Cal's Challenge in ACC Finale: SMU's Aggressive Pass Rush

The Mustangs sacked Virginia's quarterback nine times on Saturday in a 33-7 road victory.

Jared Harrison-Hunte sacks Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough. / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Having clinched bowl eligibility, Cal closes the regular season on Saturday with a road game against the best team in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

In particular, No. 9 SMU (10-1, 7-0) will provide a huge test for the Bears’ offense.

The Mustangs are Cal’s equal as the two defensive leaders in the ACC.

SMU clinched a spot in the ACC championship game last weekend with its 33-7 road victory over Virginia.

One statistic from that game jumps off the page: 9 sacks, a season high and just one shy of the program's all-time single-game record.

The Mustangs terrorized Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea. Eight different SMU players had a hand in taking Colandrea down in the backfield, including defensive linemen Jared Harrison-Hunte and Isaiah Smith, who had two sacks apiece.

“Against a guy who’s hard to tackle,” said SMU coach Rhett Lashlee, referring to Colandrea’s running ability. “Probably against like me back there, it’s 16 sacks — at least the older me.”

This will be a challenge for Cal and its offensive line, which has allowed 40 sacks this season — third-most in the ACC and 128th nationally. Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw three touchdown passes against Stanford and was not intercepted, but he was sacked six times.

*** Mendoza talks in the video at the top of this story about his mindset for Cal's 98-yard, game-winning drive against Stanford.

SMU has allowed quarterback Kevin Jennings to be sacked just 12 times in 11 games.

Partly as a result of the sacks, SMU held Virginia to 173 yards of total offense, less than half their season average. Virginia was 3 for 15 on third downs, limited to 2.6 yards per snap and forced to punt seven times.

Virginia was shut out until scoring a meaningless touchdown with 1:42 to play.

While Cal continues to lead the ACC in scoring defense at 20.7 points allowed, the Mustangs are close behind at 21.0.

SMU is second (behind Miami and one spot ahead of Cal) in yards allowed (332.6) and first 95.9 yards allowed) in rushing defense (just ahead of Cal). That rushing number is the lowest by an SMU defense in 43 years.

And now, after adding nine more to their total, the Mustangs have drawn even with Cal at 32 sacks on the season, which is tied for fourth-most in the ACC.

SMU has won eight games in a row since an 18-15 defeat to BYU back on Sept. 6. The Mustangs’ 7-0 conference record is the best by any program making the jump from a mid-major league to a power conference since at least 1978, SMU said.

Cal is 6-5 and 2-5 in the ACC after its 24-21 victory over Stanford, its fourth straight triumph in the Big Game. The Bears are virtually assured of playing in a bowl game for the second straight season.