On Saturday, Cal Poly hosted 17th-ranked Montana. The Mustangs came into the game 1-3 on the season, having won just two of their past 16 games overall. 

So, not a great trend. This year hasn’t been easy though. The four games Cal Poly has lost (including to Montana) have all been against opponents ranked in the top-17 in the nation. 

For me, one of the fascinating things about college sports — or any athletics at a really high level — is that there sometimes isn’t MUCH between a team that seems down in the dumps and a team that is in the top-20 in the nation. Saturday’s game, for me, was a fascinating case in point.

Cal Poly moved the ball like they wanted to and played basically as well as you can in a game you lose by 20 (the final score was 48-28).

There were 149 total plays in the game, and here are four that went a long way toward determining the outcome:

The first fouth-and-one

Cal Poly is a triple option team that goes for it on fourth down. A lot. If you depend on rushing the ball and can’t get a yard or two when you need it, then you’re probably not going to win anyway. Also, head coach Tim Walsh has long preached that touchdowns are what win games, not field goals. 

After picking up one first down on their opening drive, Cal Poly had the ball at Montana’s 48 yard line on fourth down and 1. Cal Poly handed the ball to senior fullback Joe Protheroe, but the Grizzlies sniffed it out and stopped Cal Poly short. 

Early fourth down plays can have lasting impacts on momentum in the trenches. 

THE OUTCOME – Well, Cal Poly’s defense forced a Montana three-and-out, forcing a punt. Things looked OK until…..

J’uan Campbell rushed for 31 yards on four carries Saturday against Montana.
Photo by Owen Main

The Muff

Since the Mustangs had gone for it on 4th down, Montana had good field position to pin Cal Poly back toward their own end zone. The Montana punter angled a high kick toward the corner. Cal Poly junior return man J’uan Campbell waved his teammates away as the ball bounced and rolled nearly out of bounds. Inexplicably, Campbell made a last second effort to pick up or dive on the ball. 

Instead, Campbell simply touched it and Montana took possession at the Cal Poly 7 yard line.

THE OUTCOME – Two plays later, Dalton Sneed found Gabe Sulser for a six-yard touchdown and Montana led 10-0, less than seven minutes into the game. 

The pitch-6

Down 10-0 early-on, Cal Poly still had to believe they could get back into the game by sticking with their initial game plan. While the Montana defense HAD earned one stop, Cal Poly’s offense hadn’t even started to roll. Khaleel Jenkins and co. put together a drive that was vintage Cal Poly offense for the first 13 plays of the drive. Protheroe found some rhythm up the middle. Jenkins was making good option decisions. Campbell got back on track. Chuby Danu even caught a ball out of the backfield. Cal Poly used the first 13 plays of the drive to go 60 yards. At the Montana 16 yard line, it seemed like the Mustangs were ready to score a touchdown of their own and get back into the game. 

Instead, the wheels fell off. 

On an option play toward the Cal Poly sideline, Jenkins’ pitch to Danu careened off Danu and right into the waiting arms of Montana defender Josh Buss, who returned the fumble 80 yards for a Montana touchdown.

THE OUTCOME – Instead of the score being maybe 10-7, it was 17-0 Montana with 1:31 to go in a disastrous first quarter. 

To their credit, the Mustangs didn’t hang their heads. Jenkins, Protheroe, and newly installed running back Drew Hernandez kept the Triple Option chugging. Cal Poly responded with a drive of over six minutes in the second quarter, culminating in a Protheroe touchdown, but Montana scored on their ensuing drive and once more before the half to go up 31-7 at halftime. 

When you do the math on the 14 point swing of the pitch-6 and what might or might not have happened with the Muff, you might think about somewhere between 14 and 21 points being made-up. That means that instead of being boat-raced at 31-7 going into halftime, Cal Poly might have been within striking distance at something like 24-14. That’s a big difference. 

Again, Cal Poly’s offense seemed to respond in the second half. They scored on each of their first two drives in the 3rd quarter, but so did Montana. Even trading a touchdown for a field goal, Cal Poly wasn’t making up ground. Down 41-21 early in the fourth quarter, the offense needed to keep scoring.

The fourth down, part deux

I hesitated putting this one in here. By the time you’re depending on conversion of a fourth and four, down by 20 points in the fourth quarter, maybe you’re grasping at straws. Still, Cal Poly had life. with 12:16 left in the game, on fourth and four from the Montana 22, Jenkins called his own number. He tried to cut upfield on an option play. He slipped and was smothered for no gain. 

