Cal Plays a Morning Game at SMU on October 24

Cal football fans will have to get up early to watch the Bears play nationally ranked SMU on television on Saturday, October 24.

The ACC announced on Monday that Cal’s October 24 game against 24th-ranked SMU will begin at 9 a.m. Pacific time, which is noon Eastern time. The game will start in the morning local time as kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Dallas, which is where SMU is located.

The game will be televised on The CW.

Cal (3-3, 2-1 ACC) is coming off a 25-20 victory over Virginia Tech, and the Bears play a night game this week, when they host 21st-ranked Wake Forest (5-1, 3-1 ACC) in a game that will start at 7:30 p.m.

The Bears will then switch their biological clock the following week when they play SMU (4-1, 2-1) in the morning. It will be interesting to see how Cal officials handle that game logistically so that the Bears’ bodies will be ready for that early start.

Even if Cal’s players are completely alert for the game against the Mustangs, it will be a challenge to beat SMU on the Mustangs' home field.

SMU is 3-0 at home this year after going 5-1 at home last season, when its only loss at home was a double-overtime defeat against Baylor.

The Mustangs have not lost a single conference home game since they joined the ACC, along with Cal and Sanford, prior to the 2024 season. In fact, SMU has not lost a conference home game in any conference since 2022.

And the Bears will try to end that SMU home dominance in a game that begins at breakfast time in Berkeley.

Cal upset SMU last season 38-35 in Berkeley, but the last time the Bears played a road game against SMU, the Mustangs handed Cal a 38-6 defeat in 2024.

This season the Mustangs have won two straight games since its 41-31 road loss to Louisville back on September 19. This week, SMU hosts Virginia on Saturday in a game that also starts at 11 a.m. Dallas time, so the Mustangs will be used to the unusual starting time when they host Cal.

Cal will have its hands full this week against Wake Forest, which climbed into the top-25 this week for the first time in four years.

Cal is hoping to have quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, running back Adam Mohammed and safety Kingston Lopa back this week after all three sat out the game against Virginia Tech.  The status of all three is uncertain at the moment.

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