Cal vs. SMU 2025 Recap: Bears Stun Mustangs in Thriller, 38-35

BERKELEY, CA —  It was a chilly night in Berkeley for the final regular-season game of the year. The California Golden Bears and SMU Mustangs faced off in Strawberry Canyon. The Bears, with nothing to lose, and the Mustangs with playoff aspirations. Much like the season, this game was a rollercoaster of emotions with fans on both sides on the edges of their seats. So with that in mind, let’s recap this 2025 finale between the Cal Golden Bears vs. the SMU Mustangs.

Cal vs. SMU 2025 College Football Recap

Epic First Half

There were a lot of emotions in the stadium pregame festivities. With it being the first game with a new head coach since 2016, and the fact that it was senior night, this wasn’t any ordinary night for Cal. And, it showed on the football field.

Both teams’ offenses struggled on their first possessions, with each resulting in a punt. The Bears would eventually go down and kick a 40-yard field goal to go up 3-0. However, they were not done after that.

Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter to give the team a nice lead. And, the true freshman was impressive for the entirety of the contest. The story of the first half, though, is the defense.

Cal held SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings and the Mustang offense to just 128 yards of total offense. That included an interception which resulted in a touchdown for the Bears just plays later. A missed field at the end of the half kept the Bears from scoring more, but the performance in the first half was night and day compared to last weekend.

A Finish Too Close for Comfort

The third quarter looked very good for Cal. Offensively, they didn’t miss a step from the first half. They didn’t run the ball as effectively, but Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele took things into his own hands.

Both teams scored a touchdown in the third quarter to keep the score deficit the same heading into the fourth quarter. And, that’s when things got stressful. The Mustangs scored a touchdown on three straight offensive possessions, with Cal only able to match two touchdowns of their own. It’s hard to say what the offensive staff for SMU figured out late in the game, but the Bears couldn’t stop them from driving late. Luckily for Cal, JKS came to the rescue.

After dominating the entire game, Cal lost the lead with a little over two minutes to go. In what might have been the best drive all season for Cal, JKS stepped up to the plate. The freshman led the Bears down the field for a touchdown to take the lead back with around 40 seconds remaining. SMU would drive down the field in their ensuing possession. However, they would miss the game-tying field goal and lose their spot in the ACC title game.

A Winning Season for Cal

With this win, Cal improved to 7-5 on the season. And, in hindsight, it’s not too shabby for a team that everyone counted out before the season began.

Tonight was a night of heroes, and there were plenty of them. Players who never got a chance all season, such as Cole Boscia, Javien Plummer, Quaron Adams, John Tofi Jr., and many others, all played a huge part in the win. It was nice to finally see a missed kick at the end of regulation go Cal’s way for once.

True freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele had a massive game as well. He finished with 330 yards passing and four touchdown passes while completing 78-percent of his throws. When the Bears needed him most, he delivered. Perhaps the game was a look into the future for Cal, who has a ton of question marks heading into the offseason. Yet, the game was something the program can build off of.

The Bears channeled all of their emotions from the past week into this game, and it was evident from the jump. Who knows what’s going to happen in the upcoming weeks. However, this game meant a lot, to a lot of people. For Cal to walk away victorious like that means something. Now, we wait on the head coach search and the bowl game announcement.