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10/24 14:45 CDT Kevin Jennings breaks SMU's TD passing record as No. 23
Mustangs beat Cal 59-20
Kevin Jennings breaks SMU's TD passing record as No. 23 Mustangs beat Cal 59-20
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer
DALLAS (AP) --- Kevin Jennings threw three touchdowns to break SMU's career
record, Kendrick Raphael ran for 104 yards while accounting for three scores,
two on fourth-down plays, and the No. 23 Mustangs beat California 59-20 on
Saturday.
The Mustangs (6-1, 4-1 ACC) trailed at halftime before scoring touchdowns on
their first six drives after the break. The second of those scores was
Jennings' record-breaking 73rd career TD pass, a 21-yarder to Derek McFall, and
the third-year starting quarterback added to that with a 17-yarder to Jalen
Hale with 6:29 left.
Jennings, already SMU's career leader for passing yards (9,766) and completions
(781), surpassed the 72 TD passes by Tanner Mordecai from 2021-22. Jennings had
tied that mark with his 22-yard fourth-down pass to Raphael in the first
quarter and finished 16 of 23 passing for 223 yards.
Freshman running back Christian Rhodes had TD runs of 5 and 3 yards in SMU's
scoring surge in the second half, which Cal (3-5, 2-3) opened with three
consecutive three-and-outs.
SMU had 306 of its 492 total yards after halftime.
Raphael's other fourth-down touchdown came on a 1-yard run that tied the game
at 17-17 with 1:57 left before halftime. Towns McGough then made a half-ending
field goal to put Cal up 20-17.
When California beat SMU 38-35 in last year's regular-season finale, a loss
that kept the Mustangs from making the Atlantic Coast Conference championship
game for the second year in a row, Raphael scored a game-winning 2-yard TD run
in the final minute for the Bears.
Cal's left-handed quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele started for the first
time in three games since a concussion late in the first half Oct. 3 at UNLV.
He completed 27 of 37 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown. He threw for 330
yards and four TDs in last year's win over SMU.
The takeaway California: The Bears have lost four of their last five games. Sagapolutele missed the win over Virginia Tech two weeks ago, and Jackson Brousseau started again last week, though Sagapolutele threw a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the 41-7 loss to Wake Forest. SMU: The Mustangs, who scored TDs on seven consecutive drives overall, are 11-0 at home and 18-3 overall in ACC games since joining that league in 2024. ... SMU is 24-2 in its last 26 home games while averaging 44 points in those games. ... Jennings is 25-8 as their starter.
Up next California is at N.C. State for the second of three consecutive road games next Saturday. SMU plays its only road game in a seven-week stretch at Syracuse. The Mustangs also had five home games and an open date in that span. ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here
The takeaway California: The Bears have lost four of their last five games. Sagapolutele missed the win over Virginia Tech two weeks ago, and Jackson Brousseau started again last week, though Sagapolutele threw a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the 41-7 loss to Wake Forest. SMU: The Mustangs, who scored TDs on seven consecutive drives overall, are 11-0 at home and 18-3 overall in ACC games since joining that league in 2024. ... SMU is 24-2 in its last 26 home games while averaging 44 points in those games. ... Jennings is 25-8 as their starter.
Up next California is at N.C. State for the second of three consecutive road games next Saturday. SMU plays its only road game in a seven-week stretch at Syracuse. The Mustangs also had five home games and an open date in that span. ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here
