In the Bleachers’ Adam Nettina named Sunday Cal Poly’s season opener at San Diego State on Aug. 30 the most likely Football Championship Subdivision-over-Football Bowl Subdivision upset in the country this coming season.
His rationale seems to be that San Diego State, which went 4-8 in 2007, still won’t have enough defensively (as they finished 115th of 119 FBS squads in total defense a season ago), and offensively won’t be able to so soon make up for the loss of eight key contributors on that side of the ball, including quarterback Kevin O’Connell and wide receivers Brett Swain and Chaz Schilens — a trio of NFL draftees.
Cal Poly did beat the Aztecs 16-14 in 2006.
In 2007, however, the Mustangs handed FBS Idaho its only win, losing four of their seven fumbles to fall 20-13 despite outgaining the Vandals 346-336. It dropped Cal Poly’s record against FBS teams to 3-17 since 1980 (the other wins came in 1997 against New Mexico State and in 2003 against UTEP).
The ties to the re-ignited series, which San Diego State now leads 13-10, run recently deep, from the defection of now two-time NFL Pro Bowler Kassim Osgood to the sibling rivalry between current Mustang Tre’dale Tolver and his brother J.R., a former Aztec great.
In any event, Qualcomm Stadium ought to be fuller this time around. The first 20,000 fans through the gate are promised a free Marshall Faulk jersey.
Nettina’s complete list is as follows:
10. Appalachian State at LSU (Aug. 30)
9. Wofford at South Carolina (Sept. 6)
8. Delaware at Maryland (Aug. 30)
7. South Dakota State at Iowa State (Aug. 28)
6. McNeese State at North Carolina (Aug. 30)
5. James Madison at Duke (Aug. 30)
4. Richmond at Virginia (Sept. 6)
3. North Dakota State at Wyoming (Sept. 13)
2. New Hampshire at Army (Sept. 6)
1. Cal Poly at San Diego State (Aug. 30)