Cal Poly football falls to UC Davis in annual rivalry game

Cal Poly football just couldn’t cut it against UC Davis on Saturday night, falling behind early and ultimately losing 17-59 in the annual Battle for the Golden Horseshoe.

The Aggies have won their last six matchups.

The Mustangs turned the ball over three times and couldn’t find room to run, ending with 69 net rushing yards on the day compared to the Aggies’ 257 rushing yards.

The defense also couldn’t slow down the Aggies offense as it made explosive plays time and time again, both in the air and in the run game.

The Aggies jumped out to an early lead scoring 21 points before the Mustangs got onto the board with 10:15 left in the second quarter with Quarterback Spencer Brasch connecting with receiver Giancarlo Woods for a 28-yard reception.

The defense recovered a UC Davis fumble, and receiver Chris Coleman scored on a six-yard catch on the subsequent drive to bring them within a score. Jaden Ohlsen kicked a field goal of his own to get the Mustangs to 17 points before halftime.

That’s as close as it got for the Mustangs as the Aggies scored another touchdown and a field goal heading into halftime with a 31-17 lead.

UC Davis scored three touchdowns in the second half to get them up to 59 points, including a pick-six with 9:59 left in the quarter.

First half woes hurt the Mustangs again who were forced to play behind from the opening minute.

The team showed their prowess in the passing game with 375 net passing yards. Brasch connected with multiple receivers for deep passes, but the offense slowed down late in the game, and the Mustangs couldn’t string a drive together.

Brasch returned under center for the match after only playing one drive in the previous week against Eastern Washington. He completed 28 passes on 47 attempts and had two touchdowns but also had three interceptions.

Receiver Chris Coleman finished with 10 receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown. He was a downfield target and got involved in screen passes as the receiver.

Tight end and Jerry Rice award nominee, Josh Cuevas, had four hauls for 53 yards including a nice one-handed grab.

Receiver Bryson Allen had a 57-yard catch.

On defense, David Meyer had 10 tackles and a forced fumble. Defensive linemen Elijiah Ponder added four tackles and a sack. Defensive back Donovan Saunders contributed an interception.

The Mustangs are the sole win-less team in the Big Sky with three games left in the season.

The team will travel to Missoula, Montana to play 11th-ranked FCS team Montana next Saturday at 5 p.m.