CAL POLY AT NO. 2/2 MONTANA STATE
SATURDAY, OCT. 7 (5:02 P.M.) / ESPN+
BOBCAT STADIUM (BOZEMAN, MT)
WEEKLY RELEASES: CAL POLY | MONTANA STATE | BIG SKY CONFERENCE
ESPN+ | LIVE STATS | AUDIO
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Dealing with the final of three successive ranked packages and the second straight prime three Soccer Championship Subdivision opponent, the Cal Poly soccer program visits No. 2/2 Montana State on Saturday, Oct. 14. Kickoff from Bobcat Stadium is 5 p.m. PT (6 p.m. MT) on ESPN+ for Cal Poly (2-4, 0-3), which seems to be to snap a three-game slide towards the Huge Sky Convention’s main program for factors scored (42.8 per recreation) and fewest factors allowed (16.4). Cal Poly final confronted a top-two opponent on Sept. 11, 2010, delivering a 35-33 dwelling victory towards No. 1 Montana. Persevering with with Montana State (4-1, 2-0), Cal Poly faces six of the seven ranked Huge Sky packages throughout its ultimate seven video games. The No. 2 choice in each the Oct. 8 editions of AFCA/FCS Coaches High 25 and Stats Carry out Media High 25 polls, Montana State – additionally the Huge Sky chief with 323.2 dashing yards per recreation – resumes motion following a bye week and 38-22 dwelling victory towards Portland State (Sept. 30). Montana State’s lone loss this season was a 20-16 setback at unanimous No. 1 South Dakota State (Sept. 9).
CAL POLY VERSUS MONTANA STATE: The Mustangs look to snap a five-game slide towards the Bobcats, final defeating Montana State at dwelling on Nov. 1, 2014 (35-27). Cal Poly’s final win at Montana State’s Bobcat Stadium got here in 2004 (27-14). The all-time collection is drawn, 9-9, relationship to the primary assembly – a 16-6 Mustang dwelling victory – on Nov. 8, 1958.
KELLY MAKES DEBUT: In simply his second collegiate begin, redshirt freshman quarterback Bo Kelly gashed No. 3 Idaho for 262 passing yards – essentially the most the Vandals have conceded this season. Kelly, who accomplished a profession finest 24 passes towards Idaho, additionally threw for 191 yards throughout his first begin towards No. 20/21 UC Davis. One in every of three Cal Poly quarterbacks to see motion this season, Kelly’s efficiency towards third-ranked Idaho included landing passes to vast receivers Tyrece Pretty-Diyem and Logan Booher.
FAIRLY-DIYEM FAIRLY GOOD: Cal Poly’s main receiver and now ranked tenth amongst Huge Sky gamers at 54.2 yards per recreation, freshman Tyrece Truthful-Diyem – alongside junior Giancarlo Woods – stays this system’s favourite landing goal, including his third of the autumn towards No. 3 Idaho (Oct. 7). He additionally hauled in touchdowns to gasoline Cal Poly’s victories towards San Diego (Sept. 2) and Lincoln (Sept. 16). Averaging 15.5 yards per catch, Pretty-Diyem’s main receiving recreation got here throughout this system’s 27-10, season-opening victory towards San Diego with a 127-yard efficiency and 7 receptions.
HUARD ON TARGET: A January switch from Washington, sophomore quarterback Sam Huard grew to become simply the third participant in program historical past with six landing completions in a single recreation throughout Cal Poly’s 41-20 dwelling victory towards Lincoln (Sept. 16). Having additionally handed for 325 yards towards Lincoln and 324 in a season-opening win towards San Diego (Sept. 2), Huard – regardless of lacking Cal Poly’s Sept. 30 recreation versus UC Davis and Oct. 7 matchup with No. 3 Idaho – ranks fifth amongst Huge Sky gamers for passing yards per recreation (215.5), seventh in whole yards (862) and ninth in completions (67). His 87-yard completion to sophomore tight finish Carlton Brown towards San Diego stays the longest cross completion by a Huge Sky quarterback this season and trails solely a 93-yard effort from Presbyterian’s Tyler Wesley amongst FCS quarterbacks. Huard was chosen as one among Cal Poly’s 4 captains alongside junior linebacker David Meyerdefensive lineman Elijah Ponder and offensive lineman Garrett Weichman.
DEFENSE MAKES ITS MARK: Sophomore Ethan Calvert led Cal Poly with 11 tackles towards San Diego (Sept. 2) and 12 at San Jose State (Sept. 9), David Meyer took prime honors with 9 towards each Lincoln (Sept. 16) and UC Davis (Sept. 30) whereas freshman Kenny Olson paced the Mustangs with a collegiate finest 13 at Portland State (Sept. 23) and 7 – alongside junior lineman Elijah Ponder – versus No. 3 Idaho (Oct. 7). Calvert enters Saturday’s matchup at Montana State because the Huge Sky’s fifteenth main tackler at 6.2 per recreation. Ponder, the Sept. 3 Huge Sky Defensive Participant of the Week honoree, ranks second within the Huge Sky and thirteenth amongst FCS performers with 5 sacks. Having twice stored the opposition below 300 yards of whole offense, Cal Poly’s 27-10, season-opening victory towards San Diego marked this system’s first efficiency with out conceding an offensive landing in 81 video games.
