Well, that Eastern Washington game was the worst. If you’re a Cal Poly fan, there were so many things that went wrong in that game that it’s kind of hard to count.

A first-quarter interception in the end zone on a drive that would have put the Mustangs ahead.

An Eastern Washington touchdown the guy caught against his shoulder pad.

Despite over 100 yards rushing in the first half, Dano Graves couldn’t stave off the Eastern Washington onslaught. By Owen Main

Too many Cal Poly punts.

At the end of the first half, a Jerek Rosales interception seemed like it could be a turning point. Cal Poly had nearly four minutes and a touchdown would have put them even going into halftime, but the drive failed.

Eastern Washington scored on their first possession of the 3rd quarter to go up two scores. Then Cal Poly fumbled and the Eagles promptly scored another touchdown to go up by 21 points. At that point, Kyle Lewis looked like he wasn’t coming back and a Cal Poly comeback didn’t really seem possible, but the Mustangs kept fighting.

Joe Protheroe scored a touchdown and Cal Poly was at the EWU 9 yard line with 7:50 to go, but couldn’t convert on fourth down. Instead of scoring and being within a touchdown, Cal Poly’s defense gave up a sixth and final touchdown to Eastern in what was the final score of the game.

Cooper Kupp is good at the football. By Owen Main

Cooper Kupp is good

Cooper Kupp is, by a lot of numbers, the best receiver in FCS history. He’s going to be in the NFL next year. He showed why, throwing two strikes on trick plays and adding the game-sealing touchdown.

Kupp is one of the most exciting players in the FCS and he put on a show with 11 catches for 154 yards.

Big opportunities

Despite the discouraging loss, Cal Poly still has a great chance to make the FCS playoffs. Wins at Weber State and at home against Northern Colorado to end the year would all but assure the team of a playoff birth. If they lose one of the two, a 7-4 record might not be enough.

To get there, the Mustangs will have the find a way to game-plan through bumps and bruises. The ongoing health of Joe Protheroe, Kyle Lewis, and Dano Graves will mean everything for the Cal Poly offense.

Joe Protheroe has had a great season, but will need help if Cal Poly wants to make it into the playoffs. By Owen Main

Not at the bottom

Weber State and Northern Colorado haven’t been in the top half of the Big Sky standings much during the last few seasons. It’s not the case this year. Weber State is 4-2 and Northern Colorado has only dropped to 3-3 recently. Neither games will be gimmes. Not by a long shot.

If the Mustangs want to make the playoffs, they’ll have to take care of business. Two more weeks. Two more games.

One big opportunity.

Photos by Owen Main – View them on photos.fansmanship.com here. 

Tonight at 6pm, #14 Cal Poly football will take on #3 Eastern Washington in what is sure to be the biggest game for the program in years.

The four headed monster of Joe Protheroe, Kyle Lewis (pictured), Kori Garcia, and Dano Graves will have to be running full cylinder to keep up with Eastern Washington’s explosive attack tonight. By Owen Main

Cal Poly has earned this particular opportunity — they beat ranked South Dakota State and Montana teams earlier in the season and took FBS team Nevada to overtime en route to their current 6-2 record and 14th ranking. Eastern Washington has been their typical dominant selves, en route to a 7-1 record. They are deserving of their #3 national ranking.

The last time these two teams met in San Luis Obispo was 2013. That year, Cal Poly ended up at 6-6 and lost to the Eagles 35-22 in a game that wasn’t even really that close. Cooper Kupp was a freshman on that team. Vernon Adams was the best quarterback in FCS that year. Cal Poly’s defense just couldn’t figure out how to stop them.

Eastern Washington was really good then. They’re really good right now too. They’re always really good.

Here’s the Lucas Clark preview from the SLO Tribune.

Return of Eti Ena

Former Cal Poly defensive line coach Eti Ena, a 2005 graduate of Eastern Washington, returned to Cheney this past offseason to coach the defensive front and defensive ends. Having been at practice with the Mustangs over the past three seasons may give the Eagles a slight scheme advantage, though the triple option — on some level — doesn’t change much. Keep a close eye  out for the battle in the trenches, what kinds of line schemes are happening, and whether Eastern Washington is able to get into Cal Poly’s backfield and interrupt Dano Graves’ rhythm handing it off and passing.

