Stanford
Cal Poly Faces ACC Opponent Stanford for First Time Saturday
9/5/2024 3:05:00 PM | Football
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly football will play its second game of the season when traveling up north to face its lone FBS opponent of the season in Stanford Saturday, Sept. 7 at 4 p.m. inside Stanford Stadium.
The game will air live on the ACC Digitial Network/ESPN+ and locally on radio 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.
Coming off a season opening 27-21 loss to San Diego last week, the Mustangs (0-1) will look to pull off its first win over an FBS opponent since 2012 when facing the Cardinal for the first time in program history. This will also be the first ever game against an ACC team in program history.
Cal Poly’s defense was strong against the Toreros last week, surrendering just 13 points while collecting four sacks and even scoring a touchdown via a fumble forced by safety Demel Turner that was recovered and returned 36 yards by cornerback Budha Boyd Jr.
Saturday’s game will be Cal Poly’s second of six road games this season and penultimate non-conference game. The final non-conference game will the home opener Sept. 14 against Western Oregon at 5 p.m. inside Mustang Memorial Field presented by French Hospital at Spanos Stadium
Week 2?? loading... #RideHigh pic.twitter.com/k6UhTgio01
— Cal Poly Football (@calpolyfootball) September 3, 2024
Even defense scores TDs ????#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/9RWQ7sbi5E
— Cal Poly Football (@calpolyfootball) September 4, 2024
CAL POLY VERSUS STANFORD
This will be the first ever meeting between Cal Poly and Stanford with a small caveat. Cal Poly played Stanford’s freshman and JV teams when those existed in 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, and 1950.
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 San Jose State (2017, 2023), Fresno State (2013, 2021-22), Oregon State (2019), 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.
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 game of 2024 against San Diego, Ponder had five tackles, a sack, and three quarterback hurries.
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 four 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.
In the opening game of the 2024 season against San Diego, Woods had six receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown.
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 992nd in university history and the 332nd game Cal Poly will have played since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision level in 1994. The Mustangs are currently 158-173 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.
Cal Poly will get to play at home for the first time in 2024 when hosting Division II Western Oregon at Mustang Memorial Stadium Saturday, Sept. 14 at 5 p.m. It will be the first chance for fans to enjoy all the fun of a Cal Poly football game.
