This story was posted at 10:49 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8.
The Cal Poly football team’s offense literally couldn’t have been doing much better. After all, through seven games, the No. 3 Mustangs led the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) in both points and yards per game.
But the loss of their starting center and left guard, who both left last week’s win over Idaho State with left knee sprains, placed uncharacteristic questions around the group heading into a Saturday evening contest against North Carolina Central.
Who would fill in? Would they sufficiently protect senior quarterback Jonathan Dally, Division I’s top-rated passer? Would they be able to create holes for four ball carriers who’d each taken at least 25 carries for no fewer than eight yards per attempt?
Sophomore Hal Kelley and redshirt freshman Stash McGuinness, snapping the ball instead of Jason Cox, and redshirt freshman Maurice McClure, taking the place of Stephen Field, emphatically put those concerns to rest before 10,825 at Alex G. Spanos Stadium in a 49-3 homecoming win.
Cal Poly (7-1) rushed for 386 yards and didn’t allow a sack.
“Seeing their progress in practice, we didn’t expect anything less,” said Mustangs senior running back James Noble, who rushed for a game-high 64 yards and two touchdowns on five carries. “We knew they were recruited here for a reason and that they were going to pick up where the other guys left off.”
Kelley, in particular, picked up his own play, Cal Poly head coach Rich Ellerson said.
“My impression is he took advantage of (the opportunity),” Ellerson said. “That stage fright was gone.”
Dally completed 6 of 9 passes for 101 yards and two scores. He also rushed for 44 yards and two more touchdowns on three carries.
Noble extended his career rushing touchdown total to 34, surpassing Louis Jackson’s school record of 32.
Cal Poly senior receiver Ramses Barden caught a game-high three passes for 36 yards and two touchdowns. His first meant he’d caught a touchdown pass in 17 straight games, matching the FCS record once exclusively held by Jerry Rice.
Cal Poly’s defense, which has allowed just 20 points over the past 10 quarters, was essentially mistake-free in its own right.
The Eagles mustered just eight first downs and 123 yards. They were held to just two passing yards and a pair of first downs until less than three minutes were left in the third quarter, at which point mostly reserves had entered for Cal Poly.
Senior linebacker Mark Restelli and junior cornerback Xavier Gardner each recorded interceptions, and junior linebacker Carlton Gillespie had the contest’s only sack.
“They were really tuned in,” Ellerson said of the unit as a whole. “They were communicating well and aggressive. I’m relieved, frankly, that that’s starting to happen. I visualized that happening sooner.”
Cal Poly allowed nearly 28 points per game through its first six outings.
“I was frustrated that we weren’t further along a few weeks ago, but we’re starting to feel it a little bit now,” Ellerson added.
The Mustangs, whose only loss came Sept. 6 to Montana, 30-28, would likely gain an at-large playoff berth with a home win over UC Davis (5-5) next week.
Although the Aggies fell to Sacramento State in the Causeway Classic 29-19 Saturday, they had won four straight entering the day, and had the FCS’ seventh-best passing attack.
“It’s a playoff game for all intents and purposes,” Ellerson said. “There are a lot of people around the Davis program that talk about the Causeway Classic, and I think the closer you get to the team and the coaches, they talk about the rivalry with Cal Poly.”
The Mustangs have won two in a row in the series, including a 63-28 rout in Davis last year, but lost 20-13 there in 2005, when many key Cal Poly contributors, such as Field, Barden and Noble, were beginning their careers as freshmen starters.
“This has been a great, great rivalry,” Ellerson said. “Since I’ve been here, I can’t imagine better.”
A win over the Aggies, followed by at least a decent showing in a regular-season finale at Wisconsin on Nov. 22, could foster the loftiest of expectations for Cal Poly throughout the FCS.
It’s conceivable the Mustangs could even contend with No. 1 James Madison, North Carolina Central head coach Mose Rison said. He would know. North Carolina Central (2-7) lost 56-7 to the Dukes, who had a bye this week.
“I think because of what they do on offense (at Cal Poly), it’d be something James Madison would obviously have to make some adjustments with,” Rison said. “But James Madison’s got a lot of firepower, too. If they happen to meet in the playoffs, that’d be a good football game. I think James Madison’s as good as they are.”
A Cal Poly loss to UC Davis, though, could knock the Mustangs out of playoff contention because they’d be left without the seven wins against fully-fledged Division I competition necessary for postseason consideration.
“Our picture doesn’t go in the locker room,” Ellerson said of the future consequences of a loss to the Aggies. “This team wants to win the national championship. If we don’t beat these guys, your picture gets lost in some dusty book.”