Cooper Kupp is… good. Really good.

Cooper Kupp. He’s good. By Owen Main

In case you have been under a rock, Cooper Kupp is amazing. I remember the last time he was here, as a freshman or sophomore. Vernon Adams would throw a pass and you’d look up and there was that guy again with 5-10 yards between him and the nearest defender. It was kind of a helpless feeling.

Look for Cal Poly to use well-timed pressure schemes to try to disrupt Eastern Washington quarterback Gage Gubrud. It’s probably the best chance they have to get some turnovers and get the ball back to their offense. When you’re playing the third-ranked team in the country, maybe your scheme has to include some well-placed gambits and chances.

Either way, Cal Poly fans should keep an eye on number 10 in red. He’s good.

Playoff-bound?

A win for Cal Poly would make an FCS playoff birth all but a lock. With two games remaining (at Weber State and at home vs. Northern Colorado), the Mustangs would be sitting on seven wins with three of them vs. top-10 or 15 opponents.

What if Cal Poly wins out? Well, I’d have to think that a first-round bye and home playoff game would be in order. I told you, this team has given itself an opportunity to be one of the greats in Cal Poly history. I’m not trying to put more pressure on them than is due, but the opportunity is there. Right in front of them.

The anticipation of what they’ll do with that opportunity will be fully felt in what should be a packed Alex G. Spanos Stadium on Saturday night.

It was a familiar formula for Cal Poly under somewhat unique circumstances for one of their stars.

After giving up an early lead, Cal Poly rallied late in the first half and dominated the second half en route to a convincing 38-16 win over San Diego.

“A good character win for us,” said Cal Poly head coach Tim Walsh. “I’m really excited about the way Dano’s running the offense.”

That offense finished the game by outscoring San Diego 28-3 over the past two quarters and six seconds. Graves and co. dominated possession throughout the second half, leaving the result in little doubt.

A new addition

On Friday night, Joe Protheroe’s second daughter, Jordyn, was born. Protheroe’s wife made him go home from the hospital to sleep. Less than 24 hours later, the junior preseason All-American rushed for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Protheroe described picking up his older daughter before going home — being a family guy and all. He also talked about the difference he feels Cal Poly’s offseason strength and conditioning program has made for him and his team.

Graves on-track

Dano Graves has started the season with a bang. After leading the team with 140 yards rushing at Nevada, Graves rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown and passed for 130 yards and two touchdowns without committing a turnover.

Over the team’s first two games, Cal Poly has averaged 464.5 yards of total offense and turned the ball over just one time total and winning time of possession convincingly in both contests. To remain successful, Cal Poly must continue to win those parts of the game.

Though Graves has been used somewhat heavily over the first two games, he doesn’t want to slow down. Asked what he thought of being able to rest on the sidelines for the final drive, he said that he’d rather be in the game. His competitiveness is one of the great things about him, but — as with any Cal Poly quarterback — Graves’ ability to stay healthy all season will be really interesting to keep track of. It always is.

Defense on the attack

Though they tallied just a single sack against San Diego, Cal Poly’s defense is putting more and more pressure on their opponent, bringing pressure much more often than last season.

The question I forgot to ask Walsh post-game was about the impact of Payam Saadat in terms of defensive scheme and effectiveness.

The additional pressure from Cal Poly’s defense can be quantified with five quarterback hurries against Torero quarterback Anthony Lawrence, including at least a few on key third-down plays.

There were no fumbles or interceptions in this game for either team, but Cal Poly gave themselves a few chances to pick balls off. While the fact remains that this team has yet to force any turnovers, I would guess based on what I’ve seen that the Mustangs should be able to force more than the eight total turnovers they forced in all of 2015.

Next up

This week, the Mustangs will go on the road to face top-10 South Dakota State. When I went to Brookings in 2014, the Jackrabbits had just opened up their fieldhouse and were working on getting started constructing their new stadium. Saturday’s game will be South Dakota State’s second game at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, which looks beautiful.