THE OUTCOME – Montana got the ball back on downs and scored on a 68 yard rush three plays later. It was a dagger for a Cal Poly team that rallied for a touchdown late to keep the score within 20. 

****

Each of the above plays creates the circumstance needed for the next one to even take place, but when you put them all together, it makes up for most of the score difference between the two teams. I guess the good news if you’re a Mustang fan is that high leverage situations like fourth downs, special teams plays, and turnovers are things that can improve.

Drew Hernandez (27) was a pleasant surprise for Cal Poly fans, rushing for 135 yards on 14 carries Saturday against Montana.
Photo by Owen Main

Cal Poly out-gained Montana 512 yards to 468 yards and dominated time of possession (38:40 to 21:20). Cal Poly ran 95 plays to Montana’s 54. But two early turnovers weren’t something Cal Poly could overcome.

Cleaning up their play in those high-leverage areas could give the Mustangs a chance to win in the state capitol this weekend against Sacramento State. 

You’ll also notice I didn’t mention the defense yet. Cal Poly’s defense wasn’t horrific, but it wasn’t great. They made some good third down stops (Montana was just 5/10 on third downs), but they also let some big plays happen, including Adam Eastwood’s 68 yard dagger. By the time the defense forced a turnover from the Grizzlies, an interception by Carter Nichols, the game was well in-hand.

The receivers throughout the Big Sky are really good and so are most of the passing quarterbacks. Sacks are hard to come by as quarterbacks are getting rid of the ball quickly. If the offense and special teams play a clean game, Cal Poly’s defense doesn’t have to do huge things with turnovers, sacks, and tackles for losses. If the Mustangs are behind by 20 points though, then the pressure on Josh Brown’s unit becomes higher. With a young defensive front, changing the game plan and becoming more urgent might lead to some of the late breakdown we saw with the long Eastwood touchdown run. 

So, what’s next?

Look this weekend for high-leverage plays and whether they go Cal Poly’s way. Can the Mustangs convert on some fourth downs when they only have 1-3 yards to get? Can the offense keep from giving away possession and points and still run smoothly. 

Smart football is good football in so many cases. With nearly 150 plays last game, there are lots of opportunities to slip-up, but if Cal Poly can play sound football this weekend, they’ll have a chance in the Hornets nest. 

Photos by Owen Main. Click here for all photos

Cal Poly football has one win in its last 13 games. On Saturday, the program will kick off its 100th season on the road against the best team in the FCS, North Dakota State. Kickoff is set for noon at the Fargodome, where the Bison have won 43 of their past 48 games since the 2010 season began. North Dakota State has not lost more than one game at home in any season during that span.

Cal Poly comes into the season with health playing a big role. After missing All-American fullback Joe Protheroe and quarterback Khaleel Jenkins for most of last season, Cal Poly will have both players back on the field in 2018. Protheroe, who rushed for 1,334 yards and 13 touchdowns two seasons ago, looks to be Cal Poly’s featured option while Jenkins will take the reins back after sitting out most of 2017. 

While Cal Poly head coach Tim Walsh isn’t focused on last season, the bad taste of a 1-10 season still lingers for fans. A good showing in Fargo could wash some of that away. 

Give and Take

Cal Poly’s ability to handle the ball and not turn it over is likely to be a deciding factor in whether Cal Poly gives themselves a chance against the top team in their division. Last year, the Mustangs lost 17 fumbles and threw 7 interceptions while only turning their opponents over 15 times total. 

Cal Poly also committed more penalties for more lost yards than their opponents last season. Against the nation’s top team, that’s not an option.

Toughening Up

In a podcast before camp, Walsh alluded to his team needing to be tougher. It’s not sexy, but holding their own in the trenches is especially crucial for a team that rushes the ball as much as the Mustangs. 

Listen to the podcast with Tim Walsh here. 

Naming conventions

North Dakota State has an all-time great collection of names on their roster, led by quarterback Eastman Stick. Their names go as deep as their talent does. Here’s a 24/7 Sports preview of their season from January. And a Hero Sports preview said, “this is the best preseason roster the Bison have had since the 2013 undefeated season.”

