For the first time in almost a month, Cal Poly got a win on Saturday — their first at home this season. The 58-26 win was the most Cal Poly has scored since they dropped 70 in a game against the Bengals at home in 2012. Last season, Cal Poly lost in Pocatello to Idaho State.

Cal Poly now has to prepare for Eastern Washington. The Eagles have quickly established themselves as the team to beat in the Big Sky early in the season.

Kickoff from Cheney is scheduled for 1:05 pm.

Kori Garcia finally broke-through on Saturday night. By Owen Main

On Saturday night, Cal Poly used 499 yards rushing and 605 yards of total offense to beat Idaho State 58-26 at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.

The numbers are impressive, but what is especially encouraging for Cal Poly fans is the way the Mustangs started each half. Cal Poly opened the game with a 14-0 and 21-7 lead in the first half.

Leading by just 8 points at halftime, the Mustangs scored three touchdowns in the first 7:29 of the second half to put the game out of reach.

Kori Garcia finally broke-out leading Cal Poly with 146 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns. Chris Brown rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns while also throwing two touchdown passes. Both of those touchdowns were to Willie Tucker, who now has three touchdown receptions in the past two games and has re-established himself as a weapon other teams much game-plan for.

Cal Poly finishes a brutal six-game stretch on Saturday when they visit Eastern Washington in Cheney.

Photos by Owen Main. To view photos, click here. 

Like many fans in San Luis Obispo, I’ve been efforting for a few days to move on from Saturday. I think everyone who was there would agree — that game sucked. It wasn’t the MOST disappointing game in recent memory, but based on the opportunity that was there, it was pretty bad. Before we move on, here are my Twitter comments at halftime that I think pretty clearly sum up my thoughts at the time.

As you’ll see if you read below, the biggest bummer about the whole situation was the fans being treated to that stinker of a first half. It was the WOWies’ first exposure to football at Cal Poly, and it stunk. And they all left.

1) Down 21 points in your home opener

— fansmanship (@fansmanship) September 20, 2015

3) Non-student fans were leaving in droves at halftime as well.

— fansmanship (@fansmanship) September 20, 2015

5) Fresh Prince of Bel Aire sing along was the worst. At a moment the crowd needed to urgently get behind their team, they were distracted.

— fansmanship (@fansmanship) September 20, 2015

They haven't had a dominant game yet. That was supposed to be this team's strength. (2/2)

— fansmanship (@fansmanship) September 20, 2015

Shouldn't have that problem in the 2nd half #AllGone #Infrastructure

— fansmanship (@fansmanship) September 20, 2015

Freshmen cleared outta here quick. Was totally full on far side in first half. My phone works now too. pic.twitter.com/I7VhZPlNTT

— fansmanship (@fansmanship) September 20, 2015

OK, now that that is out of the way, let’s talk about this week.

Opportunities still abound

If you thought Cal Poly’s schedule was tough for the first three weeks, the next weeks are really hard too. Tim Walsh’s team faces Montana State in Bozeman, comes home for Idaho State — who beat Cal Poly in Pocatello last year — and then travels to play Eastern Washington on the red turf.

To put it another way, Cal Poly plays five of their first 6 games against FCS ranked schools or Arizona State. The one unranked team, Idaho State, is a program on the rise in the conference.

Nothing is guaranteed for Cal Poly this year, as evidenced by the lackluster performance on Saturday. That said, Cal Poly played two VERY GOOD games to start the year. If the Mustangs can find some road magic and win one of their next two road games and take care of business at home against Idaho State, they would be 2-1 in Big Sky play with five games to play. Even if they’re 1-2 at that point (which would make them 2-4 overall), the playoffs are still a real possibility if the table can be run in the final five games.

Surprisingly, pollsters this week gave the Mustangs kind of a break by keeping them in the top-25. Could they stay there with a close loss at Montana State and a 1-3 overall record? That would be interesting.

DJ Peluso caught three passes on Saturday. By Owen Main

Passing progress?