To see the difference, take a look at some photos from the old stadium here.

Then click this link

Photos from the 2014 game at the old stadium here.

To avoid getting pounced-on early, as they were two years ago, Cal Poly will need to control the ball offensively and come away with touchdowns to finish drives. They also need to be able to maintain collective focus in what could possibly be a more hostile environment than their season-opening game at Nevada. If they do that and limit turnovers, they will be right where they want to be — in the game in the fourth quarter against a very, very good opponent.

Photos by Owen Main

I don’t know about you, but I get much more nervous and emotionally invested in a football game when I watch it on TV. At a game, on the sidelines, the butterflies keep a low profile. Last night, they were banging in my belly like a timpani.

We’ve seen the blueprint for beating an FBS school in a money game — get out fast, limit mistakes, and be close enough at the end to make a big play.

On Friday night in Reno, Cal Poly broke two of those rules from the jump. On their first defensive possession, the Mustangs gave up a 50-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing offensive possession, senior quarterback Dano Graves fumbled a pitch on the first third-down of the year. Four plays later, the Wolfpack took advantage of the short field for a 14-0 lead less than 6 minutes into the game.

No two ways about it: this was a bad start.

But then Dano Graves and Joe Protheroe found a rhythm.

After the 14-0 Nevada start, Cal Poly outscored the Wolfpack 17-3 for the remainder of the game, looking every bit like a Big Sky contender.

Shifting Gears

Senior quarterback Dano Graves looked really good against Nevada on Friday night. By Owen Main

Dano Graves was every bit the shifty runner Cal Poly fans remember, and more. On Friday night, the senior rushed for 140 yards on 26 carries.

After watching the Chris Brown lead the option last year, Mustang fans are used to seeing accelerated, straighter line runs that have the chance for a big play any time. In Graves, the chances for those 50-plus yard runs aren’t quite the same, but there is a benefit — Graves’ shiftiness. Last-minute cuts in unusual directions allow the Cal Poly quarterback to keep the offense moving.

Second down and 6 is a lot better than second and 8. Third and 3 gives the Mustangs more options than third and 5. The extra two yards Dano gets by that last, final cut — not trying to juke and make the huge play — will keep those Mustang chains moving on key drives.

Graves’ running style won’t win him any points with his body or trainers — he’s sure to take some knocks with awkward-looking cut-backs and final lunges forward. But that’s what keeps the triple option running. It’s one of the unique skills Graves has that helps him be a good match for Cal Poly’s triple option.

New coaches, no problem

In their first game at Cal Poly (or, in Payam Saadat’s case, first game BACK at Cal Poly), there weren’t a lot of signs of transition or players getting up to speed. Yes, the offense had some personnel issues in the first half and had to burn a few timeouts in Juston Wood’s first game calling plays as the offensive coordinator, but overall Wood called a good game.

Yes, the offensive linemen at Cal Poly got caught for some blocks below the waist and cut blocks in the second half, but overall the line looked pretty good. The Mustangs were 3/3 on fourth down short yardage running plays. Early returns on new offensive line coach Todd Spencer are looking good.

The Mustangs’ defense hasn’t had a 20-sack season as a team in a while. Maybe they’re on their way to one. With the combination of Josh Letuligasenoa’s return and Payam Saadat’s, well, return, Cal Poly had a pair of sacks and got effective penetration into the backfield, even without the suspended Marcus Paige-Allen. Yes, they blitzed in the wrong place on the first-quarter 50-yard run Nevada scored on, but they bowed-up and gave up just 3 points in quarters 2-4. Keeping opponents under 30 points in the Big Sky is a recipe for success.

Kitu’s start

After redshirting last season, freshman Kitu Humphrey seems ready to play a defensive role in 2016. By Owen Main

A year ago, on the second leg on my flight back to SLO from the Arizona State game, a quiet kid with Cal Poly gear got onto the plane. His seat was right next to mine.

Kitu Humphrey had gotten himself to the away game in Tempe. We chatted a little about redshirting, high school football in Los Angeles (Humphrey went to Long Beach Poly), and how we was enjoying San Luis Obispo in his first few weeks here.

