Nick Dzubnar (right) here with his brother Colin, is officially a member of the San Diego Chargers. By Owen Main

After offseason mini-camp and an impressive training camp, undrafted free-agent Nick Dzubnar has made the 53-man roster for the Chargers. Dzubnar, a starting linebacker at Cal Poly for the past three seasons, was a tackling machine in San Luis Obispo. Dzubnar tallied 414 tackles in his Cal Poly career, including a single-season record 167 tackles in 2015.

Dzubnar’s ability to pick up the Chargers’ system and his nose for the ball reportedly contributed to his success throughout preseason. We’ll try to get in touch with him, though I’m sure we aren’t the only ones. He’s an NFL player now, and a great story as an undrafted free agent.

To my San Diego friends — you got a good one.

Nick Dzubnar returns an interception at Sacramento State last season. By Owen Main

Nick Dzubnar is really good at finding and tackling people. Those of us in San Luis Obispo know it. The Big Sky Conference has found out about it over the past few years. Now, the San Diego Chargers are starting to find out that Dzubnar’s nose for the ball might be something worth holding onto.

While the Chargers have something of a glut of linebackers, including former Notre Dame star Manti Te’o, the team and fans have been pleased with what they’ve seen from Dzubnar.

Last night, he led the Chargers with seven tackles, five solo, and a sack.

This ESPN.com write-up of last night’s game calls Dzubnar “a surprise performer who looks amazing.”

SDBoltReport.com projected Dzubnar making the team as the final rostered player way back in June.

Dzubnar was part of a Cal Poly defense who came up with big stop after big stop en route to a Big Sky Conference title and FCS playoff berth three seasons ago. The linebacking corps of Dzubnar, Cameron Ontko, and Johnny Millard two seasons ago was one of the most underrated around.

The Mustangs have had other linebackers too over the past few seasons — Kenneth Jackson comes to mind.

There is still a big question as to whether or not Dzubnar will make the Chargers team, but for at least a night, the NFL had the “Sasquach” unleashed. We’re all better for it.

Dzubnar had a good night last night. http://t.co/I4WnEzxtbj via @sharethis

— fansmanship (@fansmanship) August 24, 2015

Nick Dzubnar finished second in the nation in total tackles during the regular season. By Owen Main

Cal Poly football finished their 2014 campaign at 7-5 and was one win away from a playoff berth. There were so many “what-if’s” that Cal Poly fans could point to that make the playoff near-miss agonizing.

Three mini seasons:

Act 1:

The team is still trying to figure out what to do after that their star running back, starting wide receiver, and two defensive backs who had figured into the rotation are arrested. They have a flat performance at New Mexico State, get their butts kicked at South Dakota State, beat Portland State at home, and lose a close game at Northern Arizona. By the end of the fourth game, the Mustangs are 1-3. Fans can see their offense as something that is improving, but defense remains a huge question.

Act 2:

After the Northern Arizona game, most Cal Poly fans have all but written-off the playoffs. But the team is just hitting their stride. They reel-off three consecutive wins (two on the road) to put themselves back into contention. Big wins at home against Montana and Montana State on back to back weeks vault the Mustangs into the top-25. The Mustangs’ offense looks like it can’t be stopped. Their defense is actually starting to get off the field on third down.

A fan who chooses to think positively about this season will remember Act 2 — five consecutive Big Sky Conference victories is a solid feat. To get there, though, junior quarterback Chris Brown has an ungodly number of rushing attempts and, while the defense looks better, there are a few breaks that go the Mustangs’ way.

Act 3:

So, to make the playoffs, all Cal Poly has to do is probably win two of their final three games. Winning all three is absolutely an attainable goal, given that Idaho State was new to success, UC Davis hadn’t won a game against a Division I team all season, and San Diego is a team the Mustangs have easily handled the past two years.

Instead, the wheels started to fall off. All of Brown’s carries (along with the hard turf and physical defense) finally caught-up with him in Pocatello. Idaho State came with a great game-plan and Cal Poly had no counter. Even with the loss to Idaho State, the playoffs were still squarely in Cal Poly’s sights, until UC Davis came to town. In the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe, Cal Poly was physically outmatched again by UC Davis’ zone-blocking game for running back Gabe Manzanares. The loss to Davis was the first home loss of the season for Cal Poly and the only Division I win Davis got all season. Without numerous injured players, Cal Poly managed to totally dominate San Diego in the final game of the season, but it was too little, too late.

