Mike Thomas (38), John Pettas (15) and Walter Mead (80) were standouts on the 1972 Cal Poly football team which qualified for the Camellia Bowl.
Throwback Thursday: Cal Poly Qualifies for 1972 Camellia Bowl
12/10/2020 10:28:00 AM | Football
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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. -- On a chilly Saturday afternoon inside Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, Cal Poly played its first postseason game in football.
North Dakota, then known as the Fighting Sioux and ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II, upset the No. 3 Mustangs 38-21 in front of a record Camellia Bowl crowd of 17,194 and a regional television audience.
For Coach Joe Harper's Mustangs, highlights were few and far between in the game played on Dec. 9, 1972, this week's Throwback Thursday presented by CalPortland.
Mike Amos
There was a 60-yard pick six by 240-pound defensive tackle Dave Quirk as he decimated a designed screen pass play, stepped in front of the receiver six yards deep in North Dakota's backfield and rumbled the other way for the touchdown. Minus three starters for various reasons, Cal Poly also was sparked by defensive back Mike Amos' 65-yard punt that was downed at the Fighting Sioux 1-yard line as well as a 47-yard punt return that set up the Mustangs' final score.
Dave Quirk
Otherwise, the game was all North Dakota as it scored the first 17 points and jumped to a 31-7 lead before giving up a pair of late scores in the final four minutes.
Quirk's 60-yard interception return made it 17-7 just before halftime.
Held to just one first down in the opening half of play and trailing by 24 points, Cal Poly got back on the scoreboard in the final four minutes thanks to Walter Mead and Mike Thomas.
John Pettas hit Mead with a 29-yard touchdown pass with 3:35 to play and Thomas, who played many prep games for Sacramento High School in Hughes Stadium, plunged one yard and also ran for the two-point conversion with 1:58 remaining.
The Mustangs were held to seven first downs and 174 yards in total offense and slowed by 10 penalties for 119 yards and a pair of turnovers.
Under fifth-year head coach Joe Harper, Cal Poly finished the year 8-1-1.
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