Cal Poly loses fourth straight as offense struggles against Weber State
Cal Poly’s struggles continued Saturday as the Mustangs fell to Weber State 38-7 inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium on Saturday evening for their fourth-straight loss.
Since their season opening win at University of San Diego on Sept. 3, the Mustangs (1-3, 0-2 Big Sky) have been outscored 188-38 while suffering repeated injuries at the quarterback position that have hampered the development of the offense.
Saturday’s game in front of a Homecoming crowd of 7,089 was a microcosm of that challenge that saw Cal Poly gain a mere 115 total yards, while the Wildcats (1-3, 1-1 Big Sky) racked up 364.
With first-string quarterback Spencer Brasch out after suffering a broken hand against Fresno State and quarterback Conor Bruce out with an injury suffered against Montana, the Mustangs were forced to again move down the quarterback depth chart, tapping redshirt freshman Jackson Pavitt for his first start.
Quarterback calls start ‘a thrilling experience’
Coach Beau Baldwin said the Mustangs must find a way to be more efficient on offense, putting together more drives, converting third downs and finishing in the red zone.
“There’s just too many quick possessions for us right now on offense, and it starts to mound up with us from a defensive standpoint,” Baldwin said.
Coach Baldwin said while the night “felt like a first game” as Pavitt got his start, the quarterback played tough.
“I love his fight. I love his competitiveness. He’s not afraid of things,” Baldwin said. “If you make mistakes, you can coach off of that.”
Pavitt completed 13 of 30 passes but was sacked seven times. Giancarlo Woods and Quentin Harris each caught three of those completions.
“It was a thrilling experience, definitely some jitters going into the game,” Pavitt said. “Once I stepped on the field, I realized it’s football, where else would I rather be?”
Pavitt said he thought Cal Poly took big steps throughout the game, though more work is needed to increase explosiveness across the field.
“I’m just proud of our team, and if we keep going, we’re going to do some great things,” Pavitt said.
Defensively, Aaron Cooper and Matt Shotwell each recovered a Weber State fumble. Cooper tallied eight tackles, while Shotwell earned seven.
Cal Poly held to a single touchdown
The game began well enough for the Mustangs.
After Weber State scored its first touchdown, Cal Poly was quick to answer. The Mustangs’ Brandon Davis forced a Weber State fumble, which was recovered by Cooper at the 25-yard line.
After the Wildcats were hit with an offsides penalty, Sam Stewart converted on a fourth and 1 to the 1-yard line. Stewart scored on the next play, Cal Poly’s sole touchdown of the evening.
The score was tied 7-7 to begin the second quarter. That’s when Weber State erupted for three touchdowns.
The Wildcats scored two touchdowns before the clock hit eight minutes, and with less than a minute left in the half, Weber State recovered a Cal Poly fumble and scored again, expanding its lead to 28-7.
The Wildcats sealed the game in the third quarter, adding 10 more points in the third quarter while holding the Mustangs scoreless. Ty MacPherson scored a touchdown, and Kyle Thompson added a 25-yard field goal.
Neither team scored in the fourth quarter, and the game ended with a 38-7 Weber State victory.
The Mustangs next game is on the road at Montana State (4-1, 2-0 Big Sky) on Oct. 9.
This story was originally published October 3, 2021 at 12:21 AM with the headline "Cal Poly loses fourth straight as offense struggles against Weber State."
