Cal Poly secures first Big Sky win, 28-7 over floundering Northern Colorado

Cal Poly’s running game has struggled to open the season, but not on Saturday when it led the way in a 28-7 win over Northern Colorado to open Big Sky Conference play.

A combination of strong performances on the ground added up to 290 yards rushing, more than triple the Mustangs’ season total up to that point. Along with 202 yards through the air from three different quarterbacks, the offense put up nearly 500 yards for the game.

Leading the way, running back Aiden Ramos had his best game of the season, racking up 23 rushes for 120 yards, regularly gashing the Bears’ defense for solid gains.

Zion Hall added 15 rushes for 77 yards. And quarterback Jaden Jones added another 74 on four attempts, including a touchdown.

Jones got into the game early, when he came in for starter Bo Kelly in the first quarter. The last time Jones saw extended time under center was in 2022, when he was the Week 1 starter under former head coach Beau Baldwin.

In addition to his running, Jones was 7-14 for 189 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The Mustangs also saw transfer quarterback Richie Watts take snaps under center. Watts had two touchdowns, one with his legs and one with his arm.

When asked about the quarterback situation during the bye week, Head Coach Paul Wulff said Kelly has been improving, but recognized the team has other quarterbacks that could contribute.

“All those guys are still practicing and battling, and we see how things go,” Wulff said. “It’s a work in progress to be honest. They’re improving and they’re growing.”

Mustangs score first on big play

Jones got the Mustangs on the board first with a quick strike in the first quarter when he connected with receiver Michael Briscoe on a 95-yard catch-and-run over the middle.

At the end of the first quarter, he followed that up with a 53-yard run for a touchdown.

The game’s next score came in the third quarter when Bears quarterback Kia’i Keone ran in a touchdown on the ground after Northern Colorado blocked a Cal Poly punt.

That was the only score the defense allowed. In total, the defense held the Bears to 213 total yards and caused one fumble.

While the Mustangs dominated on paper, the Bears kept the game tighter than it might have been thanks to the blocked punt and an interception on a Jones pass when he tried to throw it past an approach defensive player who snagged the ball out of the air.

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Costly mistakes against better teams in the Big Sky will result in more damaging consequences than against Northern Colorado, which hasn’t won a game since 2022.

After the Bears narrowed the score to 14-7, Cal Poly immediately responded when Jones hit Giancarlo Woods on a 47-yard bomb that set up the Mustangs on the Northern Colorado 24-yard line.

Five plays later, Watts punched it in from 2 yards out on a quarterback keeper, to push the score to 21-7.

Cal Poly found the end zone once more in the fourth quarter on a long drive that started from the Mustang 6 after the defense got a stop on downs. The ensuing drive ate up nearly 8 minutes before Watts hit Evan Burkhart for a 5-yard touchdown.

Cal Poly receiver says team has talent

After practice on Tuesday, Briscoe, who’s been with Cal Poly for five seasons, said its “clear as day” the talent the team has but it’s a matter of “minimizing those mistakes” in order to be successful.

“We have the talent to compete against the best in the nation,” Briscoe said. “You’ve seen the first half against Stanford. We had them in the first half.”

He added that the team needs to improve its discipline and “really just believe in it.”

“You see missed opportunities,” Briscoe said. “I hate to say, but it’s the truth. We could come out against anybody and compete.”

Next week, the Mustangs continue Big Sky play at home against Idaho State.