The commissioner of the Big Sky Conference, Doug Fullerton joined the show this week. I asked him about the atmosphere at Washington-Grizzly stadium this past weekend, the importance of Montana’s victory over North Dakota State, instant replay, and the state of college football.

The Big Sky Conference will implement replay in football and men’s basketball for each sport’s upcoming season. The change means that Cal Poly, who is a member of the conference for football only, will bring replay to home games at Alex G. Spanos stadium beginning in the Fall.

“Not only is replay becoming more prevalent in the rule book, but there is also an expectation that replay will be used when fans watch a game on TV or attend a game,’’ said Big Sky Conference commissioner, Doug Fullerton. “We put a very high-quality product of college athletics on the field, and having replay for our officials will only increase the experience for fans, coaches and student-athletes. I commend the presidents and administrators of our universities for understanding the importance of this technology, and investing the resources to make this a reality.’’

Replay officials will travel to be a part of the same officiating crew throughout the season, mostly for the sake of cohesion. The technology will be provided throughout the conference by DVSport.

The replay technology will be utilized for all home games at Alex G. Spanos Stadium, including the Mustangs’ lone home non-conference game this season against Northern Iowa. That game, on September 19th, is the Mustangs’ home opener.

I reached out to find out details about what the cost of the replay system is at each site. I’ll update the post if/when we get more information.

Opening Day. The excitement. The pageantry.

The unknown.

After Saturday, the Cal Poly football team and their triple option offense could either be rolling downhill with momentum toward a second consecutive FCS playoff birth, or have their playoff train careening off the tracks just as they leave the station.

Their opening game opponent, San Diego, may be an improved team compared with the team they fielded in last year’s opener, when they hung with Cal Poly for about three quarters. Because of that, Cal Poly may be in for a closer game than the blowout that last year’s opener turned out to be. Here are five things to watch for if you’re a Cal Poly fan:

Junior Vince Moraga (15) will be leading Cal Poly’s triple option on Saturday. By Owen Main

Quarterback Play

OK, the quarterback situation is settled – for now. Junior Vince Moraga is starting, and it was probably the right move. Still, after multiple years of solid play from last year’s senior, Andre Broadous, Moraga has big shoes to fill. If Mustang fans expect Moraga to come out and run the offense with the same targeted efficiency as Broadous right away, they’ll be left wanting.

Moraga will develop his own style and play his own game — and it might take a few series, or a few quarters, for fans to get used to the pace of the Vince Moraga-led triple option.

Expect Moraga to make the safe call most of the time, not turn the ball over, and keep the offense moving progressively. Unlike Broadous, who was a dynamic load to tackle, Moraga will be more like a point guard in basketball — working to get the ball to his other skill players in space. A scrum-half in rugby might be another apt comparison, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Moraga is experienced and head coach Tim Walsh is depending on him to make the right read every time in order to keep Cal Poly’s triple-option offensive machinery running smoothly.

Defensive Secondary

The defensive secondary lost only Nico Molino from last season’s group. Molino led FCS in interceptions at one point early last season, so his loss will definitely be felt. That being said, cornerback might be the Mustangs’ deepest position. Vante Smith-Johnson joins Bijon Simoodi to make a pair of cornerbacks with starting experience. The cornerback position is so deep, in fact, that New Mexico State transfer Dominique Love (brother of Cal Poly basketball player Maliik Love) wasn’t even listed on the depth chart as of Thursday night.

Last year, safeties Dave Douglas and Alex Hubbard impressed me a lot in how well they were able to tackle and support the linebackers in the run game. They’ll have to do just as well in pass coverage this year in the pass-happy Big Sky.

The Big Sky Conference is known for teams that can throw the ball successfully. To control the ball, the clock, and the game, Cal Poly will have to defend the pass more than anything. Big plays (or lack thereof) in the defensive secondary are something a team trying to make the playoffs may desperately need.

SagaTuitele (left) is now the sole offensive coordinator for the Mustangs. Tuitele returns for his fifth season. Cal Poly has three new coaches on their staff in 2013. By Owen Main

Who’s toting the rock?

