Saturday, November 11
Sacramento, CA
2 p.m.
at
Sacramento State
Photo by: Owen Main
Mustangs Visit No. 9/11 Sacramento State in Final Road Matchup
11/7/2023 3:02:00 PM | Football
CAL POLY AT NO. 9/11 SACRAMENTO STATE
SATURDAY, NOV. 11 (2 P.M.) / ESPN+
HORNET STADIUM (SACRAMENTO)
WEEKLY RELEASES: CAL POLY | SACRAMENTO STATE | BIG SKY CONFERENCE
ESPN+ | LIVE STATS | AUDIO
SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly football program plays its fourth and final game against nationally-ranked opposition this season and its fifth and final road matchup of 2023 when visiting Sacramento State inside Hornet Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 11. Kickoff on ESPN+ is 2 p.m. for Cal Poly (3-6, 1-5), which earned its initial Big Sky Conference victory of the season against Northern Colorado (Oct. 21) before sustaining a Nov. 4 setback at Eastern Washington. Defending Big Sky co-champion Sacramento State (6-3, 3-3), ranked No. 9 in the Nov. 5 edition of the Stats Perform Media Top 25 poll and No. 11 in the AFCA/FCS Coaches Top 25 poll, resumes action following a 34-7 loss at No. 4 Montana (Nov. 4). The Hornets enter play Saturday as one of six teams tied for fourth place in the Big Sky standings. Ranked as high as No. 3 this season, Sacramento State's other two defeats occurred at No. 7 Idaho (Sept. 23) and versus No. 2 Montana State (Oct. 21).
CAL POLY VERSUS SACRAMENTO STATE: The Mustangs look to snap a three-game slide against Sacramento State dating to 2019 with Cal Poly's last victory over the Hornets a 41-27 road triumph on Oct. 6, 2018. The Big Sky Conference series between the two programs is knotted at 5-5 while Cal Poly holds the advantages in Division I (13-10) and four-year program (20-18) matchups.
HUARD ON TARGET: A January transfer from Washington, sophomore quarterback Sam Huard's 333-yard passing performance against Northern Colorado (Oct. 21) comprised 31 completions – the highest total by a Cal Poly player in 23 years. That after 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). With a career high, 368-yard passing performance during Cal Poly's season-opening win against San Diego (Sept. 2), Huard has thrown for 300-plus yards three times. Huard – despite missing Cal Poly's Sept. 30 game versus UC Davis and Oct. 7 matchup with No. 3 Idaho – leads all Big Sky quarterbacks with 14 passing touchdowns while ranking fifth for passing yards per game (223.6), sixth for total yards (1,565) and seventh for completions (131). His 87-yard completion to sophomore tight end Carlton Brown against San Diego remains the longest pass completion by a Big Sky quarterback this season and 10th longest by an FCS player. Huard was selected as one of Cal Poly's four captains alongside junior linebacker David Meyer, defensive lineman Elijah Ponder and offensive lineman Garrett Weichman.
FAIRLY-DIYEM AND WOODS FAIRLY GOOD: Cal Poly's leading receiver and now ranked 14th among Big Sky players at 46.9 yards per game, freshman Tyrece Fair-Diyem – alongside junior Giancarlo Woods – remains the program's favorite touchdown target, adding his fourth of the fall at No. 2 Montana State (Oct. 14). He also hauled in touchdowns to fuel Cal Poly's victories against San Diego (Sept. 2) and Lincoln (Sept. 16) and against No. 3 Idaho (Oct. 7). Averaging 14.4 yards per catch and Cal Poly's leader with 418 total yards, Fairly-Diyem's top receiving game came during the program's 27-10, season-opening victory against San Diego with a 127-yard performance and seven receptions. Woods, Cal Poly's leader with 36 total receptions and just trailing Fairly-Diyem at 44.3 receiving yards per game and 354 total yards, produced a three-touchdown performance against Lincoln before also adding his fourth at Montana State.