Recap:

Montana and Montana State are both hosting playoff games this year (vs. San Diego and South Dakota State, respectively). Cal Poly played all four of those teams this year and beat three of them. But the Mustangs lost to one of the worst teams in FBS, lost to their rival UC Davis during one of that school’s worst seasons, and only managed a 7-5 record. In college football — even when there is a playoff system — the margin for error isn’t that large, and this year’s Mustangs didn’t get into the playoffs.

The depth chart

Prior to the season, when Tim Walsh still thought he’d have his full compliment of players, he talked about taking some of the workload off his quarterbacks to keep them healthier than 2013, when at least five quarterbacks took some snaps in games.

When Kristaan Ivory and Cam Akins were suspended, Walsh no longer had the luxury to pick and choose. With Brown as the leading rusher, Cal Poly’s offense was still the top-ranked rushing offense in the nation. Cal Poly wasn’t quite as diverse, though. Brown, who is absolutely the most explosive rusher on the team, rushed the ball 89 times in three weeks, culminating with a 39-attempt performance at Idaho State in a game Cal Poly lost.

The question for me is always the true opportunity cost of getting the ball out of Brown’s hands and into the belly of Joe Protheroe and Lance Mudd more often. Cal Poly doesn’t like to give the ball to young players with the game on the line. With less depth than they expected, Mudd and Protheroe combined for six carries in the pivotal Idaho State loss.

To be clear, I don’t think I’m second guessing the coaching decision or even Brown’s decision to keep it on option plays. Without his courageous play, Cal Poly would never have had the chance to be a playoff contender. The real point I’m trying to make is that at some point in a football season — at any level — depth will catch up with you.

Chris Brown had a record-setting season at quarterback for Cal Poly. By Owen Main

Chris Brown

The notes on Chris Brown are really amazing to me. I’m not sure people realize the historic numbers he put up.

The junior quarterback rushed for 1,265 yards — obliterating the previous rushing record for a Cal Poly quarterback and setting a new Big Sky Conference record in the process. The old rushing record for a quarterback was 1,060. Brown finished first in the conference in scoring, second in rushing, and third in passing efficiency.

Brown was named third-team all-conference and

In the end, his 249 rushes might have been the biggest number. To put it into perspective, the leaders in rushes on the team the past two years carried the ball 172 times and 231 times respectively. Kristaan Ivory, who was first and second in carries over the past two seasons, had 281 total rushes.

Brown was a horse. Cal Poly saw what he could do and couldn’t help but to run him into the ground. Look for Brown to be a player other teams really key on next season.

Senior Leadership

Seniors on this year’s team acquitted themselves quite well. At linebacker, Nick Dzubnar set a school record for tackles and Cameron Ontko had 107 tackles for  the second straight season. Defensive tackle Chris Lawrence stepped out of the shadow of Sullivan Grosz and battled through injuries all season.

On offense, Brandon Howe became a dependable and steady triple-option fullback and Kenny Mitchell took advantage of his opportunity to play, providing key blocks and getting into the end zone on key passing plays throughout the season. Chris Nicholls played through some injuries and broke-off some big plays. Cal Poly’s offense was at its best and most-balanced when Nicholls was in the lineup this year.

In a season that started with so much tumult, the dialogue around the program developed into a real football conversation and fans were focused on the on-field product by the end of the season, which is perhaps the best compliment you can pay to this senior group.

Lance Mudd (25) along with Joe Protheroe and Alex Suchesk figure to get more carries next season. By Owen Main

The youngsters

I said earlier that Cal Poly doesn’t usually like playing true freshmen. Most of the key contributors on their roster redshirted their freshman year. They generally stayed true to that pattern this season, with the exception of Lance Mudd. Next year, they’ll have to depend on a stable of young backs. Thousand-yard rusher Kori Garcia will be a junior, but Mudd (sophomore) Joe Protheroe (sophomore), and Alex Suschek figure to get their share of carries.

After losing three all-conference linebackers over the past two years, next year’s linebacking corps will be somewhat inexperienced, if not young. Look for that to be a big area of focus come spring practice.

