Cal Poly football preview: Mustangs gear up for new season — and it starts with a big test

After two years and eight months, Cal Poly head football coach Beau Baldwin finally has had an entire off-season with the team.

And thanks to that, he’s feeling the best about where the Mustangs stand entering the season since his arrival.

“I think the steps we’ve taken between January and now are where you really add more wins,” he said.

This season will test the Mustangs to see if their off-season work pays off.

It won’t be easy. The Mustangs finished 2-9 last season, and the team is playing an almost identical schedule to 2021, with 10 of its 11 games against opponents from last season. The only difference is a game against Eastern Washington at home instead of Weber State.

Their opponents this year compiled an 80-52 win-loss record in 2021 for a .606 winning percentage. Five of them — South Dakota, Montana, Montana State, UC Davis and Sacramento State — qualified for the FCS playoffs, and Fresno State played in a bowl game.

If the Mustangs can improve their record while playing a similar schedule, it would be an excellent sign for the program.

Baldwin didn’t specify his win-loss expectations for the team, but he did mention, “We’re not putting any ceiling.”

“We’re going into each game with the mindset of putting together a plan and taking an attitude to win the ball game.”

This past year was the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that the team had a consistent schedule involving team lifts, practices and a spring season.

“Your results are based on the work, and the consistency that you put into your off-season training,” said Baldwin.

But even though the team is in a better position in terms of preparation, Baldwin knows there’s no guarantee the Mustangs will improve.

“The steps are basically being able to truly lay a foundation from January until now that you feel very good about putting out,” he said. “You’re never guaranteed anything. But you’ve put yourself in a much better position to earn more better results.”

Who will be Cal Poly’s players to watch?

A big part of the off-season is trying to parse out which players can be key contributors once the season rolls around. That means competition for starting positions and moving up the depth chart.

The highest profile jockeying for the starting role is at quarterback, between redshirt freshman Jaden Jones and junior Spencer Brasch. Currently, the depth chart sits with Brasch up top.

Brasch got the start most of last season, appearing in seven of the Mustangs’ 11 games.

He completed 145 of his 267 attempts for 1,725 yards, which is the most from a Cal Poly quarterback in 13 years, to go along with 10 touchdowns.

Despite that edge, there was some buzz about Jones possibly winning the starting role. He saw limited action last season to maintain his redshirt eligibility and completed seven of his 18 throws for 34 yards throughout the season.

But it appears the coaching staff will opt for the veteran Brasch when the team opens the season at Fresno State on Thursday.

On defense, redshirt freshman Je’kob Jones sits atop the inside linebacker depth chart. After limited time last season, he projects to be a productive young player for the Mustangs. In one of Cal Poly’s wins last season against Idaho State, he earned six tackles, five of which were solo.

In Jones’ player profile, Baldwin describes him as a “truly dynamic linebacker,” who shows “toughness, athleticism and tackling ability that you want in that position” to go along with leadership.

Other veterans expected to make big contributors this year are linebacker Laipeli Palu (51 tackles) and defensive linemen Dustin Grein (36 tackles, one sack), Elijah Ponder (35 tackles, eight sacks) and Josh Ngaluafe (28 tackles, two sacks), who combined for 22 tackles for lost yardage in 2021.

Another impact player for the Mustangs on offense will be wide receiver Chris Coleman, who is coming off a standout year after transferring from Fresno State.

Last season he led the team with 43 receptions for 590 yards and four touchdowns and was named co-offensive player of the year.

Coming into the season, Coleman says there “definitely is a chip on our shoulder.”

“Quite honestly we need the chip on our shoulder,” he said. “Last year was last year, but we know we’re going to be compared to how last year’s football team compares to this one and we know that the team we had last year isn’t the team we have this year.”

Despite that feeling, it’s important for the team not to lean too much into fighting outside expectations, Baldwin said.

“You don’t want to rely on outside motivation. You should be intrinsically motivated all the time,” Baldwin said.

“I am excited for the future of this program and especially the younger players,” he added. “There were a number of young guys who got the chance to play. When you take over a program and change the system, you usually become a young team, the players adapting to your program and system, always going through growing pains, and we definitely had a lot of that.”

Rivalry between Cal Poly, Fresno State goes way back

Cal Poly kicks off the season with 7:35 p.m. start on Thursday at Fresno State’s Valley Children’s Stadium.

The teams have played 45 times in the all-time series that dates back to 1922. The Bulldogs hold the series edge 33-10-2 and have won the last eight meetings, including a 63-10 decision last fall and a 41-25 victory in 2013.

Coach Jeff Tedford returns 14 starters from last year (six on offense, seven on defense, one on special teams). Top Bulldogs to watch include quarterback Jake Haener, wide receiver Jalen Cropper, defensive end David Perales, running back Jordan Mims and safety Evan Williams.

Haener threw for 4,089 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2021, completing 17 of 22 passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns in Fresno State’s win against Cal Poly. He was selected as the 2022 preseason Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

Cropper played in all 13 games with 10 starts and made 85 receptions for 899 yards and 11 touchdowns, which led the offense in all categories.

Perales is coming off a season with 45 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and three QB hurries in 12 starts on his way to a second-team All-Mountain West selection. Mims totaled 710 yards and six TDs rushing along with 25 catches for 324 yards and four scores. Williams recorded a team-high 94 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and three interceptions in 2021 and was a first-team all-conference pick.

Thursday’s game will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio (1280 AM and 101.7 FM) and nationally televised on FS1 (Spectrum Channel 69 and 422 in San Luis Obispo County). Links for audio and video streams as well as live stats can be found on the football schedule page at www.GoPoly.com.

Cal Poly plays its home opener on Sept. 10, hosting San Diego for a 2:02 p.m. kickoff inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium.