Cal Golden Bears vs. SMU Mustangs 2025 Preview: To Roll a Rolo?

Just one week after their disastrous loss to Stanford, Cal is back at home for their final regular-season game against SMU. A lot has happened following The Big Game; to make it short, this will be Cal’s first game without Justin Wilcox in almost a decade. Offensive analyst Nick Rolovich has been promoted to interim head coach and will be at the helm for the final two games. It should be an interesting end to the season for the Golden Bears, who are looking to pick up their seventh win against a very good SMU team. With that in mind, let’s break down this Cal vs. SMU 2025 college football preview.

Cal vs. SMU 2025 College Football Preview

Matchup History

These two programs will be facing off against each other for the third time ever. As of now, SMU has won both contests and is looking for its third. Last year’s contest was a blowout win for the Mustangs, beating Cal 38-6 in Dallas. SMU is a very good team, and with the recent departure of Justin Wilcox, they smell blood in the water. Either Cal pulls off an upset victory, or SMU punches its ticket to the ACC title game.

Key Players, Stats, and Predictions

Key Players for Cal

If there’s one player hoping for a major bounce back after their performance last week, it’s wide receiver Jacob De Jesus. Earlier in the season, we predicted he would return a kickoff or punt for a touchdown. That still hasn’t happened yet, but what a way to end the season if he could do it Saturday.

De Jesus has been the engine to the car of this offense, and when he’s eating, the offense is moving the ball with ease. Teams know this, and Stanford took advantage of it. With that in mind, Cal has to continue getting him the ball in creative ways. If Cal wins this game, De Jesus will have a major role somehow.

Getting pressure on SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings is tough. He has great pocket awareness and makes a lot of plays with his feet. Keeping him contained in this game is crucial, and that means that TJ Bush has his work cut out for him. Bush has been asked to do a lot with the injuries at that position for Cal, but he’ll have to be up to the task in Week 14.

Cal desperately needs to get Jennings off his spot without overcommitting with blitzes. If Bush and the rest of the defensive line can do that, the Bears will be able to sit back in coverage and force Jennings to take what he has.

Key Players for SMU

Kevin Jennings is one of college football’s best quarterbacks, and he’s having a better season than the one he had last year. As of now, Jennings has thrown for 3113 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He’s very good at extending plays with his feet and keeping his eyes downfield to find open receivers. If the Cal defenders can get their hands on him, they have to finish the play and bring him down. If they can’t, Jennings is going to make them pay.

On the other side of the ball for the Mustangs, they also want to keep Cal off the field as much as possible. SMU has one of the better edge rushers in college right now in defensive end Isaiah Smith. Smith has 17 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and a forced fumble; talk about an absolute menace up front. He’s a big-time game wrecker, and with Cal’s offensive line still struggling, his mouth is watering at the opportunity to have a big game.

2025 Game Preview: What’s Next?

Justin Wilcox getting fired before this game certainly sent shockwaves in the locker room. Contrary to what people thought about Wilcox, the players loved him, and many were emotional following his departure. It’s hard to gauge what the vibe is going to be like, but with it being Senior Night and a new coach under the helm, things are going to be emotional.

Can Cal channel that emotion Saturday night and beat the Mustangs? It’s going to be extremely hard. SMU is rolling at the right time, and with this win, will be playing in the ACC Championship game. If Cal can win, they will be 7-5 with their bowl game yet to be determined.

Prediction: Cal 17 – SMU 31