Flashback Friday: Cal Poly Upsets Montana in 2005 FCS Playoffs
11/27/2020 9:00:00 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. -- James Noble rushed for 188 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 10 Cal Poly to a 35-21 victory over No. 9 Montana in a first-round NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoff game 15 years ago this week.
The performance on Nov. 26, 2005, at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula is this week's Flashback Friday presented by Pacific Eye.
In beating the Griz for the first time in 11 tries and avenging a 36-27 loss five weeks earlier, also in Missoula, the Mustangs earned their first FCS playoff victory since moving to Division I in 1994 and advanced to a quarterfinal-round matchup at Texas State.
On a cloudy 36-degree afternoon, Noble scored on runs of three, four, five and 35 yards. The last one clinched the victory for Cal Poly with 5:06 remaining.
The Mustangs trailed 14-7 midway through the second quarter before reeling off three unanswered touchdowns. Between the 4- and 5-yard scoring runs by Noble, Ramses Barden caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from Matt Brennan to put Cal Poly on top for good at 21-14 a minute before halftime.
Lex Hilliard scored all three Montana touchdowns on runs of five and 18 yards plus a 66-yard pass from Cole Bergquist.
Brennan finished eight of 16 passing for 130 yards and one score. Barden and Tre'dale Tolver each caught three passes for the Mustangs.
Defensively, linebacker Kyle Shotwell led the way for Cal Poly with 11 tackles, breaking the school record for tackles in a season. Kenny Chicoine intercepted a Montana pass while Randy Samuel recovered a Griz fumble.
Cal Poly recorded seven sacks in the game, three by Gocong.
Noble, who surpassed the school record for rushing yards in a season during the game, finished with 1,578 yards, a mark that stood until Joe Protheroe broke the mark in 2018.
Under head coach Rich Ellerson, Cal Poly finished the year 9-4, falling to Texas State 14-7 in San Marcos, Texas.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- James Noble rushed for 188 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 10 Cal Poly to a 35-21 victory over No. 9 Montana in a first-round NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoff game 15 years ago this week.
The performance on Nov. 26, 2005, at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula is this week's Flashback Friday presented by Pacific Eye.
In beating the Griz for the first time in 11 tries and avenging a 36-27 loss five weeks earlier, also in Missoula, the Mustangs earned their first FCS playoff victory since moving to Division I in 1994 and advanced to a quarterfinal-round matchup at Texas State.
On a cloudy 36-degree afternoon, Noble scored on runs of three, four, five and 35 yards. The last one clinched the victory for Cal Poly with 5:06 remaining.
The Mustangs trailed 14-7 midway through the second quarter before reeling off three unanswered touchdowns. Between the 4- and 5-yard scoring runs by Noble, Ramses Barden caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from Matt Brennan to put Cal Poly on top for good at 21-14 a minute before halftime.
Lex Hilliard scored all three Montana touchdowns on runs of five and 18 yards plus a 66-yard pass from Cole Bergquist.
Brennan finished eight of 16 passing for 130 yards and one score. Barden and Tre'dale Tolver each caught three passes for the Mustangs.
Defensively, linebacker Kyle Shotwell led the way for Cal Poly with 11 tackles, breaking the school record for tackles in a season. Kenny Chicoine intercepted a Montana pass while Randy Samuel recovered a Griz fumble.
Cal Poly recorded seven sacks in the game, three by Gocong.
Noble, who surpassed the school record for rushing yards in a season during the game, finished with 1,578 yards, a mark that stood until Joe Protheroe broke the mark in 2018.
Under head coach Rich Ellerson, Cal Poly finished the year 9-4, falling to Texas State 14-7 in San Marcos, Texas.
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