Humphrey is 5′ 10″ tall, but is more rangy than that and has a good nose for the ball. He was second on the team with seven total tackles on Friday night. While this is a team that is almost always upper-classman dominated, freshman starters can be really fun to keep track of. For his part, Humphrey has a chance to be a solid, four-year key contributor.

Torrero Time

The home opener comes next Saturday at Alex G. Spanos Stadium when the University of San Diego Toreros come to town. USD plays in the Pioneer League at the FCS level, where athletic scholarships aren’t given. Graves started the Mustangs’ last game the two teams played and Cal Poly won handily in San Diego two years ago. Kickoff is 4:05pm.

Sophomore Kori Garcia has a real chance to prove he can make big plays on Saturday in South Dakota. The Mustangs will need him to do so if they are to have a chance on the road. By Owen Main

When Cal Poly plays South Dakota State on Saturday in Brookings, SD, there’s going to be a lot to look out for. Can the Mustangs bounce back from a flat-out disappointing opening-game defeat? Can they get a win and take a little pressure off themselves, proving that they can win without playmakers like Kristaan Ivory and Cam Akins?

Here are a few things to look for on Saturday.

Who’s healthy?

Last season, the Mustangs were decimated early-on. After games at Fresno State and Colorado State, they had lost a starting quarterback for the season, which is bad enough. On top of that, offensive linemen started to go down, defensive linemen played the rest of the season with injuries, and really the team was never again at full-strength.

Perhaps that’s the way a football season goes, but it doesn’t have to be like that.

This year, instead of playing two solid FBS teams, Cal Poly kicked-off their season against a lower-tier FBS team in New Mexico State in their only FBS matchup this season.

The Mustangs seem to have come out of the game relatively healthy — especially at skill positions. This could bode well for this week. The bye week is next week for the Mustangs, but the health of players at thin positions like running back, offensive line, etc… will be things to keep an eye on this week.

Quarterback

Cal Poly’s offense seemed predictable last week — something the triple option doesn’t have to be. Head coach Tim Walsh didn’t take quarterback Chris Brown out of the game until midway through the fourth quarter, presumably because he still had confidence that it wasn’t Brown’s fault that the offense wasn’t moving.

So, how effective will Brown be? If he isn’t, how quickly will Walsh go to Graves. Mustang fans are sick of the revolving door, but unlike last year, it has potential to be a positive this year if everyone can get the mixture just right.

Will the offense be effective?

Which brings us to the offense at-large. In the second half against New Mexico State, things looked really, really bad. The inability for the Mustangs to put any real drive together had to be a little disheartening.

This week they have a new opportunity to move the ball again. They learned last week that they can’t hang their hats on a good first half. Everyone at this level makes adjustments and Cal Poly will have to do so as well.

I’m a big fullback dive guy — probably too much so. I believe that in order to run a triple option effectively over the course of an entire game or season, the fullback dive has to be functional and has to be utilized early and often. As far as I can remember or see from the play-by-play chart from the last game, the Mustangs managed zero such plays in the second half last week. Will they stick with it this week and will that parlay into more consistent movement of the ball on offense.

Turnovers

For all the ineptitude the Cal Poly offense showed in the second half, there was a single play that killed the only spark they had. After the Mustangs defense drew an Aggie turnover, Chris Brown threw an errant pitch on the ensuing play, giving New Mexico State the ball back right away.

At whatever level, turnovers in football are killers. Brown committed two last week and I wonder if Walsh will even give him the opportunity to commit more than one against South Dakota State on Saturday.

Crunch Time

In the end, I think Cal Poly plays a decent game tomorrow, keeping themselves in the game against a really good South Dakota State team. The Jackrabbits stayed with top-25 and SEC opponent Missouri last week before losing 38-18. Cal Poly will do well to keep them under 30 points, which means the offense will have to come out of hibernation and then some.

I don’t know whether Cal Poly has enough playmakers left to put up big points on the road, but that’s why they play the game. This should at least be a fun game to watch until the end.

