Cal Poly Visits FBS San Jose State Saturday in First Road Matchup

Saturday, September 9

San Jose, CA

1:00 p.m.

San Jose State

Tickets

Photo by: Owen Main

Cal Poly Visits FBS San Jose State Saturday in First Road Matchup

9/5/2023 1:30:00 PM | Football

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SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly football program seeks its first victory against an FBS opponent in 11 years when visiting San Jose State on Saturday, Sept. 9 on NBC Sports Bay Area. Kickoff from CEFCU Stadium is 1 p.m. for Cal Poly (1-0), which opened the season with a 27-10 home victory against San Diego (Sept. 2), a matchup the Mustangs led wire-to-wire without conceding an offensive touchdown to the Toreros. Winless on the road in six matchups last fall, the Mustangs attempt to end an 11-game slide away from Mustang Memorial Field with Cal Poly's last road victory a 28-17 decision at San Diego (Sept. 4, 2021). Saturday's matchup marks Cal Poly's lone matchup of the year with an FBS opponent, the first of five road matchups and the only road contest against a non-Big Sky Conference foe. Topped by No. 6 USC in its Aug. 26 season opener, 56-28, San Jose State (0-2) – in front of its first sellout crowd (20,337) in 20 years – fell to No. 18 Oregon State, 42-17 (Sept. 3).

CAL POLY VERSUS SAN JOSE STATE: San Jose State has prevailed in all three matchups against Cal Poly at the Division I level, handing the Mustangs defeats in 2017 (34-13), 2009 (19-9) and 2006 (17-7). Cal Poly's last victory against San Jose State was a 10-6 road win on Oct. 11, 1958.

CAL POLY VERSUS FBS OPPOSITION: Cal Poly's last victory against an FBS program came on Sept. 15, 2012 with the Mustangs edging Wyoming, 24-22. Since that decision, however, Cal Poly has dropped eight straight against FBS opponents Fresno State (2013, 2021-22), Oregon State (2019), San Jose State (2017), Nevada (2016), Arizona State (2015) and New Mexico State (2014). Cal Poly's Sept. 2, 2016 season opener at Nevada finished in a 30-27 overtime setback.

HUARD ON TARGET IN DEBUT: A January transfer from Washington, sophomore quarterback Sam Huard's Sept. 2 debut for Cal Poly comprised a 24-for-42 performance for 364 yards – the fifth highest total during the FCS opening week and highest total of any Big Sky quarterback by nearly 100 yards – and a second-quarter touchdown pass to freshman Tyrece Fairly-Diyem that handed the Mustangs a 17-3 lead at the break. One of the program's four captains alongside junior linebacker David Meyer, defensive lineman Elijah Ponder and offensive lineman Garrett Weichman, Huard's opening day also included an 87-yard completion to sophomore tight end Carlton Brown that marked Cal Poly's lengthiest pass play since an 89-yard effort by Chris Brown at South Dakota State (Sept. 6, 2014).

DEFENSE MAKES ITS MARK: Cal Poly's 27-10, season-opening victory against San Diego marked the program's first performance without conceding an offensive touchdown since a 34-3 victory at San Diego (Nov. 22, 2014) – a streak of 81 games. San Diego, limited to 241 total yards of offense, scored its touchdown through a 48-yard interception return. Highlighted by reigning Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week honoree Elijah Ponder's three sacks against San Diego, Cal Poly leads all FCS programs in sacks per game (7.0) while ranking second in total sacks and third in sack yardage (49). Sophomore linebacker Ethan Calvert also recorded 11 tackles against San Diego.

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 981st in university history and the 321st game Cal Poly will have played since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision level in 1994. The Mustangs are currently 156-164 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, five of Cal Poly's 11 games this fall – 46 percent – come against ranked Big Sky opponents (ranking current at time of matchup):

Date             Opponent (Coaches Poll/Stats Perform)      Result
Sept. 30        UC Davis (14/15)                                              --
Oct. 7           Idaho (12/7)                                                       --
Oct. 14         at Montana State (3/3)                                       --
Nov. 11        at Sacramento State (8/9)                                   --
Nov. 18        Weber State (9/12)                                             --

CAL POLY AGAINST THE BIG SKY: Since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 1994, Cal Poly is 63-87 against Big Sky opposition. Since joining the conference as an associate member for the 2012 season, Cal Poly is 34-48 in Big Sky play.

LOOKING AHEAD (SATURDAY, SEPT. 16): The Mustangs play the second of six home games at Mustang Memorial Field when hosting Oakland-based Lincoln University at 5:02 p.m. on ESPN+. Lincoln opened its season with a 37-7 loss at NAIA College of Idaho (Aug. 26) before falling at Division II Adams State, 35-16 (Sept. 2). Playing all 11 of its games on the road, the Oaklanders visit Division II Western Oregon on Sept. 9.

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.