IF

If Cal Poly can manage a few decent drives in the first half and hold their own defensively, they will keep themselves in the game. Keys will be to start with some good drives and capitalize on the opportunities they are given, hold onto the football, hold their own on the defensive front seven, and catch a few breaks. If (IF) they can do all those things, they’ll have a chance late in this one. 

Football season is back. Buckle up. 

Here’s a good article about Bradley Mickey from the Santa Maria Times.

Here are some photos from a few practices.

Lucas Clark 

Day two of Cal Poly football camp began a little after 9:00am on Saturday morning. As the morning sun bathed over Doerr Family Field, Cal Poly’s offense, specifically the skill position players were the most vocal and energetic. 

Coming off injury

Quarterback Khaleel Jenkins looks as though he hasn’t missed a beat after missing most of last season due to injury. Cal Poly actually has five quarterbacks in camp, including Jake Jeffrey — who took most of the snaps last season — and redshirt freshman Kyle Reid. 

A new addition

Preseason All-American Joe Protheroe was not at practice, and for good reason. His wife gave birth to their third child this week. I don’t think Cal Poly fans will lose any sleep over Protheroe knowing the plays. He is expected to begin practicing in plenty of time to be available for their first game.

Hold onto the ball

It’s clear from talking with Cal Poly head coach Tim Walsh and others around the program that ball security is a priority this season. Things happening in practice also made that apparent to anybody watching. Fumbling is a weird beast, but here’s hoping the added conscious awareness can help the Mustangs win the turnover battle. When they don’t, things can go downhill fast. 

Odds and ends

• Bradley Mickey, a redshirt sophomore from Arroyo Grande who missed the beginning of last season with an injury, has switched his number to 17 this season. Seventeen is the number of Mickey’s friend Ryan Teixeira, who passed away in March 2017. It is also the namesake of the charity — 17 Strong — that he started. You can find it at seventeenstrong.org .
• A few freshman were interesting to see out on the field. As they start practice at the college level for the first time, it’s always fun to observe who is still wide-eyed and who comes into camp with a college football mentality. Among the guys I caught a glimpse of, quarterback Jalen Hamler (Lawndale) was probably the one I watched the most. He looks fast. 
  This season, freshmen can play in up to four games and still keep their redshirt. This is a big deal for a Cal Poly program that has traditionally redshirted a LOT of their players. If the rule had been in place a season ago, Cal Poly might have used players like quarterback Kyle Reid alongside Jake Jeffrey as the season wound down. 
• Cal Poly will play their first game on September 1st in Fargo, North Dakota against the best FCS team in the nation — North Dakota State. The Bison seem like they win the national championship every season. The Mustangs’ schedule, start to finish, is probably more difficult than last year’s, despite having no FBS opponents on the slate (a rarity). In conference play the Mustangs will take on Montana at home and Montana State, Eastern Washington, and Northern Arizona all on the road. 
• I taped a podcast with head coach Tim Walsh last week that I’m hoping goes up before the weekend is over. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher — just search Fansmanship. 

Photos by Owen Main. Browse the gallery online and purchase photos here. 

You can also just contribute to the cause via Paypal (owen@fansmanship.com) or Venmo

It looks like an airplane hanger. In the past it has played like cement. The Cal Poly football team hopes it’s the site of their first win of 2017. 

Idaho State’s Holt Arena is the site of this week’s Cal Poly game. At 0-4, the Mustangs’ hopes of turning things around aren’t completely finished. A win on Saturday would mean they can probably convince themselves they’re in the playoff hunt again. A loss in Idaho would, for all intents and purposes, doom any conference or playoff aspirations the Mustangs thought they had. 

Cal Poly fans hope Khaleel Jenkins can show some big play ability in Pocatello today. By Owen Main

Hard running, and falling

The Idaho State turf has been known as being fast. It is also unforgiving. Chris Brown wasn’t the same after he played there a few years ago. Khaleel Jenkins, Jared Mohamed, and the rest of the Cal Poly offense better be ready to do what it takes. I’m not sure if knowing how to fall on concrete is different than real grass or the kind of artificial stuff that’s found in most of the Big Sky. 

Maybe Idaho State’s field has been improved in recent years. The concrete under the Holt Arena surface is definitely still there though. 