Junior quarterback, Dano Graves got a chance in the fourth quarter on Thursday night. Does Cal Poly have a quarterback carousel on their hands already? By Owen Main

Losses are never easy to take. For Cal Poly fans desperate for a big win, last Thursday night’s loss to New Mexico State was a big bag of mixed emotion. Both Chris Brown and Dano Graves saw time behind center, the defense didn’t have a great answer for what seemed like a straightforward rushing attack, and aside from their first drive of the game, the Mustangs didn’t come home with much to hang their collective hats on. So what did we learn about this year’s Cal Poly team? There are definitely still more questions than answers.

The good

It was hard to find a lot of good in a loss like this one. Yes, Cal Poly kept it close against an FBS team. The problem was that it was against a traditionally bad FBS team that the Mustangs were favored by many to beat. The Mustangs looked really efficient on their opening drive, though nearly all of their yards for the game (97.8 percent of them) came on the ground.

On the ground, it looks like Kori Garcia has begun to establish himself. The sophomore gained 84 yards on 11 carries and showed that he has the ability to hit the hole quickly and effectively.

The bad

The Mustang offense ground to a halt in the second half. The team managed a spark when Chris Fletcher picked off New Mexico State’s Tyler Rogers, but Brown fumbled on the ensuing series, stopping any momentum the Mustangs might have earned.

Graves took over for Brown in the fourth quarter and got an opportunity to move the offense, but didn’t fare much better than Brown. We should find out over the next month or so whether the offense stalled in the second half because of lack of playmakers, defensive adjustments, or bad play-calling.

Adjustments

In the triple option, adjustments are obviously a big deal. New Mexico State got pounded by Cal Poly in the first quarter and first half and made some really nice changes at halftime to bring more guys into the box to take away the edge. The Mustangs didn’t seem to have an answer.

Balance comes in many forms, but Cal Poly is a team that for the past year-plus has relied on an outside-in rushing attack. They have recruited and played guys who they think have speed — Chris Nichols, Kori Garcia, Kristaan Ivory, etc… — and they are trying to utilize that speed to the best of their ability. When other teams commit defenders to stopping a sweep or the triple option pitch, there have to be other ways to make them pay. One quote by Tim Walsh after the last game stuck with me. From JD Scroggin’s Tribune recap:

“They did some good things with their defensive ends. They did some good things with their free safety running the alley that caused us some problems, but we do have answers for them. We’ve just got to do them.

“Play selection and our execution led to the dismantling of ourselves in the third quarter.” – Tim Walsh

Walsh told me in a podcast recorded days before five of his players were arrested, that he was harder on his coaches than anyone knows. I’ll be interested to see whether the play-calling — even within the run game — is any more dynamic this week than it was in the opener.

Once other teams keyed-in on Brown and Garcia, Cal Poly didn’t make the adjustment to get the ball to the fullback with any regularity. Brandon Howe had eight rushes in the first half, including the Mustangs’ only touchdown of the game. In the second half, Cal Poly attempted one pass to the Howe, but Cal Poly did not give the ball to the fullback in the second half.

For me, giving it to the fullback a number of times early and having success rushing up the middle is a crucial component of triple option football. Letting an opponent know early in the game that you’re willing to sacrifice up the middle for a three or four-yard gain is a huge. Human nature will force those players to be prepared to plug-up the middle and will open the outside up for speed burners. I guess my point is (and I’m open to the possibility of being really wrong on this one) that an outside-in running attack can only be successful for so long.

In basketball the winning team usually is the on that gets the ball in their playmakers’ hands more often in better positions. In football, it’s not that simple, especially when your team is down at least two key playmakers. Playmakers in football — especially ones who rely solely on speed — can affect the game while getting very few carries. As a sophomore, Kristaan Ivory carried the ball less than 10 times in most games, but affected the game with his speed on the outside juxtaposed to Deonte Williams’ power up the middle. I guess my point is that there has to be a better mixture. The second half on Thursday night was not a great mixture.

It seems to me that mixing-in the fullback is usually a function of a decision the quarterback makes in the moment, but Walsh stayed with Brown well into the fourth quarter. I guess we’ll see who starts this week.

Where are the freshmen?

