Cal Bears without 3,000-yard passing QB Fernando Mendoza at No. 9 SMU because of illness

Cal Bears without 3,000-yard passing QB Fernando Mendoza at No. 9 SMU because of illness | iNFOnews.ca
California quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against the Stanford at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

DALLAS (AP) — California starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza was unexpectedly out for the Bears’ regular-season finale Saturday at ninth-ranked SMU because of illness.

Chandler Rodgers started in place of Mendoza, the sophomore who has thrown for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.

Mendoza last week became the seventh player in school history with a 3,000-yard passing season, throwing for 299 yards and three TDs in a 24-21 win over Stanford that got the Golden Bears bowl eligible. He led Cal on a 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter, completing 6 of 7 passes for 86 yards with a 22-yard TD to Jonathan Brady with 2:40 left in the game.

Cal Bears without 3,000-yard passing QB Fernando Mendoza at No. 9 SMU because of illness | iNFOnews.ca
California quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) walks off the field after a loss to Syracuse in an NCAA college football game against Syracuse, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group via AP)

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