Reasons to look up

So I think of myself as a positive guy. Here are a few reasons Cal Poly fans can feel good about Friday’s game:

• Recent dome history — The Mustangs played their best game of the season against Northern Iowa, losing in overtime. That game was played on a fast track, inside a domed stadium. Perhaps they can once again harness the big play magic they found there in Week 2. 
• Defensive consistency — Cal Poly’s defense has been pretty darn good over the first four games. Mason Montgomery, RJ Mazolewski, and Jayson Lee have all been stellar at linebacker. The Mustangs have given up 31.8 points per game — which isn’t bad by itself. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Two Cal Poly fumbles have been run back for touchdowns and the offense has put the defense in a really bad spot at least a handful of other times. If you take away the two runbacks, the Cal Poly defense is only really giving up 28.25 points per game. That defense will have to run all over the field to stop Idaho State on Saturday. The Bengals are averaging over 430 yards per game on offense and tend to get a big bump whenever they play at home. 
• Offensive experience — The triple option is an offense that you get better at calling as time goes on. Every game should be a lesson that makes calling the game a little better. Maybe the explosive plays work better in domes for some reason. 

Kyle Lewis’ ability to get free on the edges and make big plays seems to be directly correlated to Cal poly’s offensive success so far this season. By Owen Main

You don’t score, until you score

The offense is averaging 18.8 points per game so far this season. If it stood, that would be the lowest output in over a decade. In 2009, the Mustangs averaged 23.5 points per game, but they have been on a pace of over 30 points per game in 7 of the past 10 seasons.

Here’s hoping that fast Holt Arena turf can help Cal Poly produce more points today en route to their first win. 

The alternative — an 0-5 start — would be rather grim. 

In 2008, Cal Poly averaged over 44 points per game and over 39 points per game in 2007. Dang.

Folks around Cal Poly athletics are going to be real busy this weekend. From Thursday to Sunday, there are six home games, including one that’s being played in Paso Robles to go along with the Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday night.

Redshirt freshman forward Georgina Stiegeler has been dangerous as an attacker for Cal Poly this season. By Owen Main

The fun starts on Thursday night, when women’s soccer hosts Denver at Alex G. Spanos Stadium, starting at 7:00pm. Alex Crozier’s team is coming off an overtime win on Sunday afternoon and looks to build momentum going into Big West Conference play next week. 

***

On Friday, the volleyball team — a squad with REALLY high expectations this season, makes their 2017 Mott Athletics Center debut against conference foe Cal State Fullerton. The game starts at 6:30. The Cal Poly Hall of Fame dinner will take place on Friday night as well next door at the multipurpose room at the Cal Poly Recreation Center. Inductees will include major league pitcher Kevin Correia, Dr. Ken Walker, football running back Craig Young, and probably the best women’s basketball player in Cal Poly history, Kristina Santiago, among others. 

***

Cal Poly keeper Simon Boehme is the reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Week. By Owen Main

If you didn’t get your fill on Friday, Saturday is even busier. It starts with a rare 11:00am start for the men’s soccer team. They’ll play a “home” game against CSU Bakersfield at Paso Robles Horse Park. With a football game on the same day, the soccer team’s choice to play a game off campus and try to engage the north county community makes sense. It also makes the drive for the Roadrunners a really short one. 

With just four goals in six games played, the Mustangs’ 2-4 record doesn’t seem as bad as it could be. Cal Poly’s offense will look to get going CSUB is also 2-4 coming into the match, but has given up 13 goals in their six games.

***

Once the soccer game is over, Sam Crosson’s volleyball team will play their second game in as many days against UC Riverside. Have I mentioned this volleyball team is good? They’ve won six straight, sweeping five of those matches. The only two sets they’ve lost over that span was in a 3-2 win over 23rd ranked Wichita State. They are legitimate contenders in the Big West this year. If you’re a student or will be on campus anyway for football, you should go early and check it out. You will not be disappointed. Saturday’s volleyball game starts at 4:30. 

***

I’ll be toast by then and my camera battery may need a recharge, but there’s no rest for the weary. With their playoff hopes maybe already on the line, Cal Poly football will kick off their Big Sky Conference season against a top opponent in Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks might be the toughest opponent Cal Poly has left on their schedule and a win would go a long way toward building confidence for the 0-3 Mustangs.

