Bears running back Jaivian Thomas and offensive tackle Nick Morrow also unavailable for Saturday;'s game
Cal quarterack Fernando Mendoza, who was named the ACC quarterback of he week for his play last week against Stanford, will not play against SMU today because of an illness, as reported by Cal's pregame radio show.
As a result, quarterback Chandler Rodgers will make his first start as a member of the Cal team. He is a better runner than Mendoza, but he has known his ability to pass like Mendoza. Also unavailable for Cal today are running back Jaivian Thomas, the teams' leading rusher, and starting offensive tackle Nick Morrow.
Thomas has rushed for 598 yards and 6.6 yards-per-carry average as the backup to Jaydn Ot, who will again be the starting running back but is averaging 2.9 yards per carry. Mendoza's absence is due to an illness, not an injury, so presumably he would be available for Cal's bowl games, but he will not play against ninth-ranked SMU in Dallas. Cal was already a 12-point underdog in the game, and this information may change the spread even more.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Big Game: Fernando Mendoza delivers more heroics as Cal beats Stanford for fourth straight yearLed by Mendoza, Cal overcame a 14-point deficit to win the 127th Big Game
Read more »
Cal, CFP Bowl Projections: Most Experts Say Cal Headed to LA BowlTen sites we cited still predict that just one ACC team will be in the College Football Playoff
Read more »
Report: Cal Commit Sagapolutele to Visit Cal This Week, Georgia Next WeekStandout Hawaiian QB Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele is now ranked among the top 20 prospects in the class of 2025 by one recruiting site
Read more »
Cal State is trying to save its smallest campus by merging it with Cal PolyA merger between Cal Poly and Cal Maritime is expected to pass a final vote by Cal State tomorrow after being approved in committee today.
Read more »
Cal State is saving its smallest campus by merging it with Cal PolyIn a bid to forestall its financial disintegration, Cal Maritime, California’s smallest public university, is merging with one of the state’s most selective and financially stable universities, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Read more »
Cal breaks game open in second half, beats Cal Poly 91-73Jovan Blacksher Jr. scored 18 points, Andrej Stojakovic added 15 and California erased Cal Poly’s early double-digit lead, going on to a 91-73 victory on Tuesday night. Blacksher hit four 3-pointers and the Golden Bears went 11 of 26 from the arc in improving to 2-0 for the first time since the 2019-20 season they opened with four wins.
Read more »