Between Deonte Williams, Kristaan Ivory, Andre Broadous and Akaninyene Umoh, Cal Poly had a generally balanced rushing attack a year ago.

Ivory and Umoh return this season, but it will be of interest to see if Moraga can put up big rushing numbers a’la Broadous. Broadous didn’t pile up ridiculously huge rushing numbers, but was always a threat at the goal line. With a much smaller build, look for Moraga to be much more willing to hand the ball off inside the opponents’ five yard-line.

I would expect Ivory and Umoh to probably carry the ball at least 40 times between the two of them. Cole Stanford, who rushed the ball only 38 times all of last year, may see additional carries as well. The really interesting thing to see will be who else steps-in. Will Moraga gain solid yards? Will Brandon Howe, Kori Garcia, Kenny Mitchell, or Kevin Porsche get a few carries and an opportunity to impress?

By the time the season is over, I can’t see how Ivory doesn’t average at least 100 yards-plus per game, but if Cal Poly is going to be anything close to the offense they were a year ago, at least a few other guys have to step up and carry the ball well on a consistent basis, or teams will start to key on Ivory, who is best when he can get to an edge.

Injuries

Word is that up to seven starters might be out for Cal Poly on Saturday. If I were creating a perfect upset recipe for an upset game, that would probably be the first and most abundant ingredient. Pay attention to who is playing and, maybe more importantly, who isn’t.

Defensive Front-7

The biggest strength of Cal Poly this year is probably the defensive front-7. Defensive tackle Sullivan Grosz has NFL aspirations and will be the leader of this group that will be tough up the middle. In their playoff loss to Sam Houston State last season, Cal Poly’s defense held the Bearkats to 241 yards of total offense, including only 153 yards rushing. SHSU averaged 268 yards rushing and 358 total yards per game on offense throughout the year. Their defense will again be a strength.

Along with Grosz, the defensive line has some horses in Jake Irwin, Andrew Alcaraz, Chris Judge, Chris Lawrence, and Wesley Flowers. New starter Cameron Ontko joins returning starting linebackers Nick Dzubnar and Johnny Millard to round-out a solid group. Grosz was the only Mustang selected first-team all Big-Sky in the preseason, but this group may turn out to be one of the deepest and best front-7’s in the conference.

Cal Poly vs. San Diego

Alex G. Spanos Stadium at Cal Poly

Kickoff – 4:05 PM

Radio – ESPN Radio 1280

Internet Video – WatchBigSky.com

Don Oberhelman has been at the helm of Cal Poly Athletics for nearly two years. Photo courtesy of gopoly.com

This week, Cal Poly Athletic Director Don Oberhelman was kind enough to join the podcast. Oberhelman has been

We talked about Cal Poly athletic facilities, academic standards for athletes, the importance of Big West basketball continuing to get better, and his show of emotion after the football team’s playoff loss to Sam Houston State.

Early in the year, the Cal Poly football team had swagger. You could tell by their words. You could see it in their body language. In conference or out of conference. Confidence was not an issue for Tim Walsh’s team.

Despite clawing and scratching, the Mustangs couldn’t regain their swagger last week at Eastern Washington’s “Inferno.”

Over the past three weeks, Cal Poly has learned a lesson, though. Other teams in the Big Sky have swagger too.

Portland State had swagger. Three weeks ago, they came into Alex G. Spanos Stadium on a drizzly Saturday and gave Cal Poly all they could handle. Going up 7-0 and 14-7, the Vikings were the first team to shut off the corner and start to slow-down Cal Poly’s offense taking control of the “edge.” Tim Walsh’s old school used strong defensive end play to force Cal Poly to go back to running the ball inside between the tackles. Though they lost the game, they gave other teams a blueprint for frustrating Cal Poly’s offense.

Sacramento State had swagger. In an emotional game, the Hornets used the defensive blueprint from the Portland State game to slow down Cal Poly’s offense throughout the game. Sacramento State’s offense also had swagger. His name was Morris Norrise. Norrise knew he was physically more gifted than almost everyone on the field and played like it, racking up 97 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

For the first time, Cal Poly’s frustration and uncertainty began to cut into their swagger. Fumbles were lost at crucial times. Injuries to linemen began to stack-up. Backups didn’t have the same swagger as the starters. It showed.