Khaleel Jenkins and the Cal Poly offense will try to get off to a good start in Big Sky Conference play on Saturday evening. By Owen Main

This game is important for SO many reasons, but one is that it is the first opportunity for freshmen to see a football game on-campus. They’ve been here for over two weeks now, and this is a big chance to make a first impression. Despite an 0-3 start, Cal Poly has an opportunity to go 1-0 in the Big Sky, engage their fanbase on campus, and get on a track toward a playoff berth. Northern Arizona is really good and I expect this game to be close and well-played.

I also expect it to be well-coached. Cal Poly is coming off a bye and whatever kinks offensive coordinator Jim Craft has had over the first three weeks, he’ll need to call a complete game and his offense will have to execute a complete 60 minutes for Cal Poly to win. Kickoff is at 6:05 and the Hall of Fame inductees from Friday night will be recognized at halftime. 

***

Saturday night, we’ll all get home around 10:30 or 11:00. And on Sunday, probably with a munchkin in-tow again (what, am I gonna abandon my wife and BOTH kids for four straight days?), I’m likely to be at the women’s soccer game. Expect the pitch to be a little bumpier as the Spanos field absorbs its third game in four days. This is not an unusual occurrence there in the Fall, but it does start to show some wear and tear by Sunday afternoon on weekends like this.

By the end of the weekend, I’m thinking I’ll have put some mileage on my camera, legs, and even my car. I’m estimating maybe 5,000 photos on my camera, 70 miles on my car, and probably a more pronounced farmer’s tan. If I had a fitbit, I’d tell you how many steps. I’m sure it’ll be in the millions. At least it’ll feel like it. 

It’s going to be a fun weekend. 

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Well, that wasn’t pretty. Cal Poly football gave up a 17-0 lead in the first half, found themselves down 20-0 going into the fourth quarter, and couldn’t finish a late rally as they fell on Saturday to Colgate 20-14. 

It was a disappointing loss for a team coming off a playoff bid in 2016 and playing on national television in a rare Week Zero home game. There was lots that went wrong. Some things weren’t so bad. What did we really learn from the Mustangs’ opening game loss?

Khaleel Jenkins pitches to Kyle Lewis in what was one of Cal Poly’s only true option plays they ran on Saturday. By Owen Main

Cal Poly’s offense stifled

If you are one of those fans who has been loud and vocal about Cal Poly not throwing the ball more even while they win games, you were probably out of your mind with frustration at the end of the third quarter. At that point, the Mustangs had put the ball in the air just eight times. 

The real story for me, though, was the lack of a balance in touches throughout the game. After the game, Tim Walsh recognized that Joe Protheroe (39 carries) carried it too many times. He pointed to Jared Mohamed as a worthy and reliable senior fullback who can shoulder some of the load more than he did. 

In the end, Cal Poly would probably prefer to have at least three players with probably 10 or more carries throughout the game. After Protheroe’s 39 carries, the Mustangs’ next highest total was Kyle Lewis’ 7. Protheroe had more carries than the rest of the team combined. For all intents and purposes, half of the Cal Poly offense’s snaps ended with a carry by Protheroe — mostly right up the gut. That means that over half their plays were dives to the fullback. Even by Cal Poly’s standards, that’s a pretty predictable number. 

Cal Poly ran 25 of their 79 plays in the fourth quarter. They were stopped on third and fourth down a combined 13 times, including 0/3 on fourth and short yardage to start the game (they converted four times late in the game to go 4/8 on fourth down on the day). 

The Mustangs had their chances. J.J. Koski and Kyle Lewis were both open deep in the second quarter. Koski was overthrown by Khaleel Jenkins and Lewis couldn’t handle a nicely thrown ball. Execution on either play during that second quarter drive would likely have led to much needed first half points in the new season. Big plays are something that Cal Poly’s triple option offense has to hit on at least sometimes to be successful and it seemed like they went 0-fer in their opener.

The final offensive numbers are almost all in Cal Poly’s favor, but to see the team under 300 yards of total offense is a surprising number, even with Colgate’s stout defensive reputation. Colgate took advantage of their opportunities and made a few huge plays.

It is hard to think about in the moment when you’re a fan, but this was a new play caller and a new quarterback. You have to think that both of those guys are going to improve over the course of the season.

Cal Poly dug themselves a hole offensively. The Mustangs tried everything they could late to claw out of the deficit, but were left a few plays short. 

Improved defense

Cal Poly’s defense showed some improvement, giving up just 20 points on Saturday. 