After throwing for less than 100 yards in the first two games combined, Cal Poly’s passing game cost them on Saturday night. Chris Brown thew for 77 yards, but also was picked-off twice. In 2014, Cal Poly only committed seven turnovers, including three interceptions. They almost matched that interceptions total on Saturday.

So far this season, Brown is 20-42 passing for 179 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. It’s not as efficient as Brown or his coaches would like him to be.

It will be hard for Cal Poly to respond by throwing more, but maybe that’s what they need to do. Teams are doing an excellent job scheming against the run and daring the Mustangs to go deep. DJ Peluso caught three balls and looks to be fitting into better to a receiving role out of the backfield. Cal Poly coaches would probably say that wideouts could have affected the Northern Iowa game more by blocking better, but more effective use of wideouts Jordan Hines, Willie Tucker, and Roland Jackson Jr. in the passing game could be keys to unlocking a more explosive Cal Poly offense.

Looking ahead

Players can’t look ahead, but as a fan I can at least glance that way. After the Eastern Washington game, Cal Poly will have a bye and then will play three of their final five games at home. None of those final five teams are a conference powerhouse. Southern Utah and Portland State won’t be easy. UC Davis is UC Davis. Sac Sate is never an easy game (except last year?) and North Dakota has looked decent at times this year.

More than ever though, Mustang fans could be in total despair after the first six weeks and the team could still make the playoffs and do damage. When they play well, Cal Poly has shown they can compete anywhere with anyone this season. I’m not going to tell fans not to feel emotion if Cal Poly loses, but I will say this: Until they lose one of those final five games, they can’t be counted out — no matter what happens over the next three weeks.

Northern Iowa jumped out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead on Saturday night and rolled to a 34-20 win over Cal Poly.

A senior, Chris Brown has kept big mistakes to a minimum thus far this year. By Owen Main

Tied at 21 in the fourth quarter with the Pac 12’s Sun Devils, Cal Poly gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns to lose their only matchup with a FBS team this season.

What did you all think of the white uniforms and helmets? I thought they looked pretty freaking sharp. I liked the all-green uniforms last year as well — way better than the black ones they’ve worn.

Cal Poly will face Northern Iowa next Saturday at Spanos. The Panthers are coming off a win against Eastern Washington and should be ranked in the top-ten coming into the game.

View all photos from the game by clicking here

Chris Brown led Cal Poly with 130 rushing yards in the win over Montana. By Owen Main

If visiting teams are lucky, they might win a game in Missoula every two years or so. The Montana Grizzlies’ win nearly 90 percent of games at Washington-Grizzly Stadium all-time.

It was against that backdrop that Cal Poly used a late field goal by back-up kicker Alex Vega (Gilroy CA) in his first collegiate game to beat Montana 20-19.

Vega, whose leg a little stronger than that of normal kicker Stephen Pyle according to Tim Walsh, drilled the 49 yard go-ahead field goal with four seconds left. Not a bad feat for a freshman whose first career attempt came with the game hanging in the balance.

In fact, the former Gilroy Mustang’s career high in high school was only

The high scoring game that was predicted by both Brint Wahlberg and I never came to fruition as both defenses played better than advertised. A 20-19 score might have been believable for the end of the first half.

Cal Poly’s offense had a few chances to extend their lead and take the momentum. Important drives were stopped by Montana’s defense at the end of the first half and in the fourth quarter, including at least one inside Montana’s 10 yard line.

Going against all of that, the Cal Poly offense,with zero time-outs, found ways to get out of bounds, stop the clock, and gain enough yards to give their kicker a chance.

Vega took advantage of his chance. Did I mention it was raining?

What a game.

26,065

It’s hard to overstate the home field advantage Montana enjoys in Missoula. I guess I’ll just put it this way: historically, Washington-Grizzly Stadium is the toughest environment to play in at the FCS level. In the rain, behind 26,065 screaming fans on Saturday night, it seemed that Montana’s ability to ride the Wa-Griz momentum would break Cal Poly’s hearts again.