I was really psyched to see what a pair of freshmen might do in their first game. Instead, Cal Poly ran only 56 total plays including just 24 in the second half and freshmen Lance Mudd and Alex Suchesk didn’t get any looks (Mudd wasn’t even listed as a player who played in the game.)

Compare Cal Poly’s 56 plays to New Mexico State’s 74 total plays and the time of possession isn’t a surprise either: 36:06 – 23:54 in favor of the Aggies. The game wasn’t even really as close as the score might have indicated, but without the ball, and substitutes on offense stop meaning a whole lot. When the offense is getting off the field in a hurry, nobody needs breathers.

What to look for

So, what do we look for this week? Should we count on a more balanced rushing attack? Will Cal Poly go three wide receivers and take to the air? Will Brandon Howe get double-digit carries?

At least one of these things I’m pretty sure won’t happen. About the others, I think it’s anyone’s guess.

Ed. note: We took a little hiatus to celebrate Labor Day Weekend with family. Hope you had a great weekend too. We are back this week, with a vengeance. Look for our coverage this weekend from Brookings, SD as Cal Poly faces South Dakota State.

Chris Brown will be the opening game starter at quarterback for Cal Poly when they face New Mexico State on Thursday night. By Owen Main

Chris Brown or Dano Graves? Graves or Brown?

It’s Brown — at least for the first game. On Monday, Matt SantaMaria and Joshua Scroggin both tweeted that Brown will be the opening game starter for Cal Poly’s first game of the season on Thursday night in Las Cruces, New Mexico as the Mustangs take on New Mexico State.

In eight games last season (six starts), Brown led the team with 836 yards passing and was second with 685 yards rushing. The suspension of Kristaan Ivory makes him the top returner now in both passing and rushing on the team.

If you haven't heard yet, Cal Poly football has named Chris Brown the starting QB for Thursday's game at New Mexico State. #BigSkyFB

— Joshua D. Scroggin (@SLOcollegebeat) August 26, 2014

Chris Brown gets the start in the Mustangs season opeaner http://t.co/2hA4DvLxLc

— KSBY Sports (@KSBYSports) August 26, 2014

Amid the turmoil of the early portion of the football season, the “lost” story has been the battle to be the starting quarterback. It hasn’t been the four-man battle as it was last season, but both Brown and Graves logged significant time last season and either could have been the opening day starter.

Today, Walsh chose Brown, though the junior will have to earn his spot for the following week by playing well on Thursday.

Walsh said Brown earned the edge with his performance in the season finale last year. Nothing beyond the start is guaranteed. @fansmanship

— Joshua D. Scroggin (@SLOcollegebeat) August 26, 2014

After transferring from Air Force prior to last season, quarterback Dano Graves looks much more comfortable this camp. By Owen Main

For whatever it’s worth, Graves has looked a thousand times more comfortable this year than I think he did last year. To me, the biggest improvement has been how he’s looked as a passer both inside and out of a pocket. While Graves’ skills have really looked great to my untrained eye during camp, Brown showed some flashes of brilliance last season and is the more explosive runner. Coming into camp, I was fully on the Brown bandwagon, but watching Graves now in the new season, I think that both have their own unique set of skills that will help Cal Poly this season.

If Tim Walsh wanted breakaway ability, Brown has always been his guy, though I do believe that Graves will get opportunities throughout the season.

Last season, I think I said that all four guys would get a shot at quarterback. If Brown and Graves are the only two quarterbacks the Mustangs are forced to utilize this year, then one might even call it a move toward consistency. When it’s all said and done, I believe both guys will get a chance to prove they are a true number-one, top-flight quarterback. Cal Poly fans just hope at least one of them really is.

Tim Walsh is still sorting things out at a number of key positions. By Owen Main

The Cal Poly football team still has a lot to sort out. On Saturday I got out to the Upper Sports Complex to watch some of practice, take some photos, and try to figure out who was playing the best at certain positions.

It wasn’t easy.

Of the ten or so positions that Cal Poly still hasn’t named an official starter, quarterback is the one fans and pundits talk about the most is quarterback. For what it’s worth, Chris Brown was the guy taking snaps first in most drills, but Dano Graves looked much more comfortable throwing the ball in passing drills than he has when I’ve been at practice before.

