Quarterback Chris Peterson led Cal Poly to a 34-13 victory over UTEP in the 2003 football season opener inside the Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas.
Flashback Friday: Cal Poly Routs UTEP in 2003 Season Opener
9/11/2020 1:59:00 PM | Football
Editor's Note: Each Friday from September through mid-December, Cal Poly Athletics will revisit a notable game from the department's history in the Flashback Friday series.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Seventeen years ago, on Sept. 6, 2003, Cal Poly opened its third season under head football coach Rich Ellerson with a 34-13 rout of UTEP in front of 26,224 fans inside the Sun Bowl at El Paso, Texas.
Quarterback Chris Peterson passed for 239 yards and two touchdowns, completing 12 of 21 passes and tossing scoring strikes of 60 yards to Jonah Russell and 25 yards to Darrell Jones in the third quarter. Peterson also rushed for 87 yards and a score.
UTEP opened the scoring on Orlando Cruz's 11-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Gonzales 44 seconds into the second quarter.
With 10:50 left in the second, defensive end Kelly Turbin recovered a fumble in the end zone, beginning a stretch of 34 straight points for Cal Poly.
Peterson's two-yard scoring run 3:25 into the fourth quarter made it 34-7.
UTEP was held to 115 yards rushing while Cruz completed seven of 13 passes for only 50 yards. His backup, Jordan Palmer, tossed a 50-yard touchdown pass to Chris Francies with 10 minutes left and completed six of 12 passes for 91 yards.
Geno Randle rushed for 82 yards on 13 carries as Cal Poly accumulated 222 yards on the ground and 461 yards of total offense. Jones caught four passes and Russell three for the Mustangs.
Byungwoo Yoon kicked field goals spanning 25 and 28 yards for Cal Poly and was perfect on his four PAT kicks.
Defensively, linebacker Jordan Beck led the Mustangs with nine tackles while Mike Hayes added eight. Bert Schenone contributed two sacks, an interception, six tackles and a forced fumble.
The win was Cal Poly's second against an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision school.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Seventeen years ago, on Sept. 6, 2003, Cal Poly opened its third season under head football coach Rich Ellerson with a 34-13 rout of UTEP in front of 26,224 fans inside the Sun Bowl at El Paso, Texas.
Quarterback Chris Peterson passed for 239 yards and two touchdowns, completing 12 of 21 passes and tossing scoring strikes of 60 yards to Jonah Russell and 25 yards to Darrell Jones in the third quarter. Peterson also rushed for 87 yards and a score.
UTEP opened the scoring on Orlando Cruz's 11-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Gonzales 44 seconds into the second quarter.
With 10:50 left in the second, defensive end Kelly Turbin recovered a fumble in the end zone, beginning a stretch of 34 straight points for Cal Poly.
Peterson's two-yard scoring run 3:25 into the fourth quarter made it 34-7.
UTEP was held to 115 yards rushing while Cruz completed seven of 13 passes for only 50 yards. His backup, Jordan Palmer, tossed a 50-yard touchdown pass to Chris Francies with 10 minutes left and completed six of 12 passes for 91 yards.
Geno Randle rushed for 82 yards on 13 carries as Cal Poly accumulated 222 yards on the ground and 461 yards of total offense. Jones caught four passes and Russell three for the Mustangs.
Byungwoo Yoon kicked field goals spanning 25 and 28 yards for Cal Poly and was perfect on his four PAT kicks.
Defensively, linebacker Jordan Beck led the Mustangs with nine tackles while Mike Hayes added eight. Bert Schenone contributed two sacks, an interception, six tackles and a forced fumble.
The win was Cal Poly's second against an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision school.
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