Cal Poly football matchup to watch: Dano Graves vs. UC Davis’ Ben Scott

Cal Poly quarterback Dano Graves has elevated his level of play since the Big Sky Conference season began four weeks ago.

The fifth-year senior has thrown three touchdown passes in all three conference games, leading the Mustangs to wins over No. 10 Montana and Portland State and a one-touchdown loss at No. 19 North Dakota.

Graves completed an eye-popping 75 percent of his passes for 542 yards and nine touchdowns in those three contests.

First-year offensive coordinator Juston Wood is calling fewer than 13 passing plays per game, and he expects Graves to cash in on those opportunities.

“He’s developing new play-action type plays every week and guys are just getting wide open,” said Graves, who leads the Big Sky in pass efficiency.

UC Davis senior quarterback Ben Scott is every bit as important to the Aggies’ offense. He returned from an injury last week to help UC Davis outlast Northern Colorado and snap a four-game losing streak.

Scott averages more than 248 passing yards per game, the third-best mark in the Big Sky behind Eastern Washington’s Gage Gubrud (394.3) and Montana’s Brady Gustafson (300.2).

“He makes everyone around him better,” UC Davis coach Ron Gould said.

Injuries kept Scott out of the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe last November, a 55-38 Cal Poly victory. He then beat out athletic sophomore C.J. Spencer for the starting spot in fall camp, and threw for 303 yards and rushed for a touchdown in a closer-than-expected loss to a preseason top-25 Oregon team in the season opener.

“When he’s healthy,” Cal Poly coach Tim Walsh said, “you can really see who they strive to be as far as an offensive football team.”

This story was originally published October 21, 2016 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Cal Poly football matchup to watch: Dano Graves vs. UC Davis’ Ben Scott."