Robbie Martin (5), Craig Johnston (7) and Louis Jackson (9) played key roles in Cal Poly's upset win over Boise State in 1980.
Flashback Friday: Cal Poly Upset Boise State, Clinched Playoff Berth
11/13/2020 10:33:00 AM | Football
EDITOR'S NOTE: Each Friday from September to December, Cal Poly will revisit a memorable game, meet or match from Mustang history through the Flashback Friday series presented by Pacific Eye.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly captured the 1980 NCAA Division II National Championship. Boise State claimed the NCAA Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) national title, also in 1980.
Before their championship runs, the Mustangs and Broncos played against each other and it became an instant classic for Cal Poly fans.
On Nov. 15, 1980, inside a sold-out Mustang Stadium, Tom Vessella kicked a 28-yard field goal with six seconds remaining as Cal Poly, which never trailed, defeated Boise State 23-20.
The game is today's Flashback Friday feature presented by Pacific Eye.
"This was the game we were pointing to all year," said Cal Poly running back Louis Jackson.
"This was the biggest win I've ever been associated with," added quarterback Craig Johnston.
Jackson set a school record with 55 carries -- a mark that still stands 40 years later -- and gained 241 yards. He scored on runs of five and two yards in the second and third quarters, respectively.
Johnston completed 12 of 15 passes for 119 yards, connecting with Robbie Martin on an 11-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
The two scoring runs by Jackson gave the Mustangs a 20-6 lead. Boise State bounced back with a pair of touchdowns to tie the game at 20-20, the latter score culminating an 80-yard drive after Cal Poly was stopped inches shy of the end zone on its previous possession and missed the ensuing field goal attempt.
With the game tied and 45 seconds left on the clock, Johnston engineered a 61-yard drive which required just four plays -- a six-yard screen pass to Jackson, receptions of 18 and 28 yards by Martin and a nine-yard run over right guard by Jackson to the Boise State 11-yard line.
That set the stage for Vessella, who despite missing a PAT kick and a short field goal try earlier in the game, calmly drilled his 28-yard field goal with six ticks left on the clock for the win.
The next day, still with one game remaining in the regular season, Cal Poly was awarded a first-round home game in the Division II playoffs. Perhaps looking ahead to the postseason, the Mustangs fell to Sacramento State 24-19 at home on Nov. 22, closing out the regular season.
Head coach Joe Harper, however, guided the Mustangs to wins over Jacksonville State and Santa Clara at home and Eastern Illinois in the Zia Bowl at Albuquerque, N.M., for the national title.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly captured the 1980 NCAA Division II National Championship. Boise State claimed the NCAA Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) national title, also in 1980.
Before their championship runs, the Mustangs and Broncos played against each other and it became an instant classic for Cal Poly fans.
On Nov. 15, 1980, inside a sold-out Mustang Stadium, Tom Vessella kicked a 28-yard field goal with six seconds remaining as Cal Poly, which never trailed, defeated Boise State 23-20.
The game is today's Flashback Friday feature presented by Pacific Eye.
"This was the game we were pointing to all year," said Cal Poly running back Louis Jackson.
"This was the biggest win I've ever been associated with," added quarterback Craig Johnston.
Jackson set a school record with 55 carries -- a mark that still stands 40 years later -- and gained 241 yards. He scored on runs of five and two yards in the second and third quarters, respectively.
Johnston completed 12 of 15 passes for 119 yards, connecting with Robbie Martin on an 11-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
The two scoring runs by Jackson gave the Mustangs a 20-6 lead. Boise State bounced back with a pair of touchdowns to tie the game at 20-20, the latter score culminating an 80-yard drive after Cal Poly was stopped inches shy of the end zone on its previous possession and missed the ensuing field goal attempt.
With the game tied and 45 seconds left on the clock, Johnston engineered a 61-yard drive which required just four plays -- a six-yard screen pass to Jackson, receptions of 18 and 28 yards by Martin and a nine-yard run over right guard by Jackson to the Boise State 11-yard line.
That set the stage for Vessella, who despite missing a PAT kick and a short field goal try earlier in the game, calmly drilled his 28-yard field goal with six ticks left on the clock for the win.
The next day, still with one game remaining in the regular season, Cal Poly was awarded a first-round home game in the Division II playoffs. Perhaps looking ahead to the postseason, the Mustangs fell to Sacramento State 24-19 at home on Nov. 22, closing out the regular season.
Head coach Joe Harper, however, guided the Mustangs to wins over Jacksonville State and Santa Clara at home and Eastern Illinois in the Zia Bowl at Albuquerque, N.M., for the national title.
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