Last week, Cal Poly went to school. The class: Swagger 101. The Professor: Eastern Washington University.

The Eagles are a team that has a recent National Championship. They boast huge amounts of talent. They play on a red field. They are really good. They have swagger.

While he’s continued to “run like a Mustang,” Cal Poly’s commissioner of swagger — running back Deonte Williams — hasn’t found holes as easily during the past few games.

The assumption of Eagles fans and onlookers is that Eastern Washington will win every game they play this year, especially at home. They are used to winning. They have winning talent across the field. Good programs build on themselves. A National Championship is a great recruiting tool.

Cal Poly was out-played from the beginning of the Eastern Washington game. The one time when the momentum looked like it might be turning Cal Poly intercepted a pass — finally stemming the momentum of the Eagles’ juggernaut offense. Except the defensive back who intercepted the pass promptly fumbled the ball. Fumbles like that are plays teams with swagger shake-off and overcome (see: the beginning of the Sacramento State game). Instead, it broke any momentum the Mustangs might have had.

Teams with swagger are not surprised by winning. EWU averaged 9 wins per year over the last three seasons. They are on-pace for at least that many this year. They are not surprised by scoring. Like Cal Poly, they average over 30 points per game. Their swagger causes teams like Cal Poly to try to do things they don’t usually do. They put unusual pressure on opposing teams on both sides of the ball and also between the ears.

While Cal Poly will not play Montana or Montana State this season, and the Eastern Washington game was not technically a conference game, I have to believe the top teams in this conference have similar swagger.

It’s a major reason the Mustangs joined the conference. But to get more legitimacy than the Great West offered, you have to be able to deal with confident, skilled, and even dominant teams.

Sometimes swagger can annoy opposing fans. Eastern Washington’s television play-by-play guys, featured on Big Sky TV last Saturday, were at times condescending and rude. Already-frustrated Cal Poly fans were not pleased. But when you’re getting your collective butts kicked, there isn’t much anybody can say. Which brings us back to another great thing about swagger.

Without the Yankees and the swagger of their fans, baseball isn’t as much fun. With that swagger, opposing fans have extra reason to care about the game. When teams with swagger-rich fan bases (think Yankees, Lakers, Patriots, Kentucky basketball, Alabama football, etc…) are playing, everyone they play benefits. Fans of their team root harder, opposing teams love to root against them, and the level of fansmanship for everyone is raised.

As they’ve learned so far this year, the Big Sky is a conference laden with swagger. Cal Poly has lost some of theirs over the past few weeks. I don’t know where it went, but to win a conference title, they’ll have to find it again. And then some.

Cal Poly running back Deonte Williams (#10) and quarterback Andre Broadous have led Cal Poly to a fast start. Now, the Mustangs face the most difficult part of their schedule. Photo by Owen Main

Starting today, the Mustangs have to play the toughest stretch of their schedule, going on the road for 3 of the final four games, including visiting top-ranked Eastern Washington in a rare non-conference game versus a Big Sky opponent.

The Good

Cal Poly’s triple option, ball-control offense has proven effective at moving the ball, especially in the second half. They have had more big plays than last season and have survived nagging injuries to two of their running backs. Quarterback Andre Broadous is a senior and has played like one. He has used timely long passes and the knowledge of the offense fans would expect from a senior to establish himself as an extension of Coach Tim Walsh n the field. Walsh depends on Broadous to help make in-game adjustments and to find weaknesses in opposing defenses throughout any game.

While he is currently in second place all-time in rushing touchdowns, Broadous hasn’t had to run the ball himself for much of the first half of the season — a fact Walsh should be thankful for. Last season, Broadous punched it in himself 18 times and going into Saturday’s game, he is 8 scores away from James Noble’s all-time career rushing touchdown record of 35. Walsh has to be happy that he has not had to wear-down Broadous. When Cal Poly is in a tough spot, the ball gets put in Broadous’ hands. Look for the senior quarterback to tally more carries during the next four weeks than he has been during the first seven.

