Cal Poly Hosts No. 3 Idaho Saturday on ESPN+

Saturday, October 7

San Luis Obispo, CA

5:02 p.m.

Idaho

Tickets

Photo by: Owen Main

Cal Poly Hosts No. 3 Idaho Saturday on ESPN+

10/3/2023 11:57:00 AM | Football

CAL POLY VS. NO. 3/3 IDAHO
SATURDAY, OCT. 7 (5:02 P.M.) / ESPN+
MUSTANG MEMORIAL FIELD PRESENTED BY DIGNITY HEALTH (SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA)
WEEKLY RELEASE: CAL POLY | IDAHO | BIG SKY CONFERENCE
ESPN+ | LIVE STATS | LISTEN

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Playing two of the top three ranked FCS programs during the next two weeks, the Cal Poly football team hosts No. 3 Idaho for the first time in program history, welcoming the co-Big Sky leading Vandals to Mustang Memorial Field Presented by Dignity Health on Saturday, Oct. 7. Kickoff on ESPN+ is 5:02 p.m. for Cal Poly (2-3, 0-2), which looks to snap a two-game slide when squaring off against the second of three-successive ranked opponents. Continuing with Idaho (4-1, 2-0), Cal Poly plays all six of the seven ranked Big Sky programs during its final seven games. The unanimous No. 3 selection in both the Oct. 1 editions of AFCA/FCS Coaches Top 25 and Stats Perform Media Top 25 polls, Idaho ranks second among Big Sky programs with 448 yards of offense per game and third in points per game (34.4) and rushing yards per game (214.2).

CAL POLY VERSUS IDAHO: Saturday's matchup is just the fourth between Cal Poly and Idaho all-time, the second as Big Sky Conference opponents and the first since the Vandals delivered a 21-9 victory in Moscow on Nov. 2, 2019. Idaho has won all three previous matchups, edging Cal Poly in 2007 (20-13) and 1996 (38-33).

HUARD ON TARGET: A January transfer from Washington, sophomore quarterback Sam Huard became just the third player in program history with six touchdown completions in one game during Cal Poly's 41-20 home victory against Lincoln (Sept. 16). Having also passed for 325 yards against Lincoln and 324 in a season-opening win against San Diego (Sept. 2), Huard – despite missing Cal Poly's Sept. 30 game versus UC Davis – ranks fifth among Big Sky players for passing yards per game (215.5), seventh in total yards (862) and eighth in completions (67). Selected as one of Cal Poly's four captains alongside junior linebacker David Meyer, defensive lineman Elijah Ponder and offensive lineman Garrett Weichman, Huard also ranks 10th among FCS quarterbacks with eight passing touchdowns.

KELLY MAKES DEBUT: Making his first collegiate start in just his sixth career appearance, redshirt freshman quarterback Bo Kelly completed 19 passes for 191 yards against No. 20/21 UC Davis (Sept. 30). One of three Cal Poly quarterbacks to see action this season, Kelly's debut also included a second-quarter, 15-yard touchdown completion to junior wide receiver Evan Burkhart.

FAIRLY-DIYEM FAIRLY GOOD: Cal Poly's leading receiver and ranked 11th among Big Sky players, freshman Tyrece Fair-Diyem owns touchdown receptions during both of Cal Poly's victories. His leading receiving game came during the program's 27-10, season-opening victory against San Diego with a 127-yard performance and seven receptions.

DEFENSE MAKES ITS MARK: Sophomore Ethan Calvert led Cal Poly with 11 tackles against San Diego (Sept. 2) and 12 at San Jose State (Sept. 9), David Meyer took over top honors with nine against both Lincoln (Sept. 16) and UC Davis (Sept. 30) while freshman Kenny Olson paced the Mustangs with a collegiate best 13 at Portland State (Sept. 23). Calvert enters Saturday's matchup with Idaho as the Big Sky's 12th leading tackler at 6.6 per game while junior Elijah Ponder – the Sept. 3 Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honoree – ranks seventh with three sacks. As a team, the Mustangs rank second in the Big Sky behind Idaho in passing defense, allowing just 167.6 yards per game and only five total touchdowns. Having twice kept the opposition under 300 yards of total offense, Cal Poly's 27-10, season-opening victory against San Diego marked the program's first performance without conceding an offensive touchdown in 81 games.

