Six games. Six wins. That’s what the Cal Poly football team is faced with going into the midpoint of its season. In all likelihood, anything short of those six wins will leave the Mustangs on the outside of the playoffs for the third-straight year.
“We haven’t played as well as we would have liked, so we need this win-streak,” senior fullback Jake Romanelli said. “We have a team that is very capable of doing that, and I’m very confident that we will make a run at it.”
The Mustangs are relying on an experienced group of seniors and junior quarterback Andre Broadous to lead the way. Broadous was a redshirt freshman on the 2008 team that ripped off a seven game win streak that propelled them into the playoffs. The experiences from that season has this year’s team optimistic that they can duplicate that feat.
“We have a great senior class that’s filled with leaders,” senior offensive lineman Scott Winnewisser said. “We have to take every game like it’s our last game and like a playoff game.”
Winnewisser leads an offensive line that starts four upperclassmen and paves the way for the Mustangs average of 247 yards rushing a game. Through five games, the offense is averaging more than 30 points per game. Offensive execution will be key in the six remaining games. Cal Poly faces the defending National Champion Eastern Washington, defending Great West champion Southern Utah and conclude with South Alabama, a team that went 10-0 last season.
“Right now, we are playing every game one at a time,” Winnewisser said. “Our mentality is one series at time, and the wins will fall into our lap. That’s the approach we are taking.”
The good news for Cal Poly is that four of the last seven games are at home including the toughest remaining opponents Eastern Washington and Southern Utah. Eastern Washington is only 1-4, but three of their losses are against Montana, Montana State and the University of Washington. Still, Eastern Washington out-gained the Huskies, an FBS school, 504 yards to 250.
“Our team is ready,” senior slot back Mark Rodgers said. “We have to be ready each game and can’t play to the level of our competition.”
Rodgers is definitely ready for a break-out game. The West Virginia transfer was Cal Poly’s leading rusher last year with 882 yards.
This season, the yards have been tougher to come by. Defenses have keyed on Rodgers, and he is averaging 64 yards rushing through the first five games of the season. Rodgers has a 69-yard touchdown catch and completed a 52-yard pass against San Diego State. His ability to make big plays will be a key to the Mustangs’ success down the stretch.
“I feel that I still haven’t had a great game yet,” Rodgers said. “But my coaches and teammates have been really supportive, and everything will work out.”
The FCS playoffs are a 16-team, single-elimination tournament that decides the champion. For a team to qualify, it is “recommended” that seven victories are against divisions one teams (either FBS or FCS), but six FCS wins might not cut it for the Mustangs this season.
There are eight conferences in the FCS whose champions receive automatic berths. For Cal Poly, the Great West is not one of these conferences. The remaining eight bids are chosen by a selection committee that is comprised of FCS athletic directors, a bid the Mustangs hope to secure. The committee chooses teams based on their overall record, ranking and strength of schedule.
If the Mustangs win their last six, they could still reach the seven victories to qualify for at-large berth into the playoffs.