Cal Poly football overwhelmed by No. 25 Utah in 63-9 blowout

The scoreboard at Rice-Eccles Stadium left little doubt.

No. 25 Football Bowl Subdivision powerhouse Utah (2-0) rolled past Cal Poly (1-1) 63-9, flexing the size, speed and depth that come with being a nationally ranked FBS program.

And while the differences in funding and recruiting resources between the two teams was clear, Cal Poly put up fight to start, showing it could hold its own against Utah until minutes before halftime, when it became clear the Utes would take the win.

The Mustangs’ defense held strong early, but the Utes struck first within the opening minutes, finding a receiver uncovered on the outside for a 52-yard touchdown strike.

From there, Utah’s talent up front began to take over.

Without needing heavy blitzes, the Utes generated pressure that forced quarterback Ty Dieffenbach into an interception, which was returned for a pick-six.

Utah piled on three more touchdowns in the second quarter, while Cal Poly could only answer with a pair of field goals before going into the half down 35-6.

On offense, Dieffenbach’s receivers were all touching the ball, like he said they would. A lot of the pressure was on Michael Briscoe, who was Dieffenbach’s main target in the opener.

This time, Kian Salehi and Jordan Garrison saw more touches. Utah’s penalties gave the Mustangs opportunities to extend drives, but Cal Poly couldn’t capitalize, stalling short of the end zone each time.

Defensively, the Mustangs were active, finishing the first half with more total tackles than Utah. Linebacker Mikey D’Amato led the way, but much of that production came as the Utes steadily moved the ball downfield and controlled the pace.

Had the Mustangs been able to contain Utah’s explosive offense and avoid that pick-six from Dieffenbach, they would have had a chance to keep the game within reach heading into halftime.

But after the break, the gap only widened.

Cal Poly rotated through all three of its quarterbacks, yet none could find the end zone. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier only played one drive in the second half before being pulled, a sign of how firmly the Utes had control.

Utah, meanwhile, stayed sharp.

The Utes tacked on three more touchdowns in the third quarter, putting the game firmly out of reach.

The Mustangs didn’t add to their side of the scoreboard until the opening minutes of the fourth, when they converted a 51-yard field goal.

Utah’s talent and depth showed exactly why the Utes are nationally ranked.

By the end of the night, the Utes had racked up 518 total yards compared to Cal Poly’s 223, a statistical reflection of the gap on the field.

Why Cal Poly schedules a top FBS team like Utah

Cal Poly is still building toward a future of competing on a national scale, at least at the FCS level, but Saturday offered a glimpse even beyond that.

For the Mustangs, the road trip wasn’t about chasing an upset, but getting that exposure to what it’s like to face a top-ranked opponent.

Last season, Cal Poly won only three games, so a question arose as to why they scheduled a team like Utah so early in the season.

Head Coach Paul Wulff says that’s exactly why the Mustangs include games like this: to expose his players to an elite level of competition, to learn what it takes to play closer to the level they want to be at and carry this experience back into Big Sky play.

However, being a mid-major FCS program, Cal Poly doesn’t have access to the same level of resources that fuel nationally ranked powerhouse schools — from expansive training facilities and support staff to the booming world of NIL.

At high-profile programs, players can secure lucrative deals worth hundreds of thousands, even millions, while Cal Poly athletes operate on a far smaller scale.

That gap extends to infrastructure. While the Utes already train inside elite, multimillion-dollar facilities in Spence and Cleone Eccles Football Center, the Mustangs are still waiting on theirs.

The John Madden Football Center, a long-anticipated project named after the legendary Cal Poly alumnus and NFL Hall-of-Fame coach and broadcaster, won’t open until after this season.

The center will accommodate Cal Poly’s training and regular-season needs while serving as a key tool in recruiting top talent.

Now the Mustangs turn the page to their home opener, hosting Western Oregon on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Spanos Stadium. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m., with the game streaming live on ESPN+.