No. 6/6 UC Davis
Cal Poly Battles for Golden Horseshoe Saturday at No. 6 UC Davis
10/10/2024 3:49:00 PM | Football
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Winners of two of three, Cal Poly football will look to get a win over a top 10 team this week when facing its rival No. 6/6 UC Davis Saturday at 4 p.m. on the road at UC Davis Health Stadium.
The game will air live on ESPN+ and locally on ESPN Radio 1280AM/101.7FM. Links to all those all well as live stats can be found on the football schedule page. You can also follow Cal Poly Football on Instagram (@calpolyfootbal) and on X (@calpolyfootball) for live updates throughout the game and for behind the scenes content.
The Mustangs (2-3, 1-1 Big Sky) will be looking for their first win over the Aggies (5-1, 2-0 Big Sky) in eight years as the Aggies have won the last seven meetings. They will also be seeking their first win in Davis since 2015.
Cal Poly has found its run game the last two games as they have gone for 290 rushing yards and 295 rushing yards in those games. Running back Aiden Ramos leads the rushing attack with 235 yards while backup quarterback Richie Watts leads the team in rushing touchdowns with three.
Cal Poly’s defensive front seven have been extremely strong in each of the first five games of the season as the Mustangs rank 27th in the nation in tackles for loss and 30th in the nation in sacks.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC DAVIS
With seven straight series victories, UC Davis has retained the Golden Horseshoe since taking possession with a 31-28 home victory in 2017. Winning last year's matchup in SLO, 31-13, the Aggies lead the all-time series, 27-20-2. The first game of the series was played in 1939, and the two teams have met every year since 1978 (including twice during 2021 calendar year).
THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE
The official Battle for the Golden Horseshoe was established in 2004 as student-run spirit clubs from both schools came together to sponsor a perpetual trophy that resides with the team that wins each year. The horseshoe-shaped trophy signifies the agricultural influence at both universities. Since the trophy was created in 2004, UC Davis leads the series, 13-7.
PONDER LEADS THE DEFENSE
After leading the Big Sky and being top five in the FCS in sacks in 2023, redshirt senior defensive end Elijah Ponder racked up all kinds of accolades: First Team All-Big Sky, FCS All-American. Heading into the 2024 season, Ponder continues to garner all kinds of preseason accolades and draw the attention of numerous NFL scouts. So far this preseason, Ponder has been named an FCS Preseason All-American, Preseason All-Big Sky, Shrine Bowl Watchlist and Reese’s Senior Bowl Watchlist.
In the first five games of 2024, Ponder ranks 22nd in the FCS. In sacks with four. He also ranks ninth in tackles for loss with 7.5. He also has 25 tackles, seven quarterback hurries, and two pass breakups.
In 2023, Ponder had 10 sacks, 52 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 17 quarterback hurries, which tied the program record for most in a season. He heads into his final season seventh all-time in career sacks in school history with 20. He needs just three more sacks to move into third all-time in Cal Poly history.
INTO THE WOODS
Cal Poly’s leading receiver from last season Giancarlo Woods returns in 2024 after ranking 15th in the Big Sky in 2023 in receptions and receptions yards per game. He had 50 receptions for 498 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Woods caught seven balls against both Lincoln (Sept. 16) and UC Davis (Sept. 30). His performance in the Lincoln victory also included 77 yards and a career best three touchdowns.
Through the first five games of 2024, Woods leads the team with 19 receptions for 259 yards and a touchdown.
Junior receiver Michael Briscoe leads the team in receiving touchdowns with three and is also fourth in the FCS in yards per reception at 23.3 yards per catch.
THE WULFF OF CALIFORNIA BOULEVARD
Head Coach Paul Wulff enters his second season as Cal Poly’s head coach. Cal Poly’s 2023 27-10, season-opening win against San Diego 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 2024 season marks Wulff’s 14th as a collegiate head coach.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Saturday’s game is the 996th in university history and the 336th game Cal Poly will have played since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision level in 1994. The Mustangs are currently 160-175 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 106th 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.
LOOKING AHEAD
Cal Poly will stay on the road to face No. 8 Idaho Saturday, Oct 19 in Moscow. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. with the game being aired on ESPN+ and ESPN Radio 1280AM/101.7FM locally and on GoPoly.com.
