Odd Starting Time Set for Cal's Home Game Against SMU

The starting time for Cal’s home game against SMU on Saturday was announced by the ACC on Sunday morning, and the game will begin at an odd time.

The game will begin at 5 p.m., and will be televised by ESPN2. That means the game will start at 8 p.m. Eastern time and 7 p.m. in Dallas, which is where SMU is located.

This will be final regular-season game for Cal (6-5, 3-4 ACC), and the Bears will be a significant underdog against SMU (8-3, 6-1 ACC). The Mustangs are one of three ACC teams with one conference loss atop the ACC standings, along with Virginia and Pitt.

If SMU beats Cal, the Mustangs will earn a berth in the ACC championship game for the second straight year.

If Cal upsets SMU, the Mustangs could still earn a spot in the conference title game but SMU would need help from results in other games next weekend.

The 5 p.m. start means Cal will play another game that will finish under the lights. Four of the Bears’ six home games season will have been night games, the only day games being a 3 p.m. start for the game against Texas Southern and a 12:45 p.m. kickoff against Virginia.

Overall eight of Cal’s 12 games will be night games, and that does not include a 3:30 p.m. Eastern time start against Boston College and the 4:30 p.m. kickoff against Stanford.

It appears that Cal will have a steady diet of night games home and away while it is a member of the ACC. It provides television networks a convenient place to put the games involving West Coast teams in a conference made up mostly of East Coast teams.

Cal has a 4-3 record in night games this season, and that includes a 2-1 mark in night-time home games.

The Bears’ game against SMU will be the Mustangs first visit to Berkeley since 1957. Cal lost that game 13-6, and the only other time Cal played SMU was last season’s game in Dallas, and SMU won that contest 38-6

Cal is coming off a disappointing 31-10 loss to Stanford on Saturday, a game in which fumbles doomed the Bears. The Cardinal’s first two touchdowns were scored by its defense on fumble recoveries returned for touchdowns. The Cardinal’s third touchdown was scored after Stanford recovered a Cal fumble at the Bears’ 20-yard line.

SMU defeated Louisville 38-6 on Saturday in the Mustangs final home game of the season. Louisville played that game without starting quarterback Miller Moss and its top two running backs, Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown.

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