BERKELEY — Freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele delivered his first four-touchdown efficiency and Cal held off a livid comeback effort by No. 21 SMU to assert a 38-35 victory within the Bears’ first recreation since coach Justin Wilcox’s firing.
Kendrick Raphael scored the game-winning landing on 2-yard run with 43 seconds left, a play during which he was tackled by Alexander Kilgore however rolled over the linebacker and into the top zone.
SMU had scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns after the Bears took a 31-14 lead. T.J. Harden put the Mustangs in entrance 35-31 with 2:22 left on a 1-yard run to cap a five-play, 73-yard drive.
California Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (3) throws a go towards Southern Methodist Mustangs within the first half of their recreation at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
However Sagapolutele and the Bears weren’t accomplished.
They drove 75 yards in seven performs, with Sagapolutele hitting Cole Boscia with a 23-yard completion to the 5. Two performs later, Raphael scored on his thirty third carry of the evening, finishing a 111-yard recreation.
SMU redshirt freshman Sam Keltner missed broad proper on a 52-yard area aim with 3 seconds left and Sagapolutele took a knee to finish the sport.
The Bears improved to 7-5 total and 4-4 in convention play of their regular-season finale and prevented a shedding convention document for the primary time since 2009. They are going to study their bowl task subsequent Sunday.
Within the course of, in addition they derailed the Mustangs’ hopes of reaching the ACC championship recreation for the second 12 months in a row. SMU (8-4, 6-2) misplaced simply its second regular-season convention recreation since becoming a member of the ACC in 2024.
Sagapolutele completed 31 for 40 for 330 yards and 4 touchdowns with out a turnover. Jacob De Jesus caught 12 passes for 97 yards, one among 4 receivers who hauled in touchdowns for the Bears.
The Bears led 17-7 at halftime and had been up 31-14 after Sagapolutele fired a 15-yard TD go to QuaRon Adams on the primary play of the fourth quarter.
However the Mustangs by no means panicked. They scored on consecutive possessions, first when quarterback Kevin Jennings went in on a 3-yard keeper with 12:58 left within the fourth.
California Golden Bears normal supervisor Ron Rivera walks the sidelines within the first half of their recreation at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
After forcing Cal to punt for simply the second time, SMU marched 71 yards in 11 performs, with Jennings throwing a 20-yard TD to broad receiver Jordan Hudson with 7:59 left, pulling the Mustangs inside 31-28.
Cal dominated all however one play within the first half to guide 17-7.
Sagapolutele threw touchdowns of 35 yards to broad receiver Jaiven Plummer — simply the second profession catch by the sophomore — and seven yards to De Jesus, the latter following a go interception and 14-yard return to the 17 by freshman security Aiden Manutai.
Sagpolutele’s second TD put the Bears up by 10 with 10:29 left within the half. Cal had an opportunity so as to add to its lead however Abram Murray was broad proper on a 46-yard area aim attempt with 1:13 left earlier than intermission.
SMU’s solely first-half landing got here on a 54-yard run by Chris Johnson Jr., placing the Mustangs in entrance 10-7 with 1:37 to play within the first quarter.
In any other case, Cal had its approach within the half. The Bears racked up 208 yards on 41 snaps whereas SMU was restricted to 127 yards (73 aside from the TD run) on 26 performs.
