California vs SMU rivalry
SMU leads the series 2-1 in meetings on record since 1957.
UPCOMINGNext meeting
California 
vs 
SMU
vs SMU 2026-10-24 · TBD
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
All-time series
California 13 meetings since 19572 SMU
Series leader: SMU.
See the full all-time California vs SMU head-to-head record and every meeting on record.
By decade
1950s 0 1
2020s 1 1
Series notes
Meetings played3
Series wins, California1 of 3
Series wins, SMU2 of 3
Decided by 3 points or fewer1 of 3
Side by side, 2026 season
California SMU - 27.0 12th
- Points per game
- 34.6 9th
- 26.6 15th
- Points allowed
- 23.0 8th
- 396.0 12th
- Total yards per game
- 484.2 3rd
- 5.5 14th
- Yards per play
- 7.0 3rd
- 95.0 16th
- Rush yards per game
- 138.2 12th
- 301.0 5th
- Pass yards per game
- 346.0 1st
- 20.0 13th
- First downs per game
- 23.8 5th
- 34.7% 13th
- Third-down rate
- 51.6% 2nd
- +1 6th
- Turnover margin
- -4 16th
- 9 1st
- Takeaways
- 5 11th
- 10 10th
- Sacks
- 17 2nd
- 9 7th
- Sacks allowed
- 6 4th
- 86.8 16th
- Penalty yards per game
- 73.8 11th
- 29:56 9th
- Time of possession
- 29:38 10th
Season totals from CollegeFootballData. Small figure: rank within the ACC; the better side is highlighted.
Recent meetings
Results are read from official box scores and republished after every meeting.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the record in California vs SMU?
SMU leads the series 2-1 in meetings on record since 1957. That is California 1, SMU 2 across 3 meetings on record.
When do California and SMU play next?
The next California vs SMU meeting is around Week 8 of the 2026 season at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.