A career night from Jake Romanelli couldn’t save the Mustangs as Cal Poly fell 53-51 to Eastern Washington in triple overtime on Saturday night.
Quarterback Andre Broadous and the Cal Poly offense failed to convert the required two-point conversion in the third overtime, giving the victory to the Eagles.
Romanelli, however, rushed for a career-high 179 yards and the Mustangs stormed back from an early 14-0 deficit to take a 35-28 lead with 5:07 left in the game when a diving Willie Tucker hauled in a 18-yard pass from Broadous.
The Eagles responded just over three minutes later with a pass from quarterback Bo Mitchell to Cory Mitchell to tie the score at 35. Bo was 34-of-50 through the air on Friday night with five touchdowns and an interception by Greg Francis.
The Francis pick set up the Cal Poly’s final touchdown in regulation.
“I was reading the quarterback’s eyes and he was going to his left, so I just went with him and got the interception,” Francis said.
In the first overtime, Cal Poly and Eastern Washington traded field goals. Broadous converted two fourth down attempts in the second overtime, the last turned into seven points as he snuck in from the 1-yard line.
However, the Eagles responded on their first play from scrimmage using a reverse halfback toss that confused the Mustang defense. Eastern Washington retook possession to start the third overtime and again struck quickly. Mitchell hit Greg Herd, who threw the touchdown pass on the previous play, for a 25-yard score.
The Eagle quarterback, a transfer from Southern Methodist University, was tough to defend all day, using his feet to escape almost anytime the Mustangs pressured him. He again scrambled through the Cal Poly defense on the Eagles’ mandatory two-point conversion for the deciding points.
Broadous converted another fourth-and-goal from the one during the Mustang half of the third overtime, but head coach Tim Walsh decided to give his junior quarterback a run-pass option on the two-point conversion. Broadous threw the ball out of the back of the endzone in an attempt to force a fourth overtime but it was batted away by an Eagle defender to end the game.
“I knew they were going to be able to throw the ball and I knew we were going to be able to run the ball,” Walsh said. “Really, they made one more play.”
True to Walsh’s statement, the Eagles had 461 yards passing while the Mustangs put up 405 yards on the ground.
Broadous was 7-of-11 passing with two passing touchdowns and scored another three touchdowns on the ground. He also helped the Mustangs convert all six of their fourth down conversion attempts, something Walsh has trusted Broadous to do all season.
Romanelli got the Mustangs on the board to start the second quarter as he dashed 36 yards to the 1-yard line using shifty moves to leave three Eagle defenders in his dust. His quick breaking jukes harkened back to his days as a tailback at Templeton High School. The power fullback in Romanelli reemerged on the next play as he pounded the ball in for his final touchdown in Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
“My line made huge holes for me and all the credit goes to them,” Romanelli said. “Most of the time I didn’t get touched until three or four yards (down field). That’s all them.”
Romanelli was hit hard on the goal line in the third quarter and clutched at his shoulder as he rolled on the ground for several minutes. Trainers had to help him to the sideline as he held his arm. He recuperated quickly, going on to rush for 70 more yards in the final quarter and overtime.
Fellow senior and running back Mark Rodgers put it succinctly.
“He’s a beast,” Rodgers said. “He’s not going to stop. He’s like a machine.”
Romanelli said he was focused on next week’s season finale at South Alabama but was hoping to continue his career professionally. If not, he said, he will always have his business administration degree from Cal Poly when he graduates.
“We’re going to be bounced back,” Romanelli said. “We’ve shown that we can fight, we’re definitely a fighting team.”