Cal Poly football rolling heading into matchup with Sacramento State

When Todd Spencer was hired to coach Cal Poly’s offensive line in late July — replacing popular assistant and former offensive coordinator Saga Tuitele — he expected there would be a transition period before the group fully bought into what he was selling.

It was about two weeks into the regular season when head coach Tim Walsh realized one of the Mustangs’ most important and, perhaps underappreciated, units was drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid.

“They are what makes us go,” Walsh said this week. “There’s no question that they’re truly the unsung heroes. The leadership, I think, has been tremendous from coach Spencer.”

Durability has been one of the most impressive characteristics of No. 14 Cal Poly’s offensive line. The same starting lineup of left tackle Matthew Fisher, left guard Harry Whitson, center Joey Kuperman, right guard Billy Shipman and right tackle Nick Enriquez has been available for all seven games this season.

That figures to be the case again at 6 p.m. Saturday, when the Mustangs take on Sacramento State in a Big Sky Conference matchup inside Hornet Stadium.

At 5-2 overall and 3-1 against conference opponents, Cal Poly has its sights set on staying in the upper third of the Big Sky standings.

Since losing at first-place North Dakota on Oct. 1, the Mustangs have responded with two straight victories and could close out a sweep of California with a win Saturday night against the struggling Hornets (1-7 overall, 1-4 Big Sky).

“We’ve got to be very sound and very simplistic with the way we approach this thing,” Sacramento State coach Jody Sears said, “because of the multitude of looks that you’re going to get.”

Cal Poly’s offensive line has paved the way to 347.9 rushing yards per game, the best mark in the Big Sky by more than 120 yards and the No. 2 total nationally. The Mustangs also rank third in total offense (486.3) and scoring offense (35.0), and they lead the conference in both pass efficiency (207.1) and fewest sacks allowed (three).

On paper, they’re a tough matchup for the Hornets.

Sacramento State gives up exactly 500 yards per game on defense, including 243.5 on the ground. The offense has provided little help in scoring less than 19 points per contest, and its anemic passing attack has been hindered by a conference-worst 26 sacks allowed in eight games.

“If we’re better, we’re not much better,” Walsh said. “If we don’t come up and play, we’re not gonna win.”

That’s the main message Walsh wants to convey this week, especially with a visit from No. 3 Eastern Washington next weekend and a trip to surging Weber State the following week lingering on the schedule.

Still, returning to Sacramento figures to be a memorable night for several Mustangs with ties to the area.

Senior quarterback Dano Graves dominated the prep football scene when he led nearby Folsom High School to a state championship in 2010 and was named the national player of the year. He was teammates at Folsom with Cal Poly wide receiver Carson McMurtrey, who is enjoying a strong senior season to the tune of nine receptions for 177 yards and three touchdowns.

Graves, the most efficient passer in the Big Sky, is coming off a relatively pedestrian performance last week against UC Davis. He still managed to rush for two touchdowns in a 21-16 victory, and it’s fair to expect he could have a big statistical performance against the Hornets on Saturday.

“I’ve played football with Dano since third grade,” McMurtrey said. “It’s just the same thing for me. Dano, he’s a playmaker. He knows where to put the ball.”

Sacramento State’s Jordan Robinson (91 carries, 462 yards, five touchdowns) and Isiah Hennie (38 catches, 437 yards, three touchdowns) will be the focus of Cal Poly’s defense. That group was resilient in keeping UC Davis out of the end zone until the final minute last week in arguably their best showing of the season.

Walsh said the offense and defense have taken turns rescuing each other this year, and he hopes the Mustangs’ most complete performance is still on the horizon.

“If we could ever get it all to happen on the same day, it would probably be a lot of fun for everybody to watch,” Walsh said. “That’s really where we’re trying to get.”

This story was originally published October 28, 2016 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Cal Poly football rolling heading into matchup with Sacramento State."