Final analysis

Overall, this season gets something like a B-, which is an improvement from last year, which was probably more like a C+. Cal Poly had two chances in the last three games to win a very winnable game and get into the playoffs. For some, this can leave a really bitter taste.

I’m not going to tell anyone to be satisfied with the way the season turned out, but all things considered, this season started 1-3 with five arrests and ended 7-5 with a record-breaking quarterback performance, a late chance at the playoffs, and some kind of bright outlook for the future. Cal Poly fans might not be satisfied, but the program is still together and next season is definitely something they can look forward to.

Five weeks ago, nobody was sure where this Cal Poly football team was headed. One thing was for sure, it wasn’t this way. The Mustangs had just lost their conference opener to Northern Arizona. They were 1-3 overall, just keeping their collective heads above water.

You would never have known about the Mustangs early struggles watching them beat Montana State 35-27 in their 2014 homecoming game at Alex G. Spanos Stadium on Saturday night.

Now, the Mustangs sit in a first-place tie with Eastern Washington at 5-1 in Big Sky play after defeating sixth-ranked Montana and eighth-ranked Montana State in back-to-back weeks. Now, Cal Poly has put itself in a position to control their own playoff destiny — three wins would almost certainly put them in a prime playoff position.

The High Step

Let’s get this out of the way first — the eight point win could have been more. Late in the second quarter, with the score tied at 14, Cal Poly drove the length of the field. On fourth and three from the 12 yard line, Kori Garcia took a pitch wide left and high-stepped into the end zone. Garcia was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Instead of a 21-14 Cal Poly lead, Garcia’s gaffe cost the Mustangs 15 yards. Tim Walsh was not  happy on the sidelines, and on the ensuing play Cal Poly failed to gain the first down on fourth and eight. Montana State took over.

As is prone to happen in situations like this, the Bobcats drove the length of the field in just a few minutes and kicked a field goal to go up 17-14 at halftime. It was a 10-point switch.

Triple Option Dominance

Hey, all you triple-option haters. I’m talking to you here. Cal Poly has put up 480-plus yards for seven consecutive weeks. SEVEN. The Mustangs have lost three offensive linemen during that time, but it hasn’t seemed to matter. They are 6-1 over that stretch, their quarterback is the conference’s second-leading rusher, and they might still be getting better.

This team has found its stride without their top running back and wide receiver, who were both arrested before the season started.

To put it simply, the triple option has been as effective as any offense out there. Along with the players recruited to run it, the offense gives Cal Poly a chance to win every week against any team in the Big Sky Conference.

Prukop is fast

Cal Poly’s Chris Brown is the second-leading rusher in the Big Sky Conference. Dakota Prukop might be every bit as elusive. Montana State’s slippery quarterback rushed for a game-high 129 yards on 19 carries on Saturday.

Prukop beat the Mustangs passing as well, throwing for 167 yards. Montana State was in striking distance of the end zone in the final minutes, but Prukop threw an interception to Karlton Dennis — Dennis’ third of the season. It was the game’s only turnover for either team, and Cal Poly ran out the clock. Despite the turnover, Prukop looks like he’ll be giving other teams headaches all season.

Michaels and Mudd take advantage

Kori Garcia, Chris Brown, and Brandon Howe were the only Mustangs who had multiple carries on the night, but Brent Michaels and Lance Mudd each took advantage of the one carry they got. Mudd went for 19 yards on his only rush and Michaels’ one rush was for 47 yards as part of a two-play, 71-yard drive the Mustangs managed in the third quarter that gave them the lead back at 28-24.

Hold onto the ball

Cal Poly held onto the ball to win both the turnover and time of possession battle in this one. The Mustangs committed zero turnovers. Montana State committed just one, but it was a big one that basically iced the game for Cal Poly.

Time of possession also played a crucial role. Cal Poly held the ball for 34:23 against Montana State’s 25:37. The final Mustang drive took 8:10 off the fourth quarter clock. The Mustangs covered 79 yards in 17 plays. The winning drive also included two fourth-down conversions by the Mustangs, who have made a habit out of attempting — and mostly succeeding — on fourth down.