PONDER LEADS THE DEFENSE: The Big Sky Conference's sack leader remains junior lineman Elijah Ponder, who boosted his total to eight with another at Eastern Washington (Nov. 4) and now ranks eighth among all FCS performers. Second among Mustangs with 43 total tackles, Ponder – whose eight sacks have moved opposition passers back 45 collective yards – has enjoyed three multi-sack games, beginning with a career best three to fuel Cal Poly's season-opening victory against San Diego (Sept. 2). Sophomore safety Brian Dukes, Jr., third in the lineup with 40 tackles, became Cal Poly's fifth different tackler with a season best nine at No. 2 Montana State (Oct. 14). Most recently, sophomore linebacker Je'Kob Jones and sophomore cornerback Jamauri Jackson became the sixth and seventh different leading tacklers with 11 apiece at Eastern Washington. Having kept the opposition under 300 yards of total offense three times, 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 989th in university history and the 329th game Cal Poly will have played since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision level in 1994. The Mustangs are currently 158-170 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, four of Cal Poly's 11 games this fall – 36 percent – have 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) L, 42-14
Oct. 14 at Montana State (2/2) L, 59-19
Nov. 11 at Sacramento State (11/9) --
CAL POLY AGAINST THE BIG SKY: Since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 1994, Cal Poly is 64-92 against Big Sky opposition. Since joining the conference as an associate member for the 2012 season, Cal Poly is 35-53 in Big Sky play.
LOOKING AHEAD (SATURDAY, NOV. 18): Cal Poly completes the regular season when hosting Weber State at 5:02 p.m. on ESPN+. The matchup marks Weber State's first visit to Mustang Memorial Field since 2018 with Cal Poly attempting to reverse a five-game slide against the Wildcats dating to 2016.
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) … Cal Poly's Oct. 7 home matchup with No. 3 Idaho marked just the fourth all-time meeting between the two programs … Sam Huard's 31 pass completions against Northern Colorado (Oct. 21) marked the highest total by a Cal Poly player in 23 years and the most since Seth Burford established a Cal Poly Division I record with 34 against Northern Iowa on Nov. 4, 2000 … Cal Poly set a new program record by recording three safeties at Eastern Washington (Nov. 4).
SATURDAY, NOV. 11 (2 P.M.) / ESPN+
HORNET STADIUM (SACRAMENTO)
WEEKLY RELEASES: CAL POLY | SACRAMENTO STATE | BIG SKY CONFERENCE
ESPN+ | LIVE STATS | AUDIO
SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly football program plays its fourth and final game against nationally-ranked opposition this season and its fifth and final road matchup of 2023 when visiting Sacramento State inside Hornet Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 11. Kickoff on ESPN+ is 2 p.m. for Cal Poly (3-6, 1-5), which earned its initial Big Sky Conference victory of the season against Northern Colorado (Oct. 21) before sustaining a Nov. 4 setback at Eastern Washington. Defending Big Sky co-champion Sacramento State (6-3, 3-3), ranked No. 9 in the Nov. 5 edition of the Stats Perform Media Top 25 poll and No. 11 in the AFCA/FCS Coaches Top 25 poll, resumes action following a 34-7 loss at No. 4 Montana (Nov. 4). The Hornets enter play Saturday as one of six teams tied for fourth place in the Big Sky standings. Ranked as high as No. 3 this season, Sacramento State's other two defeats occurred at No. 7 Idaho (Sept. 23) and versus No. 2 Montana State (Oct. 21).
CAL POLY VERSUS SACRAMENTO STATE: The Mustangs look to snap a three-game slide against Sacramento State dating to 2019 with Cal Poly's last victory over the Hornets a 41-27 road triumph on Oct. 6, 2018. The Big Sky Conference series between the two programs is knotted at 5-5 while Cal Poly holds the advantages in Division I (13-10) and four-year program (20-18) matchups.