Here’s a text I sent to a friend at 8:51 last night, when the score was still 17-17 and Cal Poly had just been stuffed in the red zone:

Me: Unlucky tonight. Great game plan and had every chance. Still not over, but would take a lot to hold-on at this point. 

Friend: That’s how it always is. Montana gets every big break in that building. It’s uncanny.

It seemed like things were going as normal last night. Then that last drive happened.

It was just the 21st loss for the Grizz all-time at their home stadium and the second time Cal Poly has won there.

Give it to the Fullback

I don’t know a ton about football, but the one thing I like to see from the triple option offense is when Cal Poly uses their fullback a LOT. On Saturday, Joe Protheroe had 29 attempts. Chris Brown led Cal Poly in yards and rushed it 24 times himself, but Protheroe averaged 3.9 yards per carry while never carrying it for more than eight yards. He was a workhorse.

Why do I advocate so much for the fullback? Well, the Chris Brown touchdown is why. Also, the ability of Garcia to get the edge late is why. If Cal Poly can force-feed Protheroe and Jared Mohamed to the tune of 30-plus carries and average more than four yards per carry overall, they are going to be really hard to stop. Fullback productivity can open up everything else in the triple option and control the clock too Feeding the fullback is one way Cal Poly was able to control the clock in the second half, keep Montana’s offense off the field, and give themselves a chance to win at the end.

Nard with three picks

For his first two seasons on-campus, BJ Nard was forced to sit, wait, and rehab. The junior from Bakersfield finally got a chance to play on Saturday night and certainly made the most of it, notching three interceptions.

While trying to run-back the final one, Nard was tackled by Montana receiver Ellis Henderson. Nard’s leg appeared to be awkwardly caught underneath him, causing him to fumble and miss at least a play or two. For a guy who’s worked hard to come back from multiple knee injuries, Cal Poly fans will hope his injury this time was just a scare and not anything serious.

Nard’s three interceptions in a game make him the 10th Mustang all-time to accomplish that feat and the first in 19 years. Kiko Griffin was the last to do it, in 1996.

Special Teams redemption

For a moment, Cal Poly special teams seemed to have let them down. After backpedaling for over 15 yards, Chris Fletcher attempted to field a punt inside Cal Poly’s 5 yard line with just under four minutes left. Fletcher muffed the punt but was able to dive on it at the Cal Poly two yard-line.

On the next play, Chris Brown was sacked for a safety. It seemed that Cal Poly just couldn’t get it right. But the defense held the Grizzlies on the ensuing possessions. Timeouts were used judiciously. Cal Poly gave themselves another chance. The field goal unit and Alex Vega made everyone forget just how close to disaster the Mustangs came.

Field Goals win games?

Tim Walsh has said a lot of times that field goals don’t win games in the Big Sky Conference. For at least a weekend, Cal Poly fans are glad for this field goal. Glad for this win.

Video Highlights

I only got to be at Cal Poly football practice for a little more than an hour on Monday. It’s great to see new players in uniform, who has bulked-up or improved, and who is still knocking off the rust.

Without talking to anybody about anything, here are a few things I saw on the offensive side of the ball on Monday.

Chris Brown looked comfortable in the first day of camp at Cal Poly. By Owen Main

Chris Brown is comfortable

Last season, Brown was still not the de-facto starter during camp. This season, Brown is coming off a great season and there shouldn’t be any question about who the starter is.

Brown’s status leaves fellow senior Dano Graves in a little bit of a pinch. Will Graves redshirt in order to save a year of eligibility? This would mean that Andrew Barna becomes the likely backup at quarterback.

Will he play another position like slotback at times and also be the backup quarterback? (Seriously, how fun would that be to have him and Brown on the field at the same time???) This is clearly Chris Brown’s team, but keep an eye on what develops with Graves as well.

Kori Garcia seems to be running well

After hurting himself in spring practice, Garcia looks like he’s running pretty well. The preseason All-Big Sky selection is one of Cal Poly’s only running backs who has had significant carries. If they’re going to have success this year, Cal Poly needs Garcia healthy as a stabilizing force in their running attack.