Brothers Colin and Nick Dzubnar celebrate Cal Poly’s homecoming win over Montana State. By Owen Main

Dzubnar back in double-figures

Nick Dzubnar, the nation’s leading tackler, was back in double-figures with 18 on Saturday night. Dzubar did not reach ten tackles last week against Montana for the first time all season. The Buck Buchanon Award nominee was back on-track on Saturday.

Homecoming crowd was loud

The homecoming crowd was loud and into the game, but Alex G. Spanos Stadium was far from full. The attendance baffles me other than to think that lots of students were trying to get stuff done on Saturday night in order to attend the Blue/Green soccer match tomorrow night.

The crowd that did make it to the game did a good job of being loud, including the Montana State road fans who were well-represented.

Still, the turnout was a little disappointing given all that this game meant for Cal Poly’s conference and playoff hopes. If the Mustangs can get a win in Pocatello next week, I think I would expect a sellout for the Horseshoe Game against UC Davis in a few weeks.

Can they get ranked?

After beating the sixth-ranked team a week ago, Cal Poly was the “26th” team in the top-25 last week. This week, the Mustangs should move into the top-25 for the first time all season. For me, the real question is where they’ll be placed. After beating both Montana teams, will the Mustangs skyrocket into the top 10 or 12? Will they be ranked higher than either Montana team they just beat? How high other coaches and poll voters place them will say a lot about how legitimate they believe the Mustangs are.

At this point, they are as dangerous as any other team in the top 15. In a matter of hours, we’ll know whether anyone outside of San Luis Obispo also thinks so.

**Update – Cal Poly was ranked 21st in The Sports Network poll and 23rd in the coaches poll. A win on the road at Idaho State won’t be easy. Nothing has been this year. Maybe Cal Poly fans like it that way.

Photos by Owen Main

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Nick Dzubnar gets to go first, simply because of his description of the “Sasquatch” — the celebration for which he was awarded an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Saturday night. Going through my photos and having been in that corner of the field when it all went down, it was really clear how quickly Dzubnar’s face changed when he saw he’d been flagged.

I’ve never seen a guy go from absolute joy to kind of stoic/angry that quickly. You could tell he was really disappointed in the penalty — it was the first thing he mentions in the conversation. He seems to have gotten past it in the interview though.

Tim Walsh also seems pretty upbeat. As he said, the win this past weekend makes next weekend relevant.

Nick Dzubnar and company made the right plays at the right times on Saturday against Weber State. Photo by Owen Main

On Saturday, Cal Poly beat Weber State 30-24 on the road, improving their conference record to 2-1 and their overall record to 3-3. The Mustangs didn’t pile-up gaudy numbers, but they made some plays when it counted and overcame some questionable calls to earn the road victory.

The game featured a lot of really fun talking points, including the fact that Chris Brown rushed for, passed for, and caught a touchdown pass. Kori Garcia and Brown each caught a touchdown from the other, and Nick Dzubnar had another double-digit tackle game. Importantly, the Mustangs again won the turnover battle.

So, what did we learn from last week’s game?

There is no such thing as an easy road win

Let me be clear, no road win in the Big Sky is an easy win. Cal Poly beat the Wildcats 49-0 last season at Spanos, but Weber State had two weeks to prepare for the Mustangs and were ready for the triple option. Cal Poly had a really tough time getting wide. Kori Garcia — one of the usual pitch-men — was held to 14 yards and seven carries. The Mustangs netted 289 yards rushing, but no rusher for Cal Poly went over 100 yards in the game.

Weber State contained and tackled very well, making Chris Brown and Brandon Howe shoulder most of the offensive load. Brown and Howe did enough, carrying the ball a combined 50 times for 177 yards. Neither Brown nor Howe averaged even four yards per carry.

Pounding the football has been good

Howe has become a real staple of the Cal Poly offense, and rightfully so. The one thing I think I know about the triple option offense is that, to be effective, one must pound the ball with the fullback — whether or not it results in a big play. Establishing the fullback over the past few weeks is what led to Cal Poly being forced into using some trickeration on Saturday.

A reverse and halfback pass back to the quarterback were really key plays on Saturday, but none of it is possible unless Cal Poly establishes their fullback and option game. Howe rushed the ball 28 times against Southern Utah and 23 times this past Saturday. Without Saga Tuitele’s willingness to create a constant battle up the middle, the “trick plays” Cal Poly used would not have been as effective.

