Throwback Team Thursday: Cal Poly Clinches 2012 Big Sky Title
11/12/2020 11:04:00 AM | Football
Editor's Note: Each Thursday from September to December, Cal Poly revisits an historic fall-season team from Mustang history in our Throwback Thursday series, presented by CalPortland.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- It didn't start out as planned.
Northern Arizona's Brandon Phillips returned a Cal Poly fumble 61 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Lumberjack lead midway through the first quarter.
But the Mustangs turned things around, led by as many as 22 points and ran out the clock after Northern Arizona was penalized for illegal touching on an onside kick en route to a 42-34 victory inside Walkup Skydome at Flagstaff, Ariz.
That victory eight years ago this week -- part of the Throwback Thursday feature presented by CalPortland -- clinched for Cal Poly a share of the Big Sky title in its first year in the conference. The Mustangs learned a day later that they had secured a berth in the 2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Ranked No. 17 that week, Cal Poly was led by slot back Kristaan Ivory and quarterback Andre Broadous, both accounting for two touchdowns, and future NFL linebacker Nick Dzubnar, who returned an interception 40 yards for another score.
Another slot back, Deonte Williams (pictured at right), who played at Northern Arizona as a freshman, returned to Flagstaff and surpassed the 100-yard mark for the 10th time that season as Cal Poly raised its overall record to 9-2. Northern Arizona, ranked No. 15, fell to 8-3.
Williams finished with 139 yards on 25 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per trip. His 37-yard run set up the final Mustang touchdown of the game, a one-yard run by Broadous.
Williams wrapped up the year with 1,506 yards, currently No. 3 all-time at Cal Poly. He cracked the 100-yard mark 11 times in his Cal Poly career and 15 in his collegiate career. Williams rushed for 950 yards, including four 100-yard games, in his freshman season at Northern Arizona in 2008.
Cal Poly broke two records in the game – rushing yards for a season at Cal Poly as well as for the Big Sky Conference – accumulating 323 yards on the ground. Add the 180 passing yards and the Mustangs earned 503 total yards versus the Lumberjacks.
After Northern Arizona's fumble return for a touchdown, Cal Poly answered with two scoring runs by Ivory of 13 and one yards and Dzubnar's pick six as the Mustangs built a 21-13 halftime advantage.
After the Mustangs built a lead of as many as 22 points in the second half, Northern Arizona twice cut the deficit to eight points and tried an onside kick with 1:33 to play. The Lumberjacks were penalized for illegal touching and Cal Poly picked up a key first down on a 12-yard third-down run by Ivory and ran out the clock.
Cole Stanford caught a pair of 51-yard passes, one for a touchdown, Willie Tucker added a five-yard scoring catch and Broadous ran three yards for the final Mustang touchdown with 3:14 to go. It proved to be the game-clinching score.
Broadous completed six of nine passes for 180 yards and two scores. Stanford was his favorite target with three catches for 127 yards.
Ivory earned his first 100-yard game as a Mustang, finishing with exactly 100 yards on 19 carries and his two scores. Fullback Akaninyene Umoh added 57 yards on 13 trips.
Dzubnar was Cal Poly's defensive leader with nine tackles, including two for lost yardage, and forced a fumble along with his interception. Cornerback Nico Molino added eight tackles, including one for lost yardage, and also forced a fumble and broke up a pass. Like Williams, Molino also played at Northern Arizona in 2008.
The win was Cal Poly's first in its nine-game series against Northern Arizona dating back to the first meeting in 1935.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- It didn't start out as planned.
Northern Arizona's Brandon Phillips returned a Cal Poly fumble 61 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Lumberjack lead midway through the first quarter.
But the Mustangs turned things around, led by as many as 22 points and ran out the clock after Northern Arizona was penalized for illegal touching on an onside kick en route to a 42-34 victory inside Walkup Skydome at Flagstaff, Ariz.
That victory eight years ago this week -- part of the Throwback Thursday feature presented by CalPortland -- clinched for Cal Poly a share of the Big Sky title in its first year in the conference. The Mustangs learned a day later that they had secured a berth in the 2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Ranked No. 17 that week, Cal Poly was led by slot back Kristaan Ivory and quarterback Andre Broadous, both accounting for two touchdowns, and future NFL linebacker Nick Dzubnar, who returned an interception 40 yards for another score.
Another slot back, Deonte Williams (pictured at right), who played at Northern Arizona as a freshman, returned to Flagstaff and surpassed the 100-yard mark for the 10th time that season as Cal Poly raised its overall record to 9-2. Northern Arizona, ranked No. 15, fell to 8-3.Williams finished with 139 yards on 25 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per trip. His 37-yard run set up the final Mustang touchdown of the game, a one-yard run by Broadous.
Williams wrapped up the year with 1,506 yards, currently No. 3 all-time at Cal Poly. He cracked the 100-yard mark 11 times in his Cal Poly career and 15 in his collegiate career. Williams rushed for 950 yards, including four 100-yard games, in his freshman season at Northern Arizona in 2008.
Cal Poly broke two records in the game – rushing yards for a season at Cal Poly as well as for the Big Sky Conference – accumulating 323 yards on the ground. Add the 180 passing yards and the Mustangs earned 503 total yards versus the Lumberjacks.
After Northern Arizona's fumble return for a touchdown, Cal Poly answered with two scoring runs by Ivory of 13 and one yards and Dzubnar's pick six as the Mustangs built a 21-13 halftime advantage.
After the Mustangs built a lead of as many as 22 points in the second half, Northern Arizona twice cut the deficit to eight points and tried an onside kick with 1:33 to play. The Lumberjacks were penalized for illegal touching and Cal Poly picked up a key first down on a 12-yard third-down run by Ivory and ran out the clock.
Cole Stanford caught a pair of 51-yard passes, one for a touchdown, Willie Tucker added a five-yard scoring catch and Broadous ran three yards for the final Mustang touchdown with 3:14 to go. It proved to be the game-clinching score.
Broadous completed six of nine passes for 180 yards and two scores. Stanford was his favorite target with three catches for 127 yards.
Ivory earned his first 100-yard game as a Mustang, finishing with exactly 100 yards on 19 carries and his two scores. Fullback Akaninyene Umoh added 57 yards on 13 trips.
Dzubnar was Cal Poly's defensive leader with nine tackles, including two for lost yardage, and forced a fumble along with his interception. Cornerback Nico Molino added eight tackles, including one for lost yardage, and also forced a fumble and broke up a pass. Like Williams, Molino also played at Northern Arizona in 2008.
The win was Cal Poly's first in its nine-game series against Northern Arizona dating back to the first meeting in 1935.
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