Cal Poly falls to Fresno State 35-7 in a sweltering season opener
On a sweltering Thursday night amid a statewide heat wave, Cal Poly put up a valiant effort its season opener against Fresno State, coming up just short on several opportunities in the red zone before falling 35-7 at Valley Children’s Stadium.
With redshirt freshman Jaden Jones getting the surprise start in a game that kicked off in 102-degree heat, the Mustangs tried to fight back from a 21-0 first-quarter deficit but were unable to turn three deep drives into points, failing to convert on 4th-and-5 from the Bulldogs’ 8-yard line in the second quarter, on 4th-and-4 from the Bulldogs’ 5-yard line in the third quarter and on 4th-and-1 from the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter.
That ultimately doomed hopes of an upset against the FBS Bulldogs, who are a powerhouse in the Mountain West Conference.
Fresno State took control of the game early, marching down the field on the way to three first-quarter touchdowns.
The Bulldogs’ sixth-year quarterback, Jake Haener, was able to dice up Cal Poly’s secondary in the opening quarter. He found seams in the defense and ended the game with an efficient 35 completions in 41 attempts for 270 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Cal Poly’s offense was sped up by the Bulldogs’ pressure, and Fresno State disguised its coverages to prevent the Mustangs from getting in a rhythm.
Mustangs show signs of a comeback
After falling behind early, however, the Mustangs found their groove in the second quarter.
The defense got three consecutive stops to close the first half, and Jones made plays with his legs while mixing in some short passes.
Head Coach Beau Baldwin tapped Jones with the starting nod over redshirt junior Spencer Brasch, despite Brasch being listed ahead of Jones on the depth chart earlier in the week.
The former preferred walk-on and now scholarship player finished the game 20-38 for 211 yards and one touchdown. He also led the team in rushing with 59 yards on nine carries.
It was Jones’ versatility and ability to make plays scrambling out of the pocket that bolstered the Mustangs’ offense, directing a passing game that focused on quick hit passes using slant and curl routes.
One of those passes was a short curl to receiver Chris Coleman that turned into a 57-yard gain.
The offense also incorporated a nifty fake screen play where the receiver throwing the block slipped out into space behind the defense and got the Mustangs deep into Bulldog territory.
Unfortunately, that play and others didn’t lead to many scores.
Ultimately, the Mustangs got into the red zone four times but only converted on one of those appearances into a touchdown, a 9-yard pass from Jones to Bryson Allen with 11:54 to go in the second quarter.
The Mustangs’ lone scoring drive went 75 yards in nine plays and featured a 28-yard run by Shakobe Harper.
After that, three times close to the goal line, Baldwin opted to go for it on fourth down close, only to come up empty.
Defense records three sacks
On the defensive side, Cal Poly was able to step up and make some big plays to halt the Fresno State offense, particularly in the second quarter where they held the Bulldogs to 90 total yards.
The defense sacked Haener three times, with redshirt sophomore linebacker David Meyer, redshirt freshmen defensive linemen Michael Otterstedt, and redshirt sophomore defensive linemen Ethan Rodriguez each tallying one.
Linebacker Je’kob Jones led Cal Poly defensively with six tackles.
But with those highs came some lows for the defense.
Fresno State showed off its multitude of offensive weapons, from dynamic receiver Nikko Remigio to running back Jordan Mims. The Mustangs couldn’t commit to either taking away the passing or rushing game.
Remigio caught nine balls for 100 yards and got two carries on the ground for 26 yards and a touchdown. He eluded the Mustang defenders in the open field and made plays with the ball in his hands. Mims carried the ball 15 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
On the Mustangs’ side, junior receiver Bryson Allen caught six balls for 52 yards and a touchdown. Former Fresno State receiver Chris Coleman had three receptions for 74 yards. Junior running back Shakobe Harper got the brunt of the groundwork with 16 attempts. He was able to gain 38 yards.
Despite the score, the result was a dramatic improvement from last year, when Cal Poly was blown out by Fresno State 63-10 in a season in which the Bulldogs finished 10-2 and won a bowl game.
The solid performance against one of the best teams in the Mountain West Conference bodes well for a Cal Poly team looking to reverse last year’s 2-9 record.
Next week, the Mustangs return to Spanos Stadium for their home opener against the University of San Diego on Saturday, Sept. 10. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 12:13 AM.