The Scary: the schedule

When this season’s schedule came out, Cal Poly fans saw a real opportunity. Non-conference games against a down Wyoming team and an overrated San Diego, paired with a conference schedule that did not include conference games against top-ranked Eastern Washington,  third-ranked North Dakota, or fourth-ranked Montana State, gave Walsh’s team a strong chance to win the Big Sky in their first season.

While they don’t have to play any of the above teams in-conference, this is the tough part of the schedule. Sacramento State is ranked fourth in the Big Sky (3-2 in conference) and narrowly missed upsetting the top team in FCS last week, losing to Eastern Washington 31-28. The Hornets are probably better than their 5-3 record indicates, having topped FBS Colorado in Boulder earlier in the year. They have been less consistent than the Mustangs, but have shown that they can play with just about anyone.

If Cal Poly survives this week, they get to go on the road to top-ranked Eastern Washington in a non-conference matchup. The Mustangs’ final game is in Flagstaff, AZ against 13th-ranked Northern Arizona, who is 4-0 so far in the tough Big Sky Conference.

What does it mean?

If Cal Poly can get past Sacramento State, an undefeated or one-loss regular season becomes a likelihood rather than a possibility. If the Mustangs lose in the state’s capital, then losses at Eastern Washington and Northern Arizona become more likely and a scenario where Cal Poly loses 3 games and misses the playoffs is a distinct possibility.

In other words, Cal Poly better bring their “A-Game” today. The difference now isn’t between a good or bad season — it’s between a good or great season. And the difference between good and great, at this level, for this team, will be razor-thin.

Post-game comments from last week’s victory over Portland State.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL0VXORKpuI

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHjb779xhU

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfJzuB5Rf_4

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=liThl6Dja6A

A Cal Poly receiver goes horizontal to catch an Andre Broadous pass on Saturday night. Photo by David Livingston

Quarterback Andre Broadous combined for 263 total yards, 68 on the ground and 195 through the air. Broadous efficiently racked up his 195 yards passing with 9 completions on only 12 attempts. Broadous threw for 2 touchdowns, one for 45 yards to Willie Tucker and another for 30 yards to Brandon Michalkiewicz.

Cal Poly’s offense was an amazingly clutch 11 for 13 on third down.

Junior defensive captain Sullivan Grosz led the Mustangs’ defense, sacking Bears quarterback Seth Lobato three times.

The Mustangs scored with incredible balance, posting 14 points in each in all four quarters. Northern Colorado matched the Mustangs in the first quarter with 14 points of their own, but Cal Poly’s defense stiffened in the 2nd quarter and didn’t relent until the 4th quarter, when the second team defense starting getting mixed into the game. The Bears then scored their other two touchdowns in garbage-time.

Early in the contest Cal Poly was impressively crisp on offense, as Broadous played mistake-free and Williams was getting downhill and falling forward with ease. The Northern Colorado defense honestly looked over-matched from the get-go.

Halfway through the first quarter with Poly up 7-0 after a 8-yard Kristaan Ivory touchdown run, Broadous’ only major mistake of the game occurred. While keeping over the right side, Andre fumbled and Northern Colorado recovered inside the Cal Poly 20. Bears running back Tremaine Dennis then found his way towards the goal line over his next three carries, finding the end zone to tie the game at 7.

The Mustangs then got back on track with their bread and butter, as Williams fought for first downs on option pitches and inside trap plays. Once Poly crossed midfield into Bear territory, Broadous hit Willie Tucker streaking deep across the field on a 45-yard touchdown. Broadous commented in a post-game radio interview with Tom Barket on ESPN Radio 1280 that a couple of years ago he would have never been able to make that throw or even would have thought of trying it. He admitted he would have just tucked it away and got what he could have with his legs. The growth and maturity of a player is a great thing to see unfold.

As the first quarter came to a close, Northern Colorado answered Poly’s big play with another score of their own, as Lobato found tight end Darin McDonald in the end zone from 22 yards away to tie the score at 14. At this point it looked as if the game was shaping up to be a track meet.

Poly answered back early in the 2nd quarter with a Kristaan Ivory 37-yard scamper on the pitch to make the score 21-14. Then, the Mustang defense stiffened.