Khaleel Jenkins looks sturdy

It’s a random observation, but Khaleel Jenkins looks nice and sturdy for a freshman. Maybe I’m used to watching a young quarterback like Kai Ross (who is no longer with the team), but Jenkins’ size and movements looked pretty good for a Tim Walsh freshman.

Kevin Porsche is back at slotback

Porsche, who has played on both sides of the ball through his first two seasons, is back to his original position of slotback. It’s also worth noting that he looks a lot bigger and stronger this season. Beyone Kori Garcia and Joe Protheroe, the Mustangs are going to need at least 3-4 other guys who can get regular carries in order to stay fresh. Can Porsche break-through on the offensive side of the ball in his junior season?

DJ Peluso looks like he could really be a load to bring down. By Owen Main

DJ Peluso looks like a beast

You guys, this guy seems like some kind of physical specimen. I don’t think it’s just the tattoos either. If the Mustangs were looking for a running back who can take some of Garcia’s workload.

Cal Poly has always been best when they have 4-5 backs who can take the majority of carries with 2-3 others who can get some in spot duty. If everyone stays healthy, maybe they can have that again this year.

Alex Suchesk could be Chris Nicholls 2.0

He’s little and fast. The redshirt freshman impressed in a preseason scrimmage prior to the 2014 season. If things fall his way, he could be a big-play threat that Tim Walsh is always looking for. Nicholls was listed as a wide receiver in his senior year, but rushed the ball on sweeps throughout his career.

Photos by Owen Main

Nick Dzubnar finished second in the nation in total tackles during the regular season. By Owen Main

Cal Poly football finished their 2014 campaign at 7-5 and was one win away from a playoff berth. There were so many “what-if’s” that Cal Poly fans could point to that make the playoff near-miss agonizing.

Three mini seasons:

Act 1:

The team is still trying to figure out what to do after that their star running back, starting wide receiver, and two defensive backs who had figured into the rotation are arrested. They have a flat performance at New Mexico State, get their butts kicked at South Dakota State, beat Portland State at home, and lose a close game at Northern Arizona. By the end of the fourth game, the Mustangs are 1-3. Fans can see their offense as something that is improving, but defense remains a huge question.

Act 2:

After the Northern Arizona game, most Cal Poly fans have all but written-off the playoffs. But the team is just hitting their stride. They reel-off three consecutive wins (two on the road) to put themselves back into contention. Big wins at home against Montana and Montana State on back to back weeks vault the Mustangs into the top-25. The Mustangs’ offense looks like it can’t be stopped. Their defense is actually starting to get off the field on third down.

A fan who chooses to think positively about this season will remember Act 2 — five consecutive Big Sky Conference victories is a solid feat. To get there, though, junior quarterback Chris Brown has an ungodly number of rushing attempts and, while the defense looks better, there are a few breaks that go the Mustangs’ way.

Act 3:

So, to make the playoffs, all Cal Poly has to do is probably win two of their final three games. Winning all three is absolutely an attainable goal, given that Idaho State was new to success, UC Davis hadn’t won a game against a Division I team all season, and San Diego is a team the Mustangs have easily handled the past two years.

Instead, the wheels started to fall off. All of Brown’s carries (along with the hard turf and physical defense) finally caught-up with him in Pocatello. Idaho State came with a great game-plan and Cal Poly had no counter. Even with the loss to Idaho State, the playoffs were still squarely in Cal Poly’s sights, until UC Davis came to town. In the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe, Cal Poly was physically outmatched again by UC Davis’ zone-blocking game for running back Gabe Manzanares. The loss to Davis was the first home loss of the season for Cal Poly and the only Division I win Davis got all season. Without numerous injured players, Cal Poly managed to totally dominate San Diego in the final game of the season, but it was too little, too late.

Recap:

Montana and Montana State are both hosting playoff games this year (vs. San Diego and South Dakota State, respectively). Cal Poly played all four of those teams this year and beat three of them. But the Mustangs lost to one of the worst teams in FBS, lost to their rival UC Davis during one of that school’s worst seasons, and only managed a 7-5 record. In college football — even when there is a playoff system — the margin for error isn’t that large, and this year’s Mustangs didn’t get into the playoffs.

