At noon, kicker James Langford sat in Sierra Vista Regional Center with a sharp pain running through his chest. At nine, Langford channelled that pain to the South Dakota sideline with a game-winning 39-yard kick as the Mustangs completed an improbable comeback after being down 14 points in the fourth quarter and then winning 27-24.
“That’s the highlight of my career for sure,” Langford said after the game. “I was so juiced, I don’t even know what happened after I made the kick. I was screaming and everyone was mobbing me. It was awesome.”
The improbable victory clinched a tie for the Great West title, but an outright championship awaits if they can return the Golden Horseshoe to San Luis Obispo with a victory at UC Davis next weekend.
The Mustangs rallied from a 17-0 halftime deficit to cut the score to 17-10 going into the fourth quarter, but backup Coyote quarterback Josh Vander Maten sliced between Mustang defenders on the fourth play of the fourth quarter for a 15-yard touchdown run. With 13:32 to go, the Coyotes led 24-10 and attempted an onside kick that caught the Mustangs off-guard.
Fortunately for Cal Poly, a Coyote touched the ball before it had gone 10 yards and the Mustangs took over, only to be stopped on fourth down nine plays later.
On the ensuing Cal Poly possession, the Mustangs worked their way down the field methodically, using fullback Jake Romanelli to pound up the middle, then having quarterback Andre Broadous pick apart an exposed secondary. By the time the Mustangs made it to the 2-yard line, it was fourth down and head coach Tim Walsh put the ball in Broadous’ hands. The decision paid off as he scored on a run off the left guard.
“When you look at his value with what he does with his feet, with what he does when some of the plays break down, what he can create and, then, what he does when he can just execute the offensive, he’s a pretty valuable dude,” Walsh said.
South Dakota took possession with 4:41 remaining but used just 22 seconds on a three play drive that culminated with a sack from Johnny Millard.
“That happened because of the other 10 players, they opened it up perfectly for me,” Millard said. “Nobody touched me. The D-line did a great job. If I didn’t get the sack there were two other guys who could have gotten it too.”
Millard led the Mustangs with eight solo tackles. Two were for a loss.
Greg Francis muffed the Coyote punt, but the Mustangs corralled the loose ball to put Broadous and company back on the field. This time Willie Tucker was Broadous’ target, connecting with the wide receiver for gains of 16 and 19. The latter set up the game-tying score.
Asa Jackson returned to the field on South Dakota’s next possession and helped force another three-and-out. Jackson, who broke his foot two weeks ago against Southern Utah, played the first quarter but removed himself and winced walking to the sideline in the second quarter.
“Jackson, that guy has more heart than any player I have ever seen,” Millard said. “He was just as much into the game when he was off the field as when he was (on the field). He’s getting on all of us, telling us to step up. That just shows what a big time player he is. That guy is a man.”
Francis went on to return the next Coyote punt 44 yards to the South Dakota 29. A play that set up Langford’s eventual heroics.
“I don’t think there’s too many better feelings than coming back in the fourth quarter and coming out with a win,” Broadous said. “I would hate to be on the other side of what happened, but it shows a lot of character for our program.”
In the first half, the Mustangs could not gain any momentum on offense. In its first four possessions, Cal Poly earned just one first down and had 26 yards of offense through the first quarter, adding just 47 more in the second quarter.
The Coyotes, a team that played Air Force, another triple-option opponent, earlier this season, were able to stop the Mustang running game whether the ball carrier was Romanelli or Broadous. But holes began to open up in the second half allowing Broadous to spring free.
After Jackson left, the Coyotes took advantage of a weakened Cal Poly secondary by going over the top.
South Dakota quarterback Dante Warren completed passes to Dustin Nowotny and Will Powell for 29 and 43 yards respectively. Warren was injured in the third quarter and replaced by Vander Maten.
Broadous finished the game with 117 yards passing while completing 13 of 22 attempts, one for a touchdown. He also rushed 69 yards and two scores while Romanelli led the Mustangs with 88 yards on 20 attempts. Starting slotback Mark Rodgers did not play due to injury.
The Mustangs face UC Davis next Saturday on the road in their final game in the Great West conference. A win would clinch the championship.
“It’s a big game for us,” Broadous said. “They ended our season last year, and we’ve been waiting for that game for a year now. Now it’s here, so we’re all excited.”
Cal Poly needs three consecutive victories over the remaining three weeks to be eligible for a playoff berth. The team returns home on Nov. 12 to face defending national champion Eastern Washington before going on the road to South Alabama for the final regular season game.