Since Weber State was selling out to stop the triple option, Cal Poly’s trick-play responses simple and effective.

Anybody still want to question the playcalling?

Speaking of Saga, the guy was taking a lot of heat after the first few games. Picture the situation though:

Cal Poly started the season with two of their best playmakers unavailable. Guys who were untested were thrown head-first into the mix, and for at least a few weeks, the play-calling seemed designed to match the experience level of the players. Kori Garcia, Howe, Lance Mudd, Joe Prothroe, and Kenny Mitchell were all brought along kind of slowly. So were all the players on the offensive line and receivers like Jordan Hines and Roland Jackson.

As the season has gone on, comfort levels have obviously gone up. Coaches have a better idea of their players’ strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, I think, GUYS GET BETTER.

Here’s my mini-rant: One of the things I like best about college sports is that PLAYERS GET BETTER over the course of a year or from one year to the next. Chris Brown is a lot better now than he was at the beginning of the season. Brandon Howe is more comfortable. Offensive linemen understand schemes and have gelled. Defenses have been through battles together.

Coaches get better too. Especially at the FCS level, it’s important to think about a head coach or assistant’s performance as dynamic, not stagnant. Some criticized Saga after the first few games, but I think praise is due right now. He’s done a really nice job making adjustments, even when other teams are doing a great job stopping first, second, and third options. The Mustangs have now scored 30 or more points in the last four games (during which time they’ve gone 3-1). That’s 2/3 of their season until now. The Mustangs are averaging over 37 points per game over the past four games. Throughout the whole season, their average is up to 29.5.

Here are the three Brown touchdowns:

And here are all the highlights from the game in Ogden, Utah:

Special teams glitch

Cal Poly’s special teams had been very solid over the first five games, despite injuries to kickers. On Saturday, it was shaky at-best. Weber State ran a kickoff back for a touchdown and Cal Poly missed a PAT. The kickoff return for a touchdown could have been especially debilitating. It’s not too often that you win a game you didn’t completely dominate, on the road, where you gave up a kick return touchdown.

Halfway through the season, with a lot of really tough games ahead of them, I wonder if Cal Poly can withstand any more huge special teams blunders. Their margin of error isn’t large, so the answer is probably that they cannot.

This team is still getting better

OK, you saw my rant earlier, but it’s a point to make. Unlike a pro team that you might be able to write-off, most Cal Poly teams do tend to evolve over the course of the season. Guys execute better. Defenses get more dynamic and sharp. Coaches make better play calls. Freshmen evolve and become seasoned, and a junior quarterback continues to establish himself.

Contrary to the belief of some naysayers, this is a team whose season is not completely trashed after a shaky 1-3 start. Myriad outcomes for this season are right in front of them, especially in the form of the next three weeks. On Saturday, they go to Sacramento State to try to avenge a loss to the Hornets two years ago. After that, Montana and Montana State come to Spanos on back-to-back weekends.

If Cal Poly can win on the road in Sacramento and go into the Montana games with three straight W’s under their belt, fans in San Luis Obispo will take their chances against two of the best teams in FCS. If you are a Mustang fan, you have to be happy that this team has kept themselves relevant after a shaky start to the season. Starting on Saturday, we can find out if the Mustangs are a true contender or if they’ve been playing over their heads for the past few weeks, and the margin between the two is thin. They’ve fought hard to give themselves a real chance, but for Cal Poly, it’s now or never — continue to evolve or fade into mediocrity.

How do you think Saturday will go? How will the Mustags fare? Comment below.

Coming into Saturday’s game with Southern Utah, Cal Poly probably expected a pretty close game. The second half didn’t disappoint, as Cal Poly racked-up 593 yards of total offense en route to a close 42-39 Big Sky Conference victory at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.

Joe Prothroe rushes up the middle for Cal Poly early in Saturday night’s game. By Owen Main

For a quarter, it didn’t look like the game would be close. Cal Poly jumped out to a fast 21-0 lead in the first quarter, taking advantage of a SUU fumble and using a balanced offensive attack. But the Thunderbirds figured things out in the second quarter and outscored the Mustangs 17-0 to cut the lead to 21-17 going into halftime.

