Cal Poly Hosts Northern Arizona Saturday to Wrap Up 2021 Season

Saturday, November 20

San Luis Obispo, CA

5:05 p.m.

Northern Arizona

Tight end Ryan Rivera celebrates touchdown catch with Hunter Jones in third quarter of Cal Poly's 32-29 win over Idaho State last week.

Photo by: Nathan Nybakke (Photography 805)

Cal Poly Hosts Northern Arizona Saturday to Wrap Up 2021 Season

11/15/2021 12:49:00 PM | Football

WEEKLY NOTES: CAL POLY (PDF) | NORTHERN ARIZONA | BIG SKY
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MUSTANG INSIDER PODCAST (MATT SHOTWELL)

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly (2-8, 1-6 Big Sky), which snapped an eight-game losing streak last week with its first home victory in more than two years, closes out its 2021 football season Saturday at home against Northern Arizona (4-6, 3-4 Big Sky) inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium (cap.: 11,075).

Kickoff for the Big Sky Conference game is set for 5:05 p.m. PST. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio (1280 AM and 101.7 FM) in San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County and KRKC (1490 AM and 104.9 FM) in southern Monterey County with Zachary Anderson-Yoxsimer (play-by-play) and Stephan Hodges (analyst) calling the action. Pregame show starts at 4:30 p.m. The game also will be available on ESPN+ with Chris Sylvester and John Kane on the mics. Links for video and audio streams as well as live stats can be found at the top of the page as well as on the football schedule page at www.GoPoly.com.

Saturday's game is Senior Night, with a pregame ceremony honoring nearly 30 seniors and graduate students to be held about 30 minutes prior to kickoff. It's also Youth Night with all children 13 and under admitted free

The Beau Baldwin Era at Cal Poly officially opened last spring, more than 15 months after he was named Cal Poly's 17th head football coach on Dec. 11, 2019. The Mustangs fell 34-24 to Southern Utah at home and dropped a 73-24 decision at UC Davis and a 62-10 verdict at Eastern Washington.

The fall season opened victoriously, however, as sophomore quarterback Spencer Brasch completed 23 of 38 passes for 316 yards — the most by a Mustang signal caller in 12 years — and two touchdowns and redshirt freshman linebacker Elijah Ponder returned an interception 75 yards for the clinching score midway through the fourth quarter of a 28-17 verdict at San Diego.

Playing seven of its next eight games against teams ranked at one time or another this season, Cal Poly was held to 21 points or less in each contest before snapping an eight-game losing streak last Saturday with a 32-29 victory. against Idaho State. The Mustangs fell to Fresno State, South Dakota and, in Big Sky games, Montana, Weber State, Montana State, UC Davis, Portland State and Sacramento State during the losing streak.

Freshman Jaden Ohlsen's 41-yard field goal with four seconds remaining provided the margin of victory for Cal Poly against Idaho State. Linebacker Matt Shotwell returned his fourth career interception 22 yards for a score and established a new career high with 19 tackles (13 solo) while quarterback Spencer Brasch passed for 233 yards and three touchdowns as the Mustang won at home for the first time since the 2019 season opener against San Diego and gave Baldwin his first win at home as head coach of Cal Poly. In addition, the Mustangs have won six straight at home against Idaho State dating back to 2003.

Baldwin was head coach at Eastern Washington for nine seasons (2008-16) and was an assistant coach for the Eagles from 2003-06. An offensive coordinator at Cal for three years (2017-19) before coming to Cal Poly, Baldwin guided Eastern Washington to an 85-32 mark, five Big Sky titles and six FCS playoff berths, including the 2010 national championship.

Northern Arizona is coming off a 30-3 loss at home against No. 9 Montana last week. The Lumberjacks' only points were the result of a 43-yard field goal by Luis Aguilar early in the third quarter. Northern Arizona was held to 55 yards rushing and quarterbacks Niko Haen and Cale Millen combined to complete just 14 of 32 passes for 99 yards. Jamal Glaspie notched eight receptions for 44 yards.

Northern Arizona opened its season with losses to No. 1 Sam Houston and No. 16 South Dakota before stunning the Pac-12's Arizona 21-19, overcoming an early 13-0 deficit. The Wildcats were unsuccessful on a two-point conversion pass with 2:16 left and the Lumberjacks were able to run out the clock. In Big Sky play, Northern Arizona defeated Idaho State, Southern Utah and Idaho while falling to Northern Colorado, Sacramento State, UC Davis and Montana.