Cal Poly cornerback Nico Molino battles for the ball with Norther Colorado receiver Dominic Gunn. Photo by David Livingston

Defensive ends Andrew Alcaraz and Jake Irwin started getting better up-field penetration, putting a post in the defense against Northern Colorado’s off-tackle play. This change forced Bears running back Tromaine Dennis back inside to the teeth of Poly’s defense, instead of allowing him to have the choice to bounce to the outside and extend cutback opportunities in the open field.

The Mustangs added another score after a Northern Colorado punt, as Deonte Williams took a trap play back inside away from option action, a staple of the Poly offense, for a 5-yard plunge, bringing the score to 28-14, where it stayed until halftime.

Cal Poly did not come out with any sense of complacency to start the second half. After a stellar special teams tackle on the kickoff, the Mustangs recovered a fumble by Northern Colorado inside the Bears 25.

Deonte Williams then cashed in that turnover for Poly, taking in his 2nd score of the game, this one from 11 yards out. The Mustangs held a commanding 21-point lead, 35-14, with only 2:24 elapsed in the 3rd quarter. Credit Poly’s coaching staff for keeping their team fired up, and the players for having the killer instinct to put someone away when you have them down. This is the sign of not just a good team, but potentially a great one.

On their next posession, the Mustangs strung together back to back big plays. Broadous hit Cole Stanford down the left seam for 38 yards, and then took it himself on an option keeper for another 25. Deonte Williams smelled the paint along the right side he juked, spun and then lunged his way into the end zone for his 3rd and final score of the night, this one a 15-yard work of art, bringing the score to 42-14 Cal Poly.

Broadus capped off the final first-team drive of the game with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Michalkiewicz, in which the receiver navigated two defenders both during and after the catch, crossing the goal line as the defenders ran into each other. It was a play indicative of the overall Mustang dominance on this night. Poly lead 49-14 with 12 minutes left to play.

After a Northern Colorado touchdown, the Mustangs second-team offense, led by Vince Moraga, countered with a touchdown drive of their own, capped off by a short Ryan Soloman plunge with 3:47 remaining, making the score 56-21. It was Soloman’s first career touchdown.

Cal Poly improves to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big Sky. Northern Colorado falls to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the Big Sky.

The game was televised on KSBY and was broadcast by recent Fansmanship Podcast guest Bill Halter along with Andrew Masuda. KSBY will again televise next week’s game as head coach Tim Walsh and his Mustangs will take on his former team, the Portland State Vikings (2-4, 1-3 Big Sky) at Spanos Stadium. The Vikings are coming off a bye week, and the week before the bye they demolished Idaho State 77-10. The Mustangs are an even 9-9 all-time against Portland State.

If you haven’t had a chance to see this Mustang offensive machine yet this season, I highly recommend you check them out. You won’t be disappointed. Game time is 6:05pm Saturday night. Get there.

Photos by David Livingston

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Which leads us to this week’s big story going into tomorrow’s game — the suspension of starting safety Alex Hubbard. Hubbard, a junior, is one of the hardest hitters on the defense and has laid a number of opposing receivers and running backs out all year. When other teams start fast, it usually takes just a few big tackles from the defense before opposing offenses start to do things like drop passes and over-think cuts and decisions.

Cal Poly’s physicality is a huge advantage they have had all year. And losing Hubbard will hurt.

Here’s a video of the play courtesy of the Big Sky. The first play, which is away from the ball, is the one Hubbard was suspended for. The second one, which the conference reviewed but did not take action on, is the reason why Cal Poly will miss Hubbard.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5I1ocV9TdU

Alex Hubbard rushes to help tackle a Wyoming ball carrier earlier in the season. Photo by Owen Main

I asked a few questions of the Big Sky and got answers REALLY quickly.

Have suspensions like this happened this year in the Big Sky?

The answer to this question is yes. Two players have been suspended by the conference prior to this week. Apparently this week –when they suspended four players, including Hubbard — was particularly bad.

How long has the Big Sky been suspending players like this?

I have been told the conference has been cracking down on plays like this for about four years now.

