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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