The first four possessions of the second half resulted in lead-changing touchdowns before Southern Utah kicker Trevor McGirr missed a 38 yard field-goal attempt with 13:43 remaining in the fourth quarter. The field goal would have tied the game.

Instead, the Mustangs scored two minutes and six seconds later to make it a two possession game. After four conscutive scoreless possessions (two for each team), Cal Poly shook-off a late Thunderbird touchdown and iced the game with a 3:00-plus drive. Chris Brown took a knee from the SUU nine yard-line to end the game.

Turnovers once again played a huge part on Saturday. Southern Utah fumbled on their opening possession and Jordan Williams picked-off SUU quarterback, Ammon Olsen in the fourth quarter. Cal Poly did not turn the ball over.

Judge is back

Chris Judge, who has been plagued by all kinds of injuries over the past year and a half, made his presence felt on Saturday. Despite the defense giving up a lot of points and yards, it seems as though Cal Poly is getting a little more aggressive, especially as they attack a passing quarterback.

SUU’s Olsen was sacked three times, which doesn’t seem like a lot. But Cal Poly’s defense has been more about coverage over the past few years and the big plays by pass rushers were a welcome sight for fans who yearn for the days of Chris Gocong and Kyle Shotwell and double-digit sack numbers in games.

Up the middle

Cal Poly seems to have committed to running the ball up the gut with the fullback, and it seems to be working. Brandon Howe led the team with 28 rushes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Brent Michaels added a pair of rushes for 12 yards and a score and Joe Prothroe rushed four times for 19 yards. In all, fullbacks rushed the ball 34 times and amassed 164 yards.

I’ll continue to beat the “give it to the fullback” drum here until said drum develops a hole. One thing that was nice about the rushing attack of Cal Poly in the first half was that Chris Brown did not rush the ball in the first quarter.

When in doubt, punt

Elias Stokes, a sophomore slotback for Cal Poly from Paso Robles, seems to have taken the punting duties away from Chris Nicholls. Nicholls replaced Stephen Pyle as the punter and, while Kyle Schottenfeld (field goals) and James Foug (kickoffs) have handled the placekicking duties, Stokes seems to be the punter for now. On Saturday, he averaged 37.2 yards and five attempts.

 Crazy numbers

The numbers from this game were pretty insane.

Brown went 5-5 passing in the first quarter with two touchdowns and zero rushing attempts. Brown only had four rushing attempts and was 9-11 for 95 yards passing for the entire first half.

A tight end for Cal Poly (Austin Albison) caught a touchdown pass. If you’ve been around Cal Poly since their move to Division I, you’ll know that that this is kind of a big deal.

Cal Poly had two players (Howe and Brown) with 100-plus yards rushing (133 and 112 respectively), and Kori Garcia netted 97 yards on 16 carries. Overall, Cal Poly gained 457 yards rushing.

Six different Mustangs caught passes on the night.

For the game, teams scored on half the total possessions and 12/22 possessions that didn’t end with the clock running out in the second or fourth quarter.

If Cal Poly had tried for a touchdown on their final possession, they would not only have been playing dumb football and have been bad sports, but they could have eclipsed the 600 total yard mark. Instead, they ended with the ball on the 11 yard line after a kneel-down and 593 total yards.

Cal Poly racked-up 97 plays on offense. If not for a triple-overtime game in the past, that would have been at least threatening the record.

Southern Utah gained 504 total yards of offense themselves.

Cal Poly controlled the ball and time of possession was wildly in the Mustangs’ favor: 38:28 to 21:42 for SUU. It didn’t stop the Thunderbirds from almost coming out of Spanos with a victory.

Upcoming

Cal Poly (2-3, 1-1) now hits the road for two weeks. First, they’ll go to Weber State for a game next Saturday before heading to the state capitol to take on the Sacramento State Hornets in two weeks.

Photos by Owen Main (To view on an iPhone or iPad or to browse/buy photos, click here)

Linebacker Nick Dzubnar will lead Cal Poly’s defense on Thursday night. By Owen Main

Tomorrow night, Cal Poly will play their opener at New Mexico State. After player a pair of games last season against FBS schools, the Aggies will be the only FBS opponent for the Mustangs this year.

This would have been a great no-pressure opportunity to upset an FBS team for the second time in three years. An FBS win could have been a great way to start a season in which Cal Poly has a less-brutal schedule than last year or next. With some improvements from key players, Cal Poly fans have high hopes for this season.