While Cal Poly is still the favorite in today’s game, there are usually a number of factors that contribute to an upset. I don’t think today’s is a game Cal Poly loses, but I do think it follows their pattern from this year. That means it would be closer than the Mustangs want it to be — especially in the first half.

Deonte Williams has 609 rushing yards through four games, good enough for fifth place in the FCS. Photo by Owen Main

Last night, Cal Poly did something they haven’t done since 2004 — start the season with four straight wins. That year, Cal Poly won their first seven games, and if this year’s squad matches that feat, an FCS National Championship will be firmly on the minds of the Green and Gold nation.

I’ve tried to be careful not to over-hype this year’s team, but I can’t help it anymore. In football, four games is enough to get a good feeling about a team. And this team is good. Very good. Potentially, really, really, very good.

For Mustangs fans, there is so much to be excited about, but I thought I’d list 5 of these things.

1) This team deals with mid-game adversity. While they won their opener against the University of San Diego fairly easily, the next three games have all come amidst some adversity. At Wyoming, they gave up a 14-pont lead and trailed 15-14 before coming back to win the game. In the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe, Cal Poly surrendered 10 straight fourth-quarter points before their defense finally settled down to ice the game. Against North Dakota yesterday, the Mustangs again gave up a 14-point lead and all the momentum before coming back to score the final 21 points of the game and seal the Big Sky road victory.

The ability to deal with momentum shifts against you and still execute is a sign of a good team. If the Mustangs can continue to deal with in-game momentum swings in the way they have, they will probably continue to be successful.

2) The Mustangs are winning in the Big Sky. Over the past 8 years, Cal Poly and other Great West schools have been widely looked-down upon in FCS polls. Cal Poly fans were excited this year about conference legitimacy. In a better conference, Cal Poly has started 2-0, beating their rival and what was a good artificial-turf based 8th-ranked offense in FCS.

Winning in the Big Sky Conference will be a lot more meaningful than winning in the Great West. To compete for a national title, you need to be in the playoffs, and being in the Big Sky will help Cal Poly’s chances of getting in the playoffs.

3) The defense can stop the run, but it looks like they can do enough to stop the pass too. I have said all year that Cal Poly can stop the run. Their entire defense hits hard and wraps-up ball carriers. They continued to prove this in only giving up only 3.5 yards per rush in Grand Forks. The question I’ve had about their defense was how well they could get pressure on the quarterback and cover receivers downfield. To add to this question-mark, Cal Poly lost their defensive backs coach, Randy Hanson, after he was arrested after a bar fight during the preseason.

So, how has the defensive backfield responded? Well, the team has only given up 18.25 points per game to their opponents and hasn’t allowed more than 22 points in any single game. Cornerback Nico Molino has four interceptions in four games and Cal Poly has won the turnover battle forcing 10 turnovers in four games compared to giving up only 4 total.

4) At this point, Deonte Williams has established himself as a legitimate FCS star. Deonte Williams is a star. In four games, the senior slotback has stacked-up some impressive numbers. By the fourth game, when North Dakota must have been keying on him, Williams still was able to muster 125 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. Williams now has 622 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season (4 games) and is averaging over 150 yards per game.

Williams is fifth in the FCS in rushing after four games and his continued success should open up other offensive options like Akaninyene Umoh, Kristaan Ivory, and this week’s all-purpose star Cole Stanford. A good triple option offense needs a group of runners who are all threats and while Williams has established himself as the main threat, others should benefit from opponents keying on him and quarterback Andre Broadous.

5) Cal Poly has not played a totally clean game yet. The Mustangs are getting wins out of games without probably playing their best. Whether getting down early, giving up two touchdown leads, or having to overcome missed field goals, the Mustangs haven’t had any games I would call easy yet. Even the San Diego game was somewhat close until the second half.

Speaking of field goals, kicker Bobby Zalud hasn’t been healthy since the Wyoming game. Zalud, who was 3-3 in the first two games, is 0-3 since he went down with back spasms prior to the UC Davis game. IF he can get healthy, Zalud can be a weapon for Cal Poly. If he is hurt, he has shown that he may be a liability. Cal Poly fans should keep Zalud on their radar, especially if the Mustangs are going to continue to play close games.