The depth chart

Prior to the season, when Tim Walsh still thought he’d have his full compliment of players, he talked about taking some of the workload off his quarterbacks to keep them healthier than 2013, when at least five quarterbacks took some snaps in games.

When Kristaan Ivory and Cam Akins were suspended, Walsh no longer had the luxury to pick and choose. With Brown as the leading rusher, Cal Poly’s offense was still the top-ranked rushing offense in the nation. Cal Poly wasn’t quite as diverse, though. Brown, who is absolutely the most explosive rusher on the team, rushed the ball 89 times in three weeks, culminating with a 39-attempt performance at Idaho State in a game Cal Poly lost.

The question for me is always the true opportunity cost of getting the ball out of Brown’s hands and into the belly of Joe Protheroe and Lance Mudd more often. Cal Poly doesn’t like to give the ball to young players with the game on the line. With less depth than they expected, Mudd and Protheroe combined for six carries in the pivotal Idaho State loss.

To be clear, I don’t think I’m second guessing the coaching decision or even Brown’s decision to keep it on option plays. Without his courageous play, Cal Poly would never have had the chance to be a playoff contender. The real point I’m trying to make is that at some point in a football season — at any level — depth will catch up with you.

Chris Brown had a record-setting season at quarterback for Cal Poly. By Owen Main

Chris Brown

The notes on Chris Brown are really amazing to me. I’m not sure people realize the historic numbers he put up.

The junior quarterback rushed for 1,265 yards — obliterating the previous rushing record for a Cal Poly quarterback and setting a new Big Sky Conference record in the process. The old rushing record for a quarterback was 1,060. Brown finished first in the conference in scoring, second in rushing, and third in passing efficiency.

Brown was named third-team all-conference and

In the end, his 249 rushes might have been the biggest number. To put it into perspective, the leaders in rushes on the team the past two years carried the ball 172 times and 231 times respectively. Kristaan Ivory, who was first and second in carries over the past two seasons, had 281 total rushes.

Brown was a horse. Cal Poly saw what he could do and couldn’t help but to run him into the ground. Look for Brown to be a player other teams really key on next season.

Senior Leadership

Seniors on this year’s team acquitted themselves quite well. At linebacker, Nick Dzubnar set a school record for tackles and Cameron Ontko had 107 tackles for  the second straight season. Defensive tackle Chris Lawrence stepped out of the shadow of Sullivan Grosz and battled through injuries all season.

On offense, Brandon Howe became a dependable and steady triple-option fullback and Kenny Mitchell took advantage of his opportunity to play, providing key blocks and getting into the end zone on key passing plays throughout the season. Chris Nicholls played through some injuries and broke-off some big plays. Cal Poly’s offense was at its best and most-balanced when Nicholls was in the lineup this year.

In a season that started with so much tumult, the dialogue around the program developed into a real football conversation and fans were focused on the on-field product by the end of the season, which is perhaps the best compliment you can pay to this senior group.

Lance Mudd (25) along with Joe Protheroe and Alex Suchesk figure to get more carries next season. By Owen Main

The youngsters

I said earlier that Cal Poly doesn’t usually like playing true freshmen. Most of the key contributors on their roster redshirted their freshman year. They generally stayed true to that pattern this season, with the exception of Lance Mudd. Next year, they’ll have to depend on a stable of young backs. Thousand-yard rusher Kori Garcia will be a junior, but Mudd (sophomore) Joe Protheroe (sophomore), and Alex Suschek figure to get their share of carries.

After losing three all-conference linebackers over the past two years, next year’s linebacking corps will be somewhat inexperienced, if not young. Look for that to be a big area of focus come spring practice.

Final analysis

Overall, this season gets something like a B-, which is an improvement from last year, which was probably more like a C+. Cal Poly had two chances in the last three games to win a very winnable game and get into the playoffs. For some, this can leave a really bitter taste.