THE WULFF OF CALIFORNIA BOULEVARD: Cal Poly's 27-10, season-opening win against San Diego (Sept. 2) provided Paul Wulff his first victory as Cal Poly head coach and first triumph as a collegiate head coach in 12 years. Having led Eastern Washington to three FCS Playoff appearances (2004-05, 2007) before serving as head coach at Washington State (2008-11), Cal Poly's victory was Wulff's first as a head coach since guiding the Cougars to a 37-27 victory against Arizona State on Nov. 12, 2011. Named the Cal Poly program's 18th head coach on Dec. 6, 2022, Wulff – a near three-decade collegiate coaching veteran – is a three-time Big Sky Coach of the Year recipient at Eastern Washington (2001, 2004-05) while having directed the Eagles to a share of two Big Sky titles. Wulff's other Big Sky coaching stops include Sacramento State (2016-18) and UC Davis (2019). The 2023 season marks Wulff's 13th as a collegiate head coach.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Saturday's game is the 985th in university history and the 325th game Cal Poly will have played since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision level in 1994. The Mustangs are currently 157-167 as an FCS program. The 100th game at the FCS level was a 34-13 win at Texas-El Paso (Sept. 6, 2003) while the 200th was a 41-10 triumph at South Alabama to end the 2011 season. Game No. 300 was a 48-14 loss to South Dakota (Sept. 18, 2021). The 100th FCS win was at Old Dominion, 50-37 (Oct. 9, 2010), and the 100th loss was to Eastern Washington, 35-22 (Nov. 16, 2013). Cal Poly earned its 500th all-time win at Portland State in October 2017 and is playing its 105th overall season and 30th in the FCS this fall. Cal Poly was a member of the now-defunct American West Conference (Southern Utah, Sacramento State, CSUN) before becoming an independent in 1996. After eight years as an FCS Independent, the Mustangs became a charter member of the Great West Football Conference in 2004. Following eight seasons in the Great West (and four titles), Cal Poly moved to the Big Sky Conference in 2012, capturing the title in its first season.

BIG SKY'S THE LIMIT: Competing in the Football Championship Subdivision's deepest conference, six of Cal Poly's 11 games this fall – 55 percent – come against ranked Big Sky opponents (ranking current at time of matchup):

Date             Opponent (Coaches Poll/Stats Perform)      Result
Sept. 30        UC Davis (20/21)                                              L, 31-13
Oct. 7           Idaho (3/3)                                                         --
Oct. 14         at Montana State (2/2)                                       --
Nov. 4          at Eastern Washington (RV/22)                         --
Nov. 11        at Sacramento State (7/4)                                   --
Nov. 18        Weber State (14/13)                                           --

CAL POLY AGAINST THE BIG SKY: Since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 1994, Cal Poly is 63-89 against Big Sky opposition. Since joining the conference as an associate member for the 2012 season, Cal Poly is 34-50 in Big Sky play.

LOOKING AHEAD (SATURDAY, OCT. 14): Cal Poly faces its third successive ranked opponent when visiting No. 2 Montana State at 5 p.m. The Mustangs look to snap a five-game slide against the Bobcats, last defeating Montana State at home on Nov. 1, 2014 (35-27). Cal Poly's last win at Montana State's Bobcat Stadium came in 2004. Opening Big Sky action with successive victories at Weber State (40-0) and versus Portland State (38-22), Montana State enjoys a bye week before welcoming Cal Poly.

ETC.: The Cal Poly program is in its 105th all-time season and playing its 29th fall of Football Championship Subdivision competition … Cal Poly improved to 8-1 all-time against San Diego with a 27-10, season-opening win (Sept. 2) while improving to 9-1 all-time against Pioneer Football League opposition … Cal Poly's leading tackler last fall, junior linebacker David Meyer was named to the Big Sky Media Preseason All-Conference Team as part of the league's July Football Kickoff Weekend … quarterback Sam Huard's 87-yard completion to sophomore tight end Carlton Brown during Cal Poly's Sept. 2 opener against San Diego marked Cal Poly's lengthiest pass play since an 89-yard effort by Chris Brown at South Dakota State (Sept. 6, 2014) … Cal Poly dropped its ninth straight matchup against FBS competition Sept. 9 at San Jose State, a streak dating to a 24-22 victory at Wyoming (Sept. 15, 2012) … Sam Huard became just the third quarterback in program history with six passing touchdowns in a game against Lincoln (Sept. 16) and the first since Tony Smith against South Dakota (Nov. 14, 2009) … in just 28 minutes against Lincoln (Sept. 16), junior wide receiver Giancarlo Woods became the first Mustang in four years and 13th in program history with three touchdown receptions in a single game … UC Davis retained the Golden Horseshoe against Cal Poly with a 31-13 rivalry victory (Sept. 30).