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No. 23 SMU Beats Cal 59-20 as Jennings Breaks Program Touchdown Record

Cal led 20-17 at halftime in Dallas on Saturday. SMU then scored 42 points without reply, and Kevin Jennings threw the 73rd and 74th touchdown passes of his career to break the program record.

By Orbit Post2 min read
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No. 23 SMU Beats Cal 59-20 as Jennings Breaks Program Touchdown Record

Key points

  • No. 23 SMU beat California 59-20 at Gerald J.
  • Cal outscored SMU 13-7 in the second quarter and went into the break ahead 20-17.
  • Quarterback Kevin Jennings threw three touchdown passes for SMU, and the second of them made program history.

No. 23 SMU beat California 59-20 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas on Saturday, October 24, 2026, in a game the Golden Bears led at halftime before the Mustangs scored every point in the second half. SMU improved to 6-1 on the season. Cal fell to 3-5.

A game that turned at halftime

Cal outscored SMU 13-7 in the second quarter and went into the break ahead 20-17. The Mustangs had opened the scoring day with 10 points in the first quarter, but Cal answered with a touchdown in the first and two scores in the second to take the lead. Nothing about the first half pointed to what followed. SMU scored 21 points in the third quarter and 21 more in the fourth, while Cal did not score again. The second half finished 42-0, and a three point game at halftime became a 39 point win.

Jennings breaks the record

Quarterback Kevin Jennings threw three touchdown passes for SMU, and the second of them made program history. His 21 yard pass to Derrick McFall with 7:26 left in the third quarter was the 73rd touchdown pass of his career, breaking the SMU career record, and it put the Mustangs ahead 31-20. Jennings added one more touchdown pass later in the game to reach 74 for his career. His three scoring throws on the day went to Kendrick Raphael, to McFall and to Jalen Hall.

Raphael and Rhodes carry the ground game

Kendrick Raphael faced his former team and hurt them in two ways. The former Cal running back carried 22 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns for SMU, and he also caught a 22 yard touchdown pass from Jennings. Christian Rhodes scored two rushing touchdowns in the third quarter, from 5 yards and from 3 yards, as the Mustangs pulled away during the period that decided the game.

Cal fades after the break

Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele completed 27 of 37 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown. His offense produced seven points in the first quarter and 13 in the second, then nothing in the second half against an SMU defense that held Cal scoreless for the final two quarters. The win also kept a home run going for the Mustangs: SMU is now 11-0 in conference home games since joining the ACC, a mark reported by Sports Illustrated.

Timeline

  1. Oct 24, 2026Cal leads SMU 20-17 at halftime at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas.
  2. Oct 24, 2026Kevin Jennings throws his 73rd career touchdown pass, 21 yards to Derrick McFall in the third quarter, breaking the SMU program record.
  3. Oct 24, 2026SMU beats Cal 59-20 after outscoring the Golden Bears 42-0 in the second half.

Sources