Cal Poly football drops sixth straight game in loss to Northern Arizona

Cal Poly fell to Northern Arizona in its last road game on Saturday, 35-27.

It’s no surprise that Cal Poly is out of the postseason conversations after not seeing the win column since September, despite the flashes of potential the team showed at the beginning of the season. ​ Both teams came into the game with contrasting realities. For NAU, the pressure was higher. A win would strengthen its push for a playoff bid. Cal Poly, meanwhile, had a chance to get in the way of that and find the momentum that was missing all of October. ​ The Lumberjacks struck first on their opening drive, a familiar theme for a Cal Poly team that has played from behind most of the season. Still, the Mustangs didn’t fold. They matched NAU’s energy through the first half and kept the game close deep into the fourth quarter. ​ ​With under 90 seconds left in the half and tied 7 apiece, the game turned chaotic. Three touchdowns hit the scoreboard in that span. NAU started it with a 2-yard touchdown reception, but Cal Poly answered immediately with a special-teams spark from Trey Wilson, with a 67-yard return to set up a field goal.

NAU struck right back with a 75-yard touchdown, and with just three seconds left, backup quarterback Anthony Grigsby Jr. heaved a 57-yard Hail Mary to Fidel Pitts to close the half, trailing 22-17.

The third quarter belonged to NAU, which stretched the lead to 12. Meanwhile, Cal Poly managed only a field goal. Grigsby’s short rushing touchdown early in the fourth kept the Mustangs alive, but each time they closed the gap, NAU had an answer.

The final moments came down to execution. A touchdown and a two-point conversion were all that stood between Cal Poly and overtime. Find the end zone, finish the try and the game would be alive. It was all still on the table.

The Mustangs had two separate drives to make it happen, but both stalled on fourth down. An interception on the first chance and an incomplete pass on the second sealed it, leaving the Mustangs just short of the comeback they were chasing.

Cal Poly once again leaned on its two-quarterback rotation. And unlike earlier games when it was mostly Bo Kelly and Ty Dieffenbach, this time it was Dieffenbach and Grigsby sharing the load.

The last time Grigsby made an appearance was in the fourth game of the season against Western Oregon. Since then, he’s been sidelined. He suffered a toe injury early in the season.

Both Dieffenbach and Grigsby threw a touchdown, but the pair also combined for three interceptions — two coming from Dieffenbach. Pitts became the Mustangs’ most explosive option, finishing with 138 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including that 57-yard Hail Mary from Grigsby.

The Mustangs will get one final opportunity to put together a complete performance next week at home against Eastern Washington in their final game of the season.