That said, this game has become important for another reason. With a good performance, Thursday night could be the start to a healing process between the team and its fans. If Cal Poly looks overmatched, distracted, or just not together on Thursday, the game could mean the beginning of a very long, tough season.

While I don’t know anything about New Mexico State, here are a few things to look for from Cal Poly as the teams prep for Thursday’s big game.

Chris Brown is running the show

For the beginning of this game, at least, Chris Brown will be under center for Cal Poly’s triple option. Brown had a number of exciting games last season. Against Fresno State, Brown came in for Vince Moraga and rushed for a few touchdowns. Brown struggled against Yale and Colorado State, but played well against Northern Colorado and put up a record-breaking game in the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe, rushing for almost 200 yards.

Sophomore slotback Kori Garcia will be one of the Mustangs getting a big chance this season. By Owen Main

Next man up

With five players suspended indefinitely, Cal Poly will have to rely on some greenhorns at key positions. Particularly interesting could be the play of true freshmen Alex Suchesk and Lance Mudd behind Kori Garcia and Kenny Mitchell at slot back. Both Suchesk and Mudd have enticing speed and breakaway ability, but freshmen and guys without a ton of game experience are prone to make mistakes.

These mistakes could be things that we don’t see — a missed back-end block that doesn’t end up making a difference. It could also be something obvious and meaningful. A fumble. A missed block that leads to a sack. A wrong cut on a pass route.

I won’t say that any of those things will happen on Thursday, rather that they are possible.

The offensive line is also not the most experienced group. They’ll have a chance to prove themselves on Thursday.

With inexperienced players, a fan has to take the good with the bad. More good than bad probably gives Cal Poly a good chance to win.

Can the defense stay dominant?

Last season, Cal Poly’s defense was nothing short of special. Sullivan Grosz and Johnny Millard are gone, but Nick Dzubnar and Cameron Ontko are big-time playmakers. Tim Walsh’s bend-but-don’t-break defense never really had a great chance to prove itself in the FBS games last year because of special teams miscues.

Two of the five suspended Mustangs were defensive backs, so it’s possible the Mustang secondary could be challenged by any kind of solid Aggie passing attack. The defense may have to take a few more chances than normal if the Aggies move the ball consistently. All that said,  Cal Poly will not lose this game because of their defense.

Special Teams improvement?

Cal Poly’s special teams last year was not good. If they had made a pair of routine plays, the Mustangs would have probably made the playoffs.

Walsh has had his team focused on special teams early and often in practices during camp. Junior kicker Stephen Pyle will handle both punting and placekicking duties. As a placekicker, it remains to be seen whether Pyle can be as reliable as Bobby Zalud.

For a long time, Walsh has talked about scoring touchdowns, not field goals. His theory will be tested this year.

A fast start will be important

Against FBS schools last year, the Mustangs’ early mistakes — especially on special teams — overshadowed decent overall play. Additional play-makers would have helped in both of those games. The Mustangs are down at least one big play-maker, but others will get the chance to show their mettle.

If Cal Poly can get an early lead and hang-in to the second half, their triple option might be able to salt the game away. If the Mustangs are going to get a win, they’ll need a few heroes. It’s just a matter, now, of figuring out who.

Opening Day. The excitement. The pageantry.

The unknown.

After Saturday, the Cal Poly football team and their triple option offense could either be rolling downhill with momentum toward a second consecutive FCS playoff birth, or have their playoff train careening off the tracks just as they leave the station.

Their opening game opponent, San Diego, may be an improved team compared with the team they fielded in last year’s opener, when they hung with Cal Poly for about three quarters. Because of that, Cal Poly may be in for a closer game than the blowout that last year’s opener turned out to be. Here are five things to watch for if you’re a Cal Poly fan:

Junior Vince Moraga (15) will be leading Cal Poly’s triple option on Saturday. By Owen Main

Quarterback Play

OK, the quarterback situation is settled – for now. Junior Vince Moraga is starting, and it was probably the right move. Still, after multiple years of solid play from last year’s senior, Andre Broadous, Moraga has big shoes to fill. If Mustang fans expect Moraga to come out and run the offense with the same targeted efficiency as Broadous right away, they’ll be left wanting.