HUARD ON TARGET: A January transfer from Washington, sophomore quarterback Sam Huard's 333-yard passing performance against Northern Colorado (Oct. 21) comprised 31 completions – the highest total by a Cal Poly player in 23 years. That after 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). With a career high, 368-yard passing performance during Cal Poly's season-opening win against San Diego (Sept. 2), Huard has thrown for 300-plus yards three times. Huard – despite missing Cal Poly's Sept. 30 game versus UC Davis and Oct. 7 matchup with No. 3 Idaho – leads all Big Sky quarterbacks with 14 passing touchdowns while ranking fifth for passing yards per game (223.6), sixth for total yards (1,565) and seventh for completions (131). His 87-yard completion to sophomore tight end Carlton Brown against San Diego remains the longest pass completion by a Big Sky quarterback this season and 10th longest by an FCS player. Huard was selected as one of Cal Poly's four captains alongside junior linebacker David Meyer, defensive lineman Elijah Ponder and offensive lineman Garrett Weichman.
FAIRLY-DIYEM AND WOODS FAIRLY GOOD: Cal Poly's leading receiver and now ranked 14th among Big Sky players at 46.9 yards per game, freshman Tyrece Fair-Diyem – alongside junior Giancarlo Woods – remains the program's favorite touchdown target, adding his fourth of the fall at No. 2 Montana State (Oct. 14). He also hauled in touchdowns to fuel Cal Poly's victories against San Diego (Sept. 2) and Lincoln (Sept. 16) and against No. 3 Idaho (Oct. 7). Averaging 14.4 yards per catch and Cal Poly's leader with 418 total yards, Fairly-Diyem's top receiving game came during the program's 27-10, season-opening victory against San Diego with a 127-yard performance and seven receptions. Woods, Cal Poly's leader with 36 total receptions and just trailing Fairly-Diyem at 44.3 receiving yards per game and 354 total yards, produced a three-touchdown performance against Lincoln before also adding his fourth at Montana State.
PONDER LEADS THE DEFENSE: The Big Sky Conference's sack leader remains junior lineman Elijah Ponder, who boosted his total to eight with another at Eastern Washington (Nov. 4) and now ranks eighth among all FCS performers. Second among Mustangs with 43 total tackles, Ponder – whose eight sacks have moved opposition passers back 45 collective yards – has enjoyed three multi-sack games, beginning with a career best three to fuel Cal Poly's season-opening victory against San Diego (Sept. 2). Sophomore safety Brian Dukes, Jr., third in the lineup with 40 tackles, became Cal Poly's fifth different tackler with a season best nine at No. 2 Montana State (Oct. 14). Most recently, sophomore linebacker Je'Kob Jones and sophomore cornerback Jamauri Jackson became the sixth and seventh different leading tacklers with 11 apiece at Eastern Washington. Having kept the opposition under 300 yards of total offense three times, 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 989th in university history and the 329th game Cal Poly will have played since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision level in 1994. The Mustangs are currently 158-170 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, four of Cal Poly's 11 games this fall – 36 percent – have 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) L, 42-14
Oct. 14 at Montana State (2/2) L, 59-19
Nov. 11 at Sacramento State (11/9) --
CAL POLY AGAINST THE BIG SKY: Since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 1994, Cal Poly is 64-92 against Big Sky opposition. Since joining the conference as an associate member for the 2012 season, Cal Poly is 35-53 in Big Sky play.
LOOKING AHEAD (SATURDAY, NOV. 18): Cal Poly completes the regular season when hosting Weber State at 5:02 p.m. on ESPN+. The matchup marks Weber State's first visit to Mustang Memorial Field since 2018 with Cal Poly attempting to reverse a five-game slide against the Wildcats dating to 2016.
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) … Cal Poly's Oct. 7 home matchup with No. 3 Idaho marked just the fourth all-time meeting between the two programs … Sam Huard's 31 pass completions against Northern Colorado (Oct. 21) marked the highest total by a Cal Poly player in 23 years and the most since Seth Burford established a Cal Poly Division I record with 34 against Northern Iowa on Nov. 4, 2000 … Cal Poly set a new program record by recording three safeties at Eastern Washington (Nov. 4).
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