The Cal Poly football team’s game against Southern Utah was one that would make John Madden proud.
The school’s most well-known football alumnus is famous for his series of video games that feature electrifying big plays and high scoring. Neither team disappointed there.
The Mustangs scored virtually at will in a wild 69-41 win over the Thunderbirds on Saturday night at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
“You never know how these things unfold – it could be 2-0, or it could be 69-62,” Cal Poly head coach Rich Ellerson said. “They’re a tough football team. They’re a resilient football team, and they really played well.”
The tone of the game was set as early as the fourth play of the game, as Mustangs fullback Jon Hall made a simple catch in the flat and turned up field, making several would-be tacklers whiff en route to a 33-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the game.
The Mustangs would strike again just three minutes later after a three-and-out gave Cal Poly the ball back and quarterback Jonathan Dally found Tre’dale Tolver for a 25-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone to take a 14-0 lead.
The Thunderbirds would strike back on a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cody Stone to wide receiver Jared Ursua.
After recovering an onside kick, Southern Utah (3-5, 0-2 Great West Conference) would again turn to Ursua, as he caught a 35-yard touchdown to tie the game.
“Frankly, they did what we expected them to do,” Ellerson said. “They spread you out, they put you on islands, straight across, man-to-man. With five and sometimes six guys, they were able to control our pass rush for most of the night. But they also controlled our pass rush by throwing the ball with great tempo.”
After a record 10 sacks in last week’s win over South Dakota State, the Mustangs were able to record just two against the Thunderbirds, who threw 59 times.
No. 3/6 Cal Poly (5-1, 2-0 GWC) would take a two-touchdown lead on scoring receptions of 12 and 41 yards from senior wide receiver Ramses Barden.
With the first, Barden broke Jerry Rice’s Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) record of 26 games with at least one touchdown catch.
Barden said he wasn’t worried about breaking records.
“It’ll mean something after the season, and if (Elon junior receiver) Terrell Hudgins doesn’t break it next year,” Barden added. “He’s probably already on his way. So I don’t know how long I’m going to have it. I’m just happy we’re winning and everyone is getting a chance to play and compete.”
Barden would also go on to break the school record for career receptions, with his 178th in the second quarter. He finished with 12 catches for 217 yards and two scores.
But Barden wasn’t the only one breaking records.
Dally completed 22 of 26 passes for 410 yards and tied his own school mark with six touchdown passes, while the offense would average a school Division I-best 10.7 yards per play. The 10 touchdowns scored by Cal Poly was also a school record at the Division I level.
The teams would trade touchdowns, with Southern Utah missing on a two-point conversion attempt to trail 35-34 at halftime.
But the Cal Poly defense would come out strong to begin the second half, as safety David Fullerton intercepted a Stone pass on the first play from scrimmage.
“We didn’t make a lot of adjustments play-wise,” Fullerton said. “We made a lot of adjustments playing wise. We came out cold. No one was ready to play. We got screamed at in the locker room and everyone basically decided, no more.”
With the defense clamping down, the offense continued to run on all cylinders, scoring 20 third-quarter points. Altogether, the offense racked up 600 yards in the win.
Down 55-34 entering the fourth quarter, Southern Utah was about to narrow the gap before Fullerton made more team history.
The junior stepped in front of an option pitch, caught it and raced 90 yards untouched for a school-record fumble recovery touchdown.
“It was just the defense called,” he said. “I’m coming off that edge in that defense and they ran a pitch right where I’m running so it played right into me and I was lucky enough to make the catch.”
Cal Poly senior running back Ryan Mole rushed for 77 yards and two scores on 11 carries and added a 28-yard touchdown catch.
Tolver finished with six catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
Junior running back Jono Grayson rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on seven carries in the win.
The feel of video-game football was not lost on Fullerton.
“Big plays were everywhere in the first half,” he said. “The offense was scoring points like crazy. It was on us to stop their attack and we made sure we did that in the second half.”