I’m not going to tell anyone to be satisfied with the way the season turned out, but all things considered, this season started 1-3 with five arrests and ended 7-5 with a record-breaking quarterback performance, a late chance at the playoffs, and some kind of bright outlook for the future. Cal Poly fans might not be satisfied, but the program is still together and next season is definitely something they can look forward to.

The UC Davis offensive line dominated this game from beginning to end. By Owen Main

UC Davis dominated Cal Poly on both sides of the ball for most of the game on Saturday night in a 48-35 victory. Win the win, UC Davis snapped Cal Poly’s home winning streak, took the Golden Horseshoe back, and snapped a Davis losing streak dating back to last season against Division I opponents.

Before Saturday, the Aggies were 0-8 against Division I teams this season and Cal Poly still had playoff aspirations. But it was Davis who had their head coach raised in the air and held the horseshoe high after salvaging a game at the end of an otherwise-forgettable season.

All Manzanares, all the time

Gabe Manzanares had a game. I hadn’t seen him in-person before this game and my first impression was how he didn’t look like much physically — meaning that if you weren’t looking closely, he didn’t look physically imposing.

After carrying the ball 37 times for 230 yards and three touchdowns, Manzanares earned Big Sky Root Sports Athlete of the Week honors, and forged his name in the rivalry’s record book in his second-t0-last collegiate game.

His patience was most impressive as he waited for holes to open up in UC Davis’ zone blocking scheme and cut-back when he needed to for huge gains. The Aggie running game looked much like Cal Poly’s in efficiency if not style.

With 564 yards of total offense and 266 yards rushing, UC Davis looked like a juggernaut, not the 1-8 team their record suggested.

Cal Poly’s Nick Dzubnar had 18 tackles, but not enough of them were at or near the line of scrimmage. By Owen Main

Dzubnar sets a record

Cal Poly senior linebacker, Nick Dzubnar set a record for most tackles in a season by a Mustang. Dzubnar, who leads the nation in tackles with 160, broke the Cal Poly single season record for tackles.

Dzubnar and fellow-senior Cameron Ontko are usually all over the field. For his part, Ontko recorded 12 tackles and now has 101 on the season, good for 35th in the nation. The problem on Saturday was where those tackles were made. The Mustang linebackers eventually got to Manzanares, but it was usually five to ten yards downfield.

While the tackles record is one that Dzubnar should be proud of, I’m sure he’d rather some of his defensive linemen were taking down ball-carriers too. By my count, Cal Poly defensive linemen made just eight tackles all game — out of 85.

While senior Chris Lawrence has been a force on the interior of the defensive line, he also looked hurt at the game’s end. I also wondered about the depth at defensive end, where Jake Irwin and Wesley Flowers have been missing in action lately. I didn’t see either at the game and while I’m not sure how much of a difference it would have made, I do know that the defensive linemen all looked pretty gassed in the second half.

Marcus Paige-Allen has been very good at times this year, but Davis’ blocking scheme and physical execution proved too much for the Mustangs who seem to have spent all they had earlier in the year.

Chris Brown has done everything he can

With a game still to play, I need to put a little bit of context to the season Chris Brown is having. They say a team follows its quarterback and Brown, while excellent for most of this season, looked like he’d been carrying the weight of the entire team on his shoulders all season.

Here goes.

Chris Brown has been a force during this record-breaking season. By Owen Main

Cal Poly’s season was on the line about Week 4. After losing to Northern Arizona, the Mustangs were in a pickle. Tim Walsh talked at the beginning of the season about not getting his quarterbacks hit as much and having them distribute more. He didn’t want Brown to be taking big hits. But when push came to shove, he had to ride Brown in the absence of  offensive playmakers Cam Akins and Kristaan Ivory.

In response to the challenge, Brown put up some tremendous performances. He scored three ways against Weber State. He led Cal Poly in a slugfest against Southern Utah (110 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns passing). The offense dominated Sacramento State. When the Mustangs put themselves in position to have the Montana and Montana State games mean something, it was going to be Brown who got the call.

He answered that call, rushing for 226 yards against Montana and 97 yards against Montana State without turning the ball over in either game.