THE WULFF OF CALIFORNIA BOULEVARD: Cal Poly’s 27-10, season-opening win towards San Diego (Sept. 2) offered Paul Wulff his first victory as Cal Poly head coach and first triumph as a collegiate head coach in 12 years. Having led Japanese Washington to 3 FCS Playoff appearances (2004-05, 2007) earlier than 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 towards Arizona State on Nov. 12, 2011. Named the Cal Poly program’s 18th head coach on Dec. 6, 2022, Wulff – a close to three-decade collegiate teaching veteran – is a three-time Huge Sky Coach of the Yr recipient at Japanese Washington (2001, 2004-05) whereas having directed the Eagles to a share of two Huge Sky titles. Wulff’s different Huge Sky teaching stops embody Sacramento State (2016-18) and UC Davis (2019). The 2023 season marks Wulff’s thirteenth as a collegiate head coach.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Saturday’s recreation is the 986th in college historical past and the 326th recreation Cal Poly could have performed since transferring to the Soccer Championship Subdivision degree in 1994. The Mustangs are at the moment 157-168 as an FCS program. The one hundredth recreation on the FCS degree was a 34-13 win at Texas-El Paso (Sept. 6, 2003) whereas the 2 hundredth was a 41-10 triumph at South Alabama to finish the 2011 season. Recreation No. 300 was a 48-14 loss to South Dakota (Sept. 18, 2021). The one hundredth FCS win was at Outdated Dominion, 50-37 (Oct. 9, 2010), and the one hundredth loss was to Japanese Washington, 35-22 (Nov. 16, 2013). Cal Poly earned its five hundredth all-time win at Portland State in October 2017 and is enjoying its one hundred and fifth total season and thirtieth within the FCS this fall. Cal Poly was a member of the now-defunct American West Convention (Southern Utah, Sacramento State, CSUN) earlier than turning into an unbiased in 1996. After eight years as an FCS Unbiased, the Mustangs grew to become a constitution member of the Nice West Soccer Convention in 2004. Following eight seasons within the Nice West (and 4 titles), Cal Poly moved to the Huge Sky Convention in 2012, capturing the title in its first season.
BIG SKY’S THE LIMIT: Competing within the Soccer Championship Subdivision’s deepest convention, six of Cal Poly’s 11 video games this fall – 55 p.c – come towards ranked Huge Sky opponents (rating present at time of matchup):
Date Opponent (Coaches Ballot/Stats Carry out) Consequence
Sept. 30 UC Davis (20/21) L, 31-13
Oct. 7 Idaho (3/3) L, 42-14
Oct. 14 at Montana State (2/2) —
Nov. 4 at Japanese Washington (RV/21) —
Nov. 11 at Sacramento State (5/4) —
Nov. 18 Weber State (23/22) —
CAL POLY AGAINST THE BIG SKY: Since transferring to the Soccer Championship Subdivision in 1994, Cal Poly is 63-90 towards Huge Sky opposition. Since becoming a member of the convention as an affiliate member for the 2012 season, Cal Poly is 34-51 in Huge Sky play.
LOOKING AHEAD (SATURDAY, OCT. 21): Earlier than closing the season with three successive ranked foes, Cal Poly hosts Northern Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 5:02 p.m. on ESPN+. Dealing with Northern Colorado for the primary time since a 2017 dwelling loss, for simply the second time on the Division I degree and third time total, Cal Poly seeks its first all-time victory towards the Bears. Northern Colorado (0-5, 0-2) hosts No. 4 Sacramento State on Saturday, Oct. 14.
ETC.: The Cal Poly program is in its one hundred and fifth all-time season and enjoying its twenty ninth fall of Soccer Championship Subdivision competitors … Cal Poly improved to 8-1 all-time towards San Diego with a 27-10, season-opening win (Sept. 2) whereas enhancing to 9-1 all-time towards Pioneer Soccer League opposition … Cal Poly’s main tackler final fall, junior linebacker David Meyer was named to the Huge Sky Media Preseason All-Convention Staff as a part of the league’s July Soccer Kickoff Weekend … quarterback Sam Huard’s 87-yard completion to sophomore tight finish Carlton Brown throughout Cal Poly’s Sept. 2 opener towards San Diego marked Cal Poly’s lengthiest cross play since an 89-yard effort by Chris Brown at South Dakota State (Sept. 6, 2014) … Cal Poly dropped its ninth straight matchup towards FBS competitors Sept. 9 at San Jose State, a streak relationship to a 24-22 victory at Wyoming (Sept. 15, 2012) … Sam Huard grew to become simply the third quarterback in program historical past with six passing touchdowns in a recreation towards Lincoln (Sept. 16) and the primary since Tony Smith towards South Dakota (Nov. 14, 2009) … in simply 28 minutes towards Lincoln (Sept. 16), junior vast receiver Giancarlo Woods grew to become the primary Mustang in 4 years and thirteenth in program historical past with three landing receptions in a single recreation … UC Davis retained the Golden Horseshoe towards Cal Poly with a 31-13 rivalry victory (Sept. 30) … Cal Poly’s Oct. 7 dwelling matchup with No. 3 Idaho marked simply the fourth all-time assembly between the 2 packages.