Josh Brown’s group matched turnovers with the Colgate defense when Kitu Humphrey picked-off a tipped pass, and they made some big stops on third down, giving up just a pair of field goals instead of touchdowns. Tim Walsh has harped in past years on the enormous difference between a field goal and a touchdown, and Cal Poly’s defense seemed to get the message, especially when they gave up just three points in the second half. 

For as frustrating as a lot of that game was for Cal Poly fans, the defense played very well. Walsh and co. will gladly take 20 point defensive games each and every week this year. That said, I still haven’t really got a gauge on who is nasty on the Cal Poly defense. BJ Nard has been a nasty player in the past.Augustino Elisaia is a beast up front. Guys made plays up front. Maybe big huge plays aren’t something they’ll need to hold other teams down. 

Or maybe they’ll have even another gear when they play more pass-happy offenses.

Fans showed up

The attendance was listed at 8,428, about 2,000 higher than I predicted. With the Mayweather-McGregor fight happening and school still a few weeks away, Cal Poly did a few things to get butts in seats. 

The game was Youth Day. That means that kids got in free, and there were quite a few youngsters littered throughout the stands. Cal Poly also decided to play a movie on the scoreboard after the game. Rogue One is a fun movie and there were maybe a few hundred people out on the field after the game to check it out. 

The movie is a promotion that Cal Poly hasn’t done before in my memory, but creative stuff like that is exactly what they should be doing. 

One other thing that could impact how many people come to games — they sell beer now at the stadium. I don’t think it made a huge impact on day one, but it can’t hurt the bottom line.

Going to the Valley

Cal Poly goes and plays a state school from the valley this weekend. Well, not THE Valley. A valley. The Silicon Valley. San Jose State is one of the closest road games the Mustangs could possibly play. San Jose State started well against Charlie Strong’s South Florida team last weekend, but were blown away late. As of today, Cal Poly was favored slightly over the Spartans.

The two programs have a lot of history they share. Coaches and strength coaches have moved between the two programs over the past 15 years. There are kids from the greater San Jose area on Cal Poly’s roster and two players on San Jose State — Josh Oliver and Bailey Gaither — are from Paso Robles. 

This is one of the few games that a fan from San Luis Obispo can drive to and back from comfortably in a day. I’ll be making the trip and reporting and posting things on social media all day Saturday, so be on the look-out. 

Photos by Owen Main. For all the photos from the game, click here. 

Joe Protheroe and the Mustangs welcome Colgate today. By Owen Main

Colgate is here. 

In about 90 minutes, Cal Poly and Colgate will kick-off in a week zero contest at Alex G. Spanos Stadium in San Luis Obispo.

Here are a few late things to look for:

Khaleel Jenkins

Cal Poly’s quarterback is always spotlighted. This year is no different. Jenkins, a 6’2″ junior from the San Diego area started one game as a true freshman two years ago, but he’s earned complete control as an upperclassman in 2017. 

I hate to oversimplify things, but Jenkins’ ability to control the ball and not turn it over is an easy thing for a Cal Poly fan to look at to see how successful the Mustangs’ offense will be. Jenkins has all the tools, but once the season starts it’s about making smart decisions and executing. 

Wideout blocking

Cal Poly didn’t lose a ton of yardage or receiving production from last year, but one question I have is whether wide receivers will be able to block the edge. To the extent they can, Cal Poly’s offense really opens up and makes the entire width of the field hard to defend. 

Kyle Lewis

Speaking of getting wide, Kyle Lewis’ usage will be really interesting to keep track of. Lewis wasn’t on any preseason list I saw, but he has the chance to be an explosive playmaker for Cal Poly. In his senior season, he’ll probably be used as a slotback, a wideout, and maybe a kick returner. The Mustangs have lots of depth at positions like fullback (behind All-American, Joe Protheroe), but I’m not sure they have anybody who can even approximate the danger Kyle Lewis provides. 

OK, that’s all for now. One more thing — Colgate has an All-American defensive player. Watch the game closely enough and I’m sure you’ll figure out who he is.

Follow me on twitter or instagram @fansmanship all year for updates. 

They started early. And I was busy. But finally, I made it out to Cal Poly football practice on Monday morning. And here are the things.