While Brown has better height to give him leverage to throw passes over the middle, Graves’ touch on deep throws was something that surely put a smile on Tim Walsh’s face. Walsh told me last week on the Fansmanship Podcast and reiterated in Cal Poly’s Saturday release that both Brown and Graves are likely to play throughout the season.

Jordan Hines, battling for the starting wide receiver position with Cam Akins and others, looks like he’s been in the weight room.

Other positions up for grabs are strong side linebacker, a defensive end, and numerous spots in the defensive secondary. Having depth is obviously very important, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

As practice went on Saturday, energy levels picked-up. After a little more than a week of workouts, the Mustangs are rounding more into form. Their first game is slated for Thursday, August 28 at New Mexico State. The game will start at 5:00 PM Pacific time.

Can’t see the photos below? Perhaps you’re on an iPhone. Click here to view them. 

Photos by Owen Main

Chris Brown breaks-off a big game during Saturday’s spring football game.

Unlike last season, this year’s spring game wasn’t drenched in drama.

I’m sure Tim Wash would disagree with me. He would probably argue that stability doesn’t just depend on a single position — that the group of senior and upper-class leaders on last year’s Cal Poly football team should have made up for what became a quarterback carousel.

Credit Walsh for not allowing last season’s early-season four-way battle for starting quarterback to turn into a circus.

On Saturday, under sunny Spanos Stadium skies, Cal Poly’s spring game was played with much less on the line and the Mustang signal-callers showed a crispness that comes with a higher comfort level. It was especially apparent from the signal-callers.

This Spring, there is still a quarterback battle, but it has come down to two players — Chris Brown and Dano Graves. Last year’s winner of the four-way battle, Vince Moraga, is still recovering from knee surgery and Tanner Trosin transferred to play Junior College ball. That leaves Brown and Graves to duke it out for the top spot.

Both seemed much more comfortable behind center than last Spring, especially Graves. With the two alternating possessions, Cal Poly’s offense drove the length of the field and got within field goal range on each of their first three possessions. While the defense didn’t allow a touchdown all afternoon, the offense showed what it was capable of.

Brown’s decision-making in the moment seemed good. He handed off when he needed to and kept the ball when it was required. He showed his big arm and breakaway speed, rushing for 30 yards on one play.

Graves also showed improvement over the last time I saw him. He was much more poised as a passer, throwing strikes to a number of receivers.

His day was cut short when he pulled up with a non-contact injury to his torso, something that is unlikely to be of concern in the Fall.

Cal Poly’s overall depth was tested as a number of key players did not participate. Running back Kristaan Ivory and defensive linemen Jake Irwin and Chris Judge were among those who attended but were not dressed out. Seniors from last year were also in attendance. Kicker, Bobby Zalud sported a Hawai’ian shirt and helped on the “chain gang” while NFL draft hopeful Sullivan Grosz supported his defensive teammates.

Photos by Owen Main

[See image gallery at www.fansmanship.com]

Let me be clear. Before the season started, I was in the “Chris Brown” camp. “Team Chris” seemed to have more upside than “Team Dano,” more poise than “Team Tanner,” and more explosiveness than “Team Vince.”

While Cal Poly head football coach Tim Walsh ultimately chose Vince Moraga, the more savvy veteran, the perception was that all four potential starting quarterbacks were very close. When Moraga went down to a knee injury, the theory fans were told to operate under was that Brown and Graves were close enough that, on some level, it shouldn’t matter that much who was in there.

After Moraga got hurt, Brown decent until the Yale game. Graves looked solid until the Montana game. Trosin has looked good in limited mop-up action. Brown looked great the last two weeks. Round and round we’ve gone — the door wide open for armchair coaches to criticize and second-guess coaches’ decisions about who should play the most important position on the field.

Chris Brown has established himself as the best quarterback Cal Poly has. By Owen Main

Throughout the year, we have maintained the de facto premise that all the quarterbacks are still very close in what they can bring to the table. This week, they were close enough in the minds of the coaching staff that Chris Brown at less than 100 percent meant that going with Dano Graves was the best option. Brown rushed for a program record (for a quarterback) 195 yards and three touchdowns in Davis, then threw four touchdown passes last week in a big win over Sacramento State, a team who beat Cal Poly last year in Sacramento. But he was hurt this week, so he didn’t start.

