DALLAS – The undermanned California football team closed out the 2024 regular season with a 38-6 loss at No. 9 SMU on Saturday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

The Golden Bears (6-6, 2-6 ACC) played the contest without starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was unavailable due to illness. Starting inside linebacker Cade Uluave also missed his third straight game due to injury, and running back Jaivian Thomas was also unable to play.

Despite the loss, Cal is still bowl-eligible and will find out what postseason game it is headed to on Sunday, Dec. 8.

Chandler Rogers made his first start for the Bears and completed 8 of 15 passes for 84 yards before departing in the third quarter with an injury. Third-string signal-caller C.J. Harris replaced Rogers to make his first appearance for Cal and was 6-for-11 for 75 yards and an interception.

"Injuries are part of the game. That's the way it goes," Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox said. "Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We obviously didn't give ourselves a chance to win in the first quarter on either side of the ball."

Placekicker Ryan Coe converted on field goal attempts of 40 and 53 yards for the Bears, becoming the first kicker in program history to nail three field goals of at least 53 yards in a single season.

After the Mustangs (11-1, 8-0 ACC), who entered the game having already clinched a spot in next week's ACC championship game, scored touchdowns on three straight possessions in the first quarter, Cal's defense tightened up for most of the remainder of the game to keep the Bears within striking distance. Coe's second field goal cut the deficit to 21-6 early in the fourth quarter, but the Bears could get no closer.

"All of those quarterbacks do a great job preparing," Wilcox said. "I'm proud of the way both Chandler and C.J. stepped up to the challenge. I know they had things they would have liked to have done better, but it was an offensive issue – not just a quarterback issue."

Sixth-year senior Craig Woodson recorded seven tackles and two pass break-ups in the final regular season game of his career.

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