The long walk continues

Cal Poly is in the process of building the new Doerr Family Field. But that won’t be ready until October or November. Until then, Cal Poly football continues to practice in the Back 40, on the upper practice field. In case you didn’t know, the practice field they’ve been on for years is an artificial surface that is over a mile from their locker rooms adjacent to Mott Athletics Center. 

The new field will be right next to it, but until then, it’s a little hike from the parking lot for me. For a lot of players, it means a similar walk or riding on bicycles. I even saw a few players on mopeds rolling back to Mott Athletics Center. 

It won’t be necessary after a few weeks — at least not for every practice. For now, it gave those of us watching practice a nice walk in the morning sun. It really is beautiful out on that part of campus. I won’t miss the walk though. 

Familiar Faces

The Khaleel Jenkins Show makes its debut at Spanos Saturday, August 23rd against Colgate. By Owen Main

Cal Poly’s roster is littered with players who have experience contributing big. They are three or four deep at fullback, including preseason all-american Joe Protheroe. They have Kyle Lewis’ explosive speed on the edge. Lewis is probably the Mustang who didn’t get many preseason accolades most likely to pick up some postseason individual hardware. Redshirt freshman Chuby Danu should also be more than capable in his first year of significant playing time. 

The offensive line is led by experience senior Joey Kuperman. The defensive backfield is at least 7 or 8 deep on the depth chart with quality players. The team’s linebacking corps has experienced guys and the defensive line is anchored by SLO High grad Jack Ferguson and senior Augustino Elisaia.

JJ Koski is the most experienced receiver from last year’s team. Watching the greener players on the edge block in the run game will be a key. Carson McMurtrey and Jordan Hines were really good at that in previous years and blocking the edge effectively from the wideout position is not an easy task.

Khaleel Jenkins comes into the season with limited experience. Two years ago, Jenkins started a game at Spanos and played decently as a true freshman. He turned the ball over a few times, but also showed some explosive rushing ability and decent decision-making in the option game. 

Head coach Tim Walsh is optimistic about Jenkins’ upcoming season. 

Schedule lining up

This season’s schedule is one that, by traditional Big Sky standards, is on the lighter side. Nowhere on the schedule are Montana, Eastern Washington, or Montana State. 

Teams like Portland State, Weber State, and Nothern Arizona always play Cal Poly really tough. So does UC Davis because, you know, the horseshoe. 

The Mustangs even have a winnable game in their second weekend (technically, week 1) against an FBS team. I don’t think I have a great grasp on this team at this point, but if they can improve even a little from last year’s squad, their talent in the offensive backfield and improving defense should give them a chance to compete for a Big Sky title.

My Adidas

This was also my first look at Cal Poly’s new Adidas gear. The athletic department signed a contract with Adidas in the offseason and every team will be sporting the three-striped apparel. This seems to be a first for Cal Poly. Up until now, individual programs signed contracts with various companies. 

The new gear looked good. From an outsider’s perspective it didn’t seem too much of a departure from the past. What I am excited about is the new game uniforms for football, soccer, and volleyball in the fall. The merch trailer at Spanos already has some Adidas Cal Poly polo shirts — Green with a white collar. If you want one, it’ll run you $70. 

Strengthier?

One common refrain from players I talked with was how great shape everyone is in this year. Maybe that’s what everyone says every year. Also, maybe it’s a thing. Guys do look pretty ripped. Maybe that’s because they were practicing without pads on Monday. I dunno. 

What I do know is that little things make a difference in an ultimate team sport like football. If everyone believes they are in a little better shape, maybe they are. Everyone I’ve ever talked to about it has said amazing things about Cal Poly’s head strength and conditional coach Chris Holder and his innovative approach. Holder’s blog is fun to look at too. 

Every little edge can make a huge difference for a triple option team trying to scratch and claw for a conference title and a postseason playoff berth. Watch closely this year and maybe that’s an edge Cal Poly has. 

Photos by Owen Main. Find the whole gallery here.

Two weeks earlier, the offense was the clear winner. On Saturday, Cal Poly’s defense bowed up and, in a rarity, won the Cal Poly Spring Game, 48-25. In a contest where the defense got points for forcing turnovers and four-and-out drives by the offense. 

In stark contrast to the Saturday scrimmage a few weeks ago, Cal Poly’s offense just couldn’t get going. Tim Walsh’s defense finished the day with five turnovers in what was an unexpected rout of their offensive teammates. The offense did manage to hit on three field goals and got a late 54-yard pass from Khaleel Jenkins to Kyle Lewis, but wasn’t able to do much else.