Moraga will develop his own style and play his own game — and it might take a few series, or a few quarters, for fans to get used to the pace of the Vince Moraga-led triple option.

Expect Moraga to make the safe call most of the time, not turn the ball over, and keep the offense moving progressively. Unlike Broadous, who was a dynamic load to tackle, Moraga will be more like a point guard in basketball — working to get the ball to his other skill players in space. A scrum-half in rugby might be another apt comparison, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Moraga is experienced and head coach Tim Walsh is depending on him to make the right read every time in order to keep Cal Poly’s triple-option offensive machinery running smoothly.

Defensive Secondary

The defensive secondary lost only Nico Molino from last season’s group. Molino led FCS in interceptions at one point early last season, so his loss will definitely be felt. That being said, cornerback might be the Mustangs’ deepest position. Vante Smith-Johnson joins Bijon Simoodi to make a pair of cornerbacks with starting experience. The cornerback position is so deep, in fact, that New Mexico State transfer Dominique Love (brother of Cal Poly basketball player Maliik Love) wasn’t even listed on the depth chart as of Thursday night.

Last year, safeties Dave Douglas and Alex Hubbard impressed me a lot in how well they were able to tackle and support the linebackers in the run game. They’ll have to do just as well in pass coverage this year in the pass-happy Big Sky.

The Big Sky Conference is known for teams that can throw the ball successfully. To control the ball, the clock, and the game, Cal Poly will have to defend the pass more than anything. Big plays (or lack thereof) in the defensive secondary are something a team trying to make the playoffs may desperately need.

SagaTuitele (left) is now the sole offensive coordinator for the Mustangs. Tuitele returns for his fifth season. Cal Poly has three new coaches on their staff in 2013. By Owen Main

Who’s toting the rock?

Between Deonte Williams, Kristaan Ivory, Andre Broadous and Akaninyene Umoh, Cal Poly had a generally balanced rushing attack a year ago.

Ivory and Umoh return this season, but it will be of interest to see if Moraga can put up big rushing numbers a’la Broadous. Broadous didn’t pile up ridiculously huge rushing numbers, but was always a threat at the goal line. With a much smaller build, look for Moraga to be much more willing to hand the ball off inside the opponents’ five yard-line.

I would expect Ivory and Umoh to probably carry the ball at least 40 times between the two of them. Cole Stanford, who rushed the ball only 38 times all of last year, may see additional carries as well. The really interesting thing to see will be who else steps-in. Will Moraga gain solid yards? Will Brandon Howe, Kori Garcia, Kenny Mitchell, or Kevin Porsche get a few carries and an opportunity to impress?

By the time the season is over, I can’t see how Ivory doesn’t average at least 100 yards-plus per game, but if Cal Poly is going to be anything close to the offense they were a year ago, at least a few other guys have to step up and carry the ball well on a consistent basis, or teams will start to key on Ivory, who is best when he can get to an edge.

Injuries

Word is that up to seven starters might be out for Cal Poly on Saturday. If I were creating a perfect upset recipe for an upset game, that would probably be the first and most abundant ingredient. Pay attention to who is playing and, maybe more importantly, who isn’t.

Defensive Front-7

The biggest strength of Cal Poly this year is probably the defensive front-7. Defensive tackle Sullivan Grosz has NFL aspirations and will be the leader of this group that will be tough up the middle. In their playoff loss to Sam Houston State last season, Cal Poly’s defense held the Bearkats to 241 yards of total offense, including only 153 yards rushing. SHSU averaged 268 yards rushing and 358 total yards per game on offense throughout the year. Their defense will again be a strength.

Along with Grosz, the defensive line has some horses in Jake Irwin, Andrew Alcaraz, Chris Judge, Chris Lawrence, and Wesley Flowers. New starter Cameron Ontko joins returning starting linebackers Nick Dzubnar and Johnny Millard to round-out a solid group. Grosz was the only Mustang selected first-team all Big-Sky in the preseason, but this group may turn out to be one of the deepest and best front-7’s in the conference.

Cal Poly vs. San Diego

Alex G. Spanos Stadium at Cal Poly

Kickoff – 4:05 PM

Radio – ESPN Radio 1280

Internet Video – WatchBigSky.com