But 50 tough carries — many of them up the middle — in two games takes its toll on a quarterback. At Idaho State, Brown again answered the bell again, running it 39 times for 195 yards and three touchdowns on a hard artificial surface. By the end of the game, it was clear that this was a fatigued player who had taken a team on his back for three straight weeks. In Pocatello, the Mustangs fell two points short.

So by the time Davis rolled around, the scouting report was in — let Brown keep the ball, hit him hard in hopes that he’ll wear down. Nobody could blame him after 89 carries in the three previous weeks, but sooner or later that workload catches up with you. On Saturday, Brown was sacked three times, rushed for only 24 yards, and looked visibly shaken-up after a touchdown in the third quarter. There were at least three throws that he missed that looked affected by something that looked like fatigue.

Here are a few things to think about as we move into the final week of the season:

* In the seven games since Cal Poly lost at Northern Arizona, Brown hasn’t thrown an interception. During that time, he has connected on nine touchdowns, including one in each game. He has an 11-3 touchdown-interception ratio.

* Brown now has 1,277 yards rushing on the season, and while Kori Garia is also now over 1,000 yards this year, it’s games like these that you miss additional depth and explosiveness at the running back position.

Random band thought

The only team in the Big Sky (or Big West, for that matter) that has a band that can stand up to Cal Poly’s is UC Davis. I’m going to give props where props are due here, HOWEVER, I don’t like that we let their band play during games at Spanos.

I understand that it’s probably something of a tradition and I understand that Cal Poly goes there with its band (I think) on alternating years, but something about putting a huge band in the bleachers right behind an end zone just doesn’t sit well with me.

With Cal Poly trying to come back against Davis late in the game, Chris Brown was stuffed a few times in a row on the goal line in front of the Aggie band. Everyone involved would probably tell you that it didn’t make a difference, but the Band-uh from UC Davis was doing a good job of being loud and giving their team the advantage.

On top of causing a disorganized environment (playing over announcements, etc…), a visiting band makes the environment not all Mustang-friendly. I suppose there isn’t a bigger compliment I could pay to the band or to its constituents, but it doesn’t mean I have to like the tradition. Despite the fact that I played in a college pep band, I really don’t.

Last game

Cal Poly will play their final game in San Diego against the USD Toreros, who they hosted each of the past two years. Two weeks ago, I was making tentative plans to go. I’ll still watch online if I can, but with the playoffs out of the realm of possibility, I’ll be firmly-planted in SLO as the season winds-down.

It will be interesting to see how and whether different guys get more prominent opportunities, now that the season is effectively guaranteed to be over after Saturday.

Game time is set for 4:00 on Saturday.

Photos by Owen Main

To view on an iPhone or iPad, click here

Five weeks ago, nobody was sure where this Cal Poly football team was headed. One thing was for sure, it wasn’t this way. The Mustangs had just lost their conference opener to Northern Arizona. They were 1-3 overall, just keeping their collective heads above water.

You would never have known about the Mustangs early struggles watching them beat Montana State 35-27 in their 2014 homecoming game at Alex G. Spanos Stadium on Saturday night.

Now, the Mustangs sit in a first-place tie with Eastern Washington at 5-1 in Big Sky play after defeating sixth-ranked Montana and eighth-ranked Montana State in back-to-back weeks. Now, Cal Poly has put itself in a position to control their own playoff destiny — three wins would almost certainly put them in a prime playoff position.

The High Step

Let’s get this out of the way first — the eight point win could have been more. Late in the second quarter, with the score tied at 14, Cal Poly drove the length of the field. On fourth and three from the 12 yard line, Kori Garcia took a pitch wide left and high-stepped into the end zone. Garcia was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Instead of a 21-14 Cal Poly lead, Garcia’s gaffe cost the Mustangs 15 yards. Tim Walsh was not  happy on the sidelines, and on the ensuing play Cal Poly failed to gain the first down on fourth and eight. Montana State took over.

As is prone to happen in situations like this, the Bobcats drove the length of the field in just a few minutes and kicked a field goal to go up 17-14 at halftime. It was a 10-point switch.

