Mustangs Start Big Sky Play with Road Win Over Northern Colorado

Saturday, September 28

Greeley, CO

12 P.M.

2-2 , 1-0

Northern Colorado

0-5 , 0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Cal Poly

Northern Colo.

Mustangs Start Big Sky Play with Road Win Over Northern Colorado

9/28/2024 3:28:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

GREELEY, Colo. – Behind an offensive explosion and a terrific defensive effort, Cal Poly football got off to a strong start to Big Sky Conference play, taking down Northern Colorado on the road Saturday, 28-7.

Cal Poly's offense produced a season-high 492 yards, including 290 yards rushing with four touchdowns, two on the ground and two in the air. Redshirt junior quarterback Jaden Jones was 7-14 for 189 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Jones also rushed four times for 74 yards. Quarterback Richie Watts threw Cal Poly's other touchdown on his lone pass of the game.

On the ground, redshirt freshman running back Aiden Ramos rushed 23 times for 120 yards. Running back Zion Hall made his return to the lineup to the tune of 77 yards on 15 carries. Watts ran in Cal Poly's other touchdown.

Receiver Michael Briscoe led all Mustang pass catchers with 108 yards on three receptions, highlighted by a 95 yard touchdown catch and run. Giancarlo Woods also had three catches for 67 yards.

Defensively, Cal Poly was led by senior defensive end Elijah Ponder, who had seven tackles, including a tackle for loss. As a team, the Mustangs had three sacks and four pass deflections as they held the Bears (0-5, 0-1 Big Sky) to 213 total yards.

With five minutes left in the first and the Mustang offense backed up to their own five-yard line, quarterback Jaden Jones connected with wide receiver Michael Briscoe on a play action pass for a 95-yard touchdown to get on the board first.

After forcing the Bears to punt, the Mustangs put another scoring drive together as Jaden Jones capped off a seven-play drive with a 57-yard touchdown rush on a designed quarterback keeper to go up 14-0.

With 9:06 left in the third, Cal Poly's punt was blocked by the Bears at the Mustangs' 20 yard line and returned to the 15. Northern Colorado then used three plays to get into the end zone and score on a quarterback rush up the middle for a 10-yard touchdown to make it 14-7.

The next drive, Cal Poly marched 72 yards down the field in seven plays for a touchdown. A big 47-yard connection from Jones to Giancarlo Woods put the Mustangs in Bears territory. A few plays later, quarterback Richie Watts came into the game for the first time this season to run it in for two yards for his first touchdown as a Mustang.

Cal Poly's defense came up clutch at the start of the fourth as after the Bears marched down to the six yard line, Northern Colorado went for it on fourth down as Cal Poly's secondary held strong and forced an incompletion and a turnover on downs to keep the lead 21-7.

The Mustangs sealed the win with a 14 play, 94-yard touchdown drive that lasted nearly eight minutes. It was capped by an eight-yard touchdown pass from Watts to wide receiver Evan Burkhart to stretch the Cal Poly lead to 28-7.

Now at 1-0 in Big Sky play, Cal Poly will look to stretch the win streak next Saturday, Oct. 5 when hosting Idaho State at 5 p.m. at Mustang Memorial Field for homecoming.