Northern Arizona head coach Chris Ball welcomed back 45 lettermen, including 21 starters (10 on offense, 11 on defense) to Fall Camp. The Lumberjacks played five games in the spring, posting a 3-2 mark with two wins over Southern Utah and one versus Idaho.  Running back Draycen Hall (241 yards rushing, one TD last spring), quarterback Keondre Wudtee (80 of 137, 1,074 yards, four TDs, one interception) and wide receivers Hendrix Johnson (21 receptions, 273 yards, 0 TDs), Stacy Chukwumezie (16-270-1) and Coleman Owen (16-202-2) all returned as well as defensive back Morgan Vest (53 tackles, one interception) and defensive lineman Carson Taylor (29 tackles, three sacks).

Lumberjack leaders so far this fall are running back Kevin Daniels (157 carries, 866 yards, two TDs), quarterback RJ Martinez (125 of 198, 1,547 yards, 13 TDs, 50-215-5 rushing) and receiver Owen (40-614-5). Six other receivers have 16 to 28 catches. Martinez and backup signal caller Jeff Widener both were injured in the UC Davis game Nov. 6 and did not play against Montana, giving way to Niko Haen and Cale Millen. Wudtee has played in just two games. Vest leads all defenders with 93 tackles (47 solo) along with four interceptions and five pass breakups while Taylor has six sacks and Eloi Kwete four. Devontae Ingram has three interceptions and eight pass breakups. Brady Shough returned an interception 28 yards for a score against Arizona. Derek Arnson averages 44.7 yards per punt and Aguilar is 8-for-15 on field goals and 26 of 27 on PATs while notching 30 touchbacks on 49 kickoffs.

The Lumberjacks are No. 15 in kickoff returns (24.53), 26th in turnovers gained (15) and 29th in net punting (38.17). Northern Arizona is averaging 158 yards rushing and 229 yards passing for 387 yards in total offense per game while giving up 160 yards rushing, 285 passing and 445 in total offense. The Lumberjacks are 47th in the FCS in total offense and 110th in total defense.

Like Cal Poly, Northern Arizona played its first official football season in 1915 and is 477-475-23 all time, capturing Big Sky titles in 1978 and 2003. The Lumberjacks have made six FCS playoff appearances, the last in 2017.

Northern Arizona has an 11-2 advantage in its series against Cal Poly, though the Mustangs won the last meeting between the two schools in 2018 in Flagstaff, 38-28. Senior fullback Joe Protheroe surged past the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his Cal Poly football career and senior quarterback Khaleel Jenkins ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more to lead Cal Poly to the win. Protheroe rushed for 217 yards on 39 carries. Jenkins ran for 103 yards and passed for 98 yards. The Lumberjacks staged a furious rally from a 38-7 deficit in the final 16 minutes of the game before Dominic Frasch intercepted a pass at the one-yard line to preserve the victory for Cal Poly. Matt Shotwell notched 11 tackles.

Prior to that contest, the lone Mustang win in the series was a 42-34 decision in 2012 at Flagstaff, clinching for Cal Poly its first Big Sky title and an FCS playoff berth. The Lumberjacks beat the Mustangs 28-10 in 2017, the last time the two teams met in San Luis Obispo.

Baldwin is 5-2 against Northern Arizona, all while he was head coach at Eastern Washington (2008-16) while Ball is facing Cal Poly for the first time.

Ball (11-16, Missouri Western '85) is in his third year with the Northern Arizona football program, named as the 30th head coach in the 107-year history of NAU Football on December 10, 2018. He succeeded Jerome Souers, who was head coach of the Lumberjacks for 22 seasons, and arrived at Northern Arizona after serving for three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Memphis under head coach Mike Norvell. Prior to Memphis, Ball was at Arizona State from 2012-15, serving as defensive passing game coordinator and co-defensive coordinator while coaching the safeties.

Ball also has coached at Washington State (1989-90, 2000-02 and 2008-11), Pittsburgh (2007), Alabama (2003-06), Idaho State (1999), Missouri Western (1986, 1997-98), Western Oregon State (1995-96), Coffeyville CC (Kansas) (1991-94), Akron (1987-88) and Northeast Missouri State (1986-87).