Triple Option Dominance

Hey, all you triple-option haters. I’m talking to you here. Cal Poly has put up 480-plus yards for seven consecutive weeks. SEVEN. The Mustangs have lost three offensive linemen during that time, but it hasn’t seemed to matter. They are 6-1 over that stretch, their quarterback is the conference’s second-leading rusher, and they might still be getting better.

This team has found its stride without their top running back and wide receiver, who were both arrested before the season started.

To put it simply, the triple option has been as effective as any offense out there. Along with the players recruited to run it, the offense gives Cal Poly a chance to win every week against any team in the Big Sky Conference.

Prukop is fast

Cal Poly’s Chris Brown is the second-leading rusher in the Big Sky Conference. Dakota Prukop might be every bit as elusive. Montana State’s slippery quarterback rushed for a game-high 129 yards on 19 carries on Saturday.

Prukop beat the Mustangs passing as well, throwing for 167 yards. Montana State was in striking distance of the end zone in the final minutes, but Prukop threw an interception to Karlton Dennis — Dennis’ third of the season. It was the game’s only turnover for either team, and Cal Poly ran out the clock. Despite the turnover, Prukop looks like he’ll be giving other teams headaches all season.

Michaels and Mudd take advantage

Kori Garcia, Chris Brown, and Brandon Howe were the only Mustangs who had multiple carries on the night, but Brent Michaels and Lance Mudd each took advantage of the one carry they got. Mudd went for 19 yards on his only rush and Michaels’ one rush was for 47 yards as part of a two-play, 71-yard drive the Mustangs managed in the third quarter that gave them the lead back at 28-24.

Hold onto the ball

Cal Poly held onto the ball to win both the turnover and time of possession battle in this one. The Mustangs committed zero turnovers. Montana State committed just one, but it was a big one that basically iced the game for Cal Poly.

Time of possession also played a crucial role. Cal Poly held the ball for 34:23 against Montana State’s 25:37. The final Mustang drive took 8:10 off the fourth quarter clock. The Mustangs covered 79 yards in 17 plays. The winning drive also included two fourth-down conversions by the Mustangs, who have made a habit out of attempting — and mostly succeeding — on fourth down.

Brothers Colin and Nick Dzubnar celebrate Cal Poly’s homecoming win over Montana State. By Owen Main

Dzubnar back in double-figures

Nick Dzubnar, the nation’s leading tackler, was back in double-figures with 18 on Saturday night. Dzubar did not reach ten tackles last week against Montana for the first time all season. The Buck Buchanon Award nominee was back on-track on Saturday.

Homecoming crowd was loud

The homecoming crowd was loud and into the game, but Alex G. Spanos Stadium was far from full. The attendance baffles me other than to think that lots of students were trying to get stuff done on Saturday night in order to attend the Blue/Green soccer match tomorrow night.

The crowd that did make it to the game did a good job of being loud, including the Montana State road fans who were well-represented.

Still, the turnout was a little disappointing given all that this game meant for Cal Poly’s conference and playoff hopes. If the Mustangs can get a win in Pocatello next week, I think I would expect a sellout for the Horseshoe Game against UC Davis in a few weeks.

Can they get ranked?

After beating the sixth-ranked team a week ago, Cal Poly was the “26th” team in the top-25 last week. This week, the Mustangs should move into the top-25 for the first time all season. For me, the real question is where they’ll be placed. After beating both Montana teams, will the Mustangs skyrocket into the top 10 or 12? Will they be ranked higher than either Montana team they just beat? How high other coaches and poll voters place them will say a lot about how legitimate they believe the Mustangs are.

At this point, they are as dangerous as any other team in the top 15. In a matter of hours, we’ll know whether anyone outside of San Luis Obispo also thinks so.

**Update – Cal Poly was ranked 21st in The Sports Network poll and 23rd in the coaches poll. A win on the road at Idaho State won’t be easy. Nothing has been this year. Maybe Cal Poly fans like it that way.

Photos by Owen Main

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