Jayson Lee led the defense with seven tackles and LJ Mealancon notched six tackles and a fumble recovery.

The offense will have to hang onto the ball better than they did Saturday in the Fall. By Owen Main

Keep it off the ground

Sure, it was just the spring game, but Cal Poly’s triple option offense won’t be able to withstand the rate of turnovers they committed. It wasn’t just one guy, but turnovers doomed the Mustangs two years ago.

It will be interesting to see the tone Jenkins and co. set when it comes to holding onto the football in the Fall. Hopefully something like this won’t be a scene in any classrooms on-campus in the Fall… .

TURN DOWN THE SOUND BEFORE YOU WATCH THIS AT WORK.

If you were a bright-side guy, and I often am, you could argue that the defense did a really great job of stripping the ball and causing the turnovers. Cal Poly’s defense hasn’t been good at causing turnovers over the past few years, so maybe this could be indicative of a new trend. Also, maybe it was just the Spring Game. 

Offensive depth

Cal Poly will have some offensive depth at a few key positions. Quarterback won’t be one of them. Khaleel Jenkins is presumed to be the number-one guy, with Kory Fox and Jake Jeffrey backing him up. 

Chuby Danu is a redshirt freshman who looks like he can step in and play right away in 2017. By Owen Main

Where they do seem to have depth is at some of the “wear and tear” positions. At fullback, Joe Protheroe will be back as a senior. We know he’s a beast, but keeping his touches down early while still running a productive offense will be an interesting challenge. That’s where Jared Mohamed could really be key. Mohamed, who will also be a senior next season, has proven to be reliable with the ball and has a knack for falling forward. Two tough-running seniors at fullback are always a welcome sight for a first-year starting quarterback at Cal Poly.

At slot back, senior Kyle Lewis will be important. Lewis caught the only touchdown on Saturday and will be the Mustangs’ most consistent home-run threat. The problem will be that opponents will look at tape on Lewis and try to find ways to disrupt him getting into space. Stopping Protheroe and Mohamed up the middle vs. Lewis in space figures to be a tough decision for opposing defenses next year. 

Chuby Danu looked polished and strong for a redshirt freshman Tim Walsh called “very fast.” Tre Green, also a redshirt freshman, broke off a nice run as well from the slot back position. 

Pursue and destroy

Cal Poly’s defense put on a good show Saturday. Coach Walsh noted after the game that they did so without a number of linebackers who didn’t play. They were also without Kevin Griffin and Jerek Rosales, so depth throughout the defensive roster seems to continue to be a strength. 

BJ Nard and Kitu Humphrey should be returning starters at safety for a defense that has some room to improve from last season. 

Junior Khaleel Jenkins rushes on Saturday. By Owen Main

The Jenkins Show

Khaleel Jenkins, a junior next season, will have a lot riding on his decision-making in the Fall. His ability to be a third threat out of the backfield, hold onto the ball, and make great decisions will have tremendous impact on the Mustangs’ ceiling in 2017. If he can minimize turnovers, throw the ball accurately, and make great reads, Cal Poly has the supporting cast to, again, be really good offensively. While he didn’t have the greatest showing on Saturday, Jenkins has shown, in spurts, the ability he has to break big plays in games and put points on the board. 

The boot

Cal Poly kickers looked good on Saturday, at least on field goals. Casey Sublette (50 yards) and Alex Vega (52 yards) each made long ones. Sublette, a left-footed place-kicker, has punted both lefty and righty in games before. Kind of an oddity, but a fun one to watch on special teams. 

Who’s ready for Fall?!

Cal Poly 2017 schedule

Home Games in Bold,   <>    * Big Sky Conference game

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August 27th (Sunday) vs. Colgate (4:05pm)

September 2 at San Jose State (TBD)

September 9 at Northern Iowa (2:00pm)

September 23 vs. Northern Arizona (6:05pm)*

September 30 at Idaho State (TBD)*

October 7 at Southern Utah (TBD)* 

October 21 vs. Weber State (6:05pm)*

October 28 at UC Davis (TBD)*

November 4 vs. Portland State (6:05)*

November 11 vs. Sacramento State (6:05)*

November 18 at Northern Colorado (TBD)*