Cal Poly fans have seen major changes, particularly on offense, with Baldwin at the helm. The Triple Option is gone and the new offensive package features three or four wide receivers on most plays with one running back instead of two slots, a fullback and a pair of receivers in the old Triple Option formation.

Baldwin and his staff welcomed 48 returning lettermen to Fall Camp in August, including 23 on offense, 21 on defense and four specialists on special teams. The returnees include 26 players who started at least one game during the shortened spring season -- 13 on both offense and defense.

Also on the fall roster are 31 players who were redshirts last spring or injured, and almost 40 newcomers, including up to eight transfers from other four-year schools.

The group of veterans includes seven seniors who opted out of the second half of the spring schedule in order to preserve one last full season of eligibility this fall. They include linebackers Matt Shotwell and Lance Vecchio along with running backs Lepi Lataimua and Chuby Dunu and tight ends Nick White and Quentin Harrison. Defensive back Freddie Gaines, a member of the 2019 Big Sky Conference Football Community Service Team, also returned for a sixth year with the program.

Shotwell led the Mustangs in tackles for the third straight year last spring and has notched 333 career tackles, No. 4 on Cal Poly's all-time career tackles list. Vecchio made 19 tackles, including a sack, last spring while Lataimua (143 rushing yards in three games last spring) and Dunu (100 yards) head the list of returning ball carriers.

Topping the depth chart at the three wide receiver positions are Chris Coleman at X, Xavier Moore at Z and Zedakiah Centers at F. Moore made three catches in the spring and caught a touchdown pass for Cal Poly's only points against Oregon State in 2019. Centers caught eight passes. Coleman is one of three Mustang transfers from Fresno State this fall. The others are tight end Micah Pasion and defensive end Emeka Ndoh. Coleman and Ndoh are Bulldog graduates while Pasion is a sophomore.

Harrison, who led the team with 10 catches, two for touchdowns, last spring, has moved to the tight end spot while Michael Roth has switched from tight end to wide receiver after making four catches in the spring.

Brasch, winning a six-man battle for the starting nod at quarterback during Fall Camp, is a transfer from Cal, where he played two games in 2019 against Utah and Oregon State, after completing 359 of 602 passes for 5,522 yards with 78 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions over his final two prep seasons at Higley High School in Gilbert, Ariz. Brasch returned to the lineup in the UC Davis game four weeks ago after missing four games with a fracture in his throwing hand. Due primarily to injuries, Cal Poly has started seven different quarterbacks over the last two seasons.

At running back, Duy Tran-Sampson, Mark Biggins and CJ Cole all suffered injuries in last spring's shortened season. Tran-Sampson, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2019, and Cole, a Santa Maria St. Joseph High School graduate who was a 1,000-yard rusher as a senior and caught 64 passes as a junior, have retired from football due to their injuries. Biggins is back for his sophomore season.

Xavier Oliphant, Dawson Hurst, Dylan Wyatt and Trevor Owens head the group of players at the cornerback position. The offensive line features veterans Wade Willet (left guard) and Nicolo DiFronzo (center) while San Luis Obispo High graduate Charles Lincoln filled the open spot at right tackle. Redshirt freshman Austin Anderson has started most games at left tackle while Mohab Wahdan, Hunter Jones and D.J. Stuckey continue their battle for the starting nod at right guard.

Brasch has completed 127 of 224 passes (57 percent) for 1,564 yards and 10 touchdowns in his six starts while the other four signal callers this year have connected on 63 of 136 (46 percent) for 614 yards and two scores. Coleman leads all Mustang receivers with 36 catches for 556 yards and four scores. Centers has 30 receptions for 256 yards, Giancarlo Woods has 27 catches, Roth 18, Harrison 14, Moore and running back Shakobe Harper 11 each and Evan Burkhart 10. Harper has rushed for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Shotwell has 115 tackles, 19 against Idaho State and 18 more versus Montana State, while Laipeli Palu has notched 51 stops, including a career-high 12 at Montana last month. Freshman defensive end Elijah Ponder has seven sacks while senior cornerback Trevor Owens has recorded seven pass breakups and Illinois transfer Dylan Wyatt has six.

Cal Poly, which captured the 2012 Big Sky title in its first year in the conference, claimed four Great West Conference titles in the eight-year history of the league (2004, 2005, 2008, 2011) and has earned NCAA Division I FCS playoff berths in 2005, 2008, 2012 and 2016.