by: Al Sermeno/KLC fotos

11/30/2024 5:19 PM | Football

QB Chandler Rogers Makes First Career Start For Golden Bears

By: Cal Athletics

California and SMU played Saturday for the first time in over 67 years when SMU was a 13-7 winner in Berkeley on Sept. 21, 1957. After today's 38-6 win over the Golden Bears, SMU now leads the all-time series, 2-0.
Despite today's loss, Cal is bowl-eligible with a 6-6 final regular-season record and will learn of its 2024 bowl selection on Sunday, Dec. 8. Cal will play in its second bowl in as many seasons after an appearance in the 2023 Independence Bowl to mark its first back-to-back bowl appearances since 2018 and 2019 at the Cheez-It Bowl and RedBox Bowl.
QB Fernando Mendoza did not play due to illness, ending his string of consecutive starts at 19.
QB Chandler Rogers made his first start at Cal and the 29th of his career. He previously started 18 games at Louisiana-Monroe (2021-22) and 10 at North Texas (2023).
QB C.J. Harris made his first career appearance at Cal and 11th overall after taking over in the third quarter for injured starter Chandler Rogers. Harris played in 10 games with four starts in four seasons at Ohio from 2020-23.
The 60-yard completion from C.J. Harris to Nyziah Hunter tied for Cal's third-longest play of the season, while it was also the second-longest pass play, a career-long reception for Hunter and a Cal career-long completion for Harris.
RB Jaydn Ott moved into 10th on Cal's all-time rushing list and now has 2,513 career yards.
PK Ryan Coe made field goals in both of his attempts with his second a 53-yarder that made him the first Cal player to ever have three field goals of 53 yards or more in a single season, as well as the first Golden Bear with four field goals of 51 yards or more in a campaign.
Cal had 24 seniors potentially play their final regular-season game today including WR Mavin Anderson, ILB Hunter Barth, ILB Teddye Buchanan, RB Kadarius Calloway, OLB Xavier Carlton, PK Ryan Coe, DL Ricky Correia, WR Trond Grizzell, DB Marcus Harris, DB Lu-Magia Hearns III, ILB Liam Johnson, TE Jeffrey Johnson, DB Matthew Littlejohn, OL Will McDonald, OLB David Reese, OL Rush Reimer, QB Chandler Rogers, OL T.J. Session, OL Victor Stoffel, DL Derek Wilkins, DB Miles Williams, DB Nohl Williams, P Lachlan Wilson and DB Craig Woodson. Cal has several other seniors on the roster who did not play on Saturday.
Woodson and Miles Williams are the team's lone sixth-year seniors who have spent their entire collegiate careers at Cal.
Cal Offensive Starters: X Nyziah Hunter, LT Frederick Williams III, LG Rush Reimer, C Will McDonald, RG Bastian Swinney, RT T.J. Session, TE Corey Dyches, TE Jack Endries, QB Chandler Rogers, RB Jaydn Ott, Z Tobias Merriweather
Cal Defensive Starters: DT Nate Burrell, DT Aidan Keanaaina, OLB Xavier Carlton, ILB Hunter Barth, ILB Teddye Buchanan, OLB David Reese, CB Marcus Harris, S Miles Williams, S Craig Woodson, CB Nohl Williams, NB Matthew Littlejohn
Captains: TE Jack Endries, QB Fernando Mendoza, DB Miles Williams, DB Craig Woodson
Attendance: 33,178