Cal Poly football players from Sacramento return home feeling confident
The Cal Poly football team goes back on the road this week for its Big Sky Conference matchup with Sacramento State on Saturday night, a game that serves as a homecoming of sorts for several Mustang players.
Having already defeated in-state opponents San Diego (38-16) and UC Davis (21-16) this season, No. 14 Cal Poly will pursue another California sweep when the two teams meet at 6 p.m. inside 21,000-seat Hornet Stadium.
Winning the state is one of the Mustangs’ main goals every year, and they’ll be favored against a Hornets team that brings a 1-7 overall record into the matchup. Recruiting the Sacramento area has been a strength of Cal Poly’s coaching staff in recent years, and Tim Walsh intends to maintain that foothold.
“It should be a fun thing for our guys to go home and play in front of family and friends,” Walsh said, while adding, “but you also don’t want to lose focus of what we’re trying to do.”
What the Mustangs (5-2 overall, 3-1 Big Sky) are trying to do is stay in contention for an FCS playoff berth for the first time since 2012. They’ve come close in the three years since, but there’s a sense this group has the talent and experience to take the next step.
It starts at the quarterback position, where fifth-year senior Dano Graves has proven he still possesses some of the magic that made him a fan favorite during his prep days at Folsom High School.
Graves is one of four graduates from the Sacramento-area school on the Cal Poly roster, along with senior wide receiver Carson McMurtrey and true freshmen Jake Jeffrey and Tre Green.
All-conference defensive linemen Josh Letuligasenoa (Elk Grove High) and Marcus Paige-Allen (Sheldon High) were both standout prep players in Sacramento, as was injured reserve running back Trey Nahhas (Monterey Trail High).
“It’s an away game for us, but for a lot of guys it’s home,” Paige-Allen said. “We’re gonna go out there with a lot of confidence. Don’t be surprised if the student section and the fan section on our side is just as packed and crackin’ as the one on Sac State’s side.”
Injury update
Walsh said following practice Tuesday morning that the Mustangs came away from their win over UC Davis last week in good health.
He was encouraged by the progress of some players who have been sidelined for several weeks, saying he hopes some will be able to return for the Nov. 5 home game against Eastern Washington.
Senior running back DJ Peluso and junior cornerback Jerek Rosales were both practicing Tuesday after sitting out last week, and their return would be beneficial from a depth standpoint.
Sophomore Mekai Sheffie certainly took advantage of his extended playing time, while Rosales was sidelined against UC Davis. A special teams standout the past two seasons, Sheffie made a game-high 13 tackles in his starting debut.
That extra playing time could be a factor in two weeks when the Eagles bring the No. 1 passing offense in the country to Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
“That’s really what makes you a good team, when you can (build depth),” Walsh said. “Now you’re deeper and the competition steps up, which is all good stuff.”
Sublette shines
Sophomore punter Casey Sublette played a key role in helping Cal Poly keep the UC Davis offense out of the end zone for more than 59 minutes last week.
After a somewhat shaky performance against North Dakota, Sublette bounced back by averaging more than 38 yards on five punts against the Aggies. All five punts landed inside the 20-yard line, with a long of 48.
The transfer from El Camino Community College also is 32 of 33 on point-after attempts and 5 for 5 on field goals this season.
This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Cal Poly football players from Sacramento return home feeling confident."