Instead, Dano Graves did. Graves, who transferred into the program after last season, has looked slippery at times, running the ball decently and generally taking care of the ball. He has been able to move the ball some. But it has been nothing like Brown, especially against tougher opponents. With Brown not starting, I figured Trosin would probably be the number two quarterback. If Brown could play at all, I thought, he would be in the game after the last two weeks he’s had.

So, when the Mustangs only scored three points in the first half, despite multiple opportunities and great field position, I thought Walsh might make a move. Yes, it would be uncharacteristic for him to make a change that quickly, but down 14-3 to the number-three team in the country might have called for a little shake-up. Instead, Graves stayed in. Here’s how the third quarter went for Cal Poly:

* EWU six-play, 65-yard touchdown drive (21-3)

* Mustangs run six plays, gain 16 yards in under three minutes, and punt. The punt goes 21 yards

* EWU five-play, 70-yard touchdown drive with a second-string quarterback (28-3)

* Graves drives Cal Poly to the EWU 40 yard line, but is intercepted. Again, a six-play drive, taking up less than 2:00.

* EWU five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive for their final score of the game. The score was 35-3, in favor of the Eagles.

* Graves and the Mustangs again drive a little. Graves is again picked-off — his third of the game.

After Eastern Washington punted, Cal Poly got the ball back at the 50. Three plays later, the Mustangs were punting, again unable to move the ball.

When Cal Poly got the ball back, Chris Brown, not Tanner Trosin, was the quarterback and things changed quickly for the Cal Poly offense. Brown led three consecutive touchdown drives in the quarter, running the option to perfection. He showed-off his best-on-the-team speed, long-striding for a 47 yard run. He showed his best-on-the-team arm, going 4-7 passing for 87 yards and a touchdown. He showed his good decision-making, committing zero turnovers. Brown put guys in position to make plays, and they did.

Maybe it was against a bunch of EWU second-stringers. Maybe the visiting third-ranked team in the country let down after going up 35-3. We saw at Fresno State what can happen when a good team takes their foot off the gas pedal too quickly. But, at this point in the year, with the information I have, I don’t care. Chris Brown has to be the guy. For this year and, for my money, to start next year.

The premise that the quarterback options are still so close has, at this point, been busted. I’m not saying that Graves is that bad. Maybe he’s not, but Brown seems to really be that good. At this point, Brown is good enough that he can take limited reps, be a little hurt, and still be effective. He has done enough to be the guy. When his health is “borderline,” like he was today, he has earned the right to give it a try. It’s a luxury that Graves was afforded at Montana, where he admitted he could barely stay upright for much of the second half with an injury. If Graves is allowed to stay in under those circumstances, why wasn’t Brown starting?

Brown will make some mistakes, I think we’ve always known this. But if the alternative to Brown is an offense that is held to three points over three quarters, I’ll take a few mistakes as a fan — and the learning that goes with them. All four remaining candidates for next year’s starting position — as of now, they’ll all be back — have something going for them. But Brown has put himself head and shoulders above the others. We have more information now than we did at the beginning of the year about all of these players. Eleven games have been played. Five quarterbacks have been used. Brown has started five games, Graves four, and Moraga two. Decisions need to be made based on that information, not on a stale premise established at the beginning of the year.

If my calculations are correct (and it’s possible they aren’t), Andre Broadous threw five interceptions in 28 games where he threw a pass. To expect that out of any quarterback isn’t realistic. Cal Poly does have a talented quarterback who has proven himself better than the rest. Perhaps Broadous spoiled everyone over the past few seasons, but if we are still searching for the next Andre Broadous, we’ll be looking for an awfully long time.

For now, Brown is the best Cal Poly’s got, and even though there is only one game remaining, he needs to be given the reins of the Mustangs offense. If there is one thing we’ve learned this year, it’s how things can be offensively when the starters are different week-to-week.

By the Numbers:

PASSING

RUSHING

Photos by Owen Main

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