Mustang Daily Staff Report
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The wins just keep coming.
Trailing by a field goal late, the No. 23 Cal Poly football team (4-0, 2-0 Big Sky) used a 21-point fourth quarter to defeat North Dakota (3-2, 0-1) 35-17 on Saturday at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D.
With the win, the Mustangs are off to the program’s best start since 2004, a season in which they went 9-2 overall but failed to clinch an at-large berth to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The Mustangs, however, were close to dropping their first game of the season against North Dakota. After rushing out to 14-0 lead on touchdowns from Cole Stanford and Deonte Williams, Cal Poly allowed 17 unanswered points to fall behind 17-14 in the second half.
But the Mustangs answered in a big way. Quarterback Andre Broadous scored on a 3-yard run with 11:14 left in the game to put the Mustangs up, and they kept it rolling. Broadous scored again, this time from 2 yards out, and Williams added his second score, an 18-yard rush with 3:25 left on the clock.
It was all the Mustangs needed en route to their second win in Big Sky play.
Williams, once again, was the Mustangs’ main weapon on the ground. He had his fourth straight 100-yard game, finishing with 125 yards and two scores. Stanford was close behind with 90 yards, and Akaninyene Umoh had 76 yards on 14 carries.
Broadous finished the game 3 for 5 passing with 74 yards and a score. He had two rushing touchdowns and 21 yards on the ground as well.
Defensively, the Mustangs held a North Dakota offense, which came into the contest averaging a Big Sky-leading 46.8 points per game, to two touchdowns. Cal Poly also forced four turnovers: two fumbles and two interceptions.
Nico Molino grabbed both of Cal Poly’s interceptions. He now has an interception in each of the past three games and has four overall.
The Mustangs will try to make it 5-0 next week against Weber State. They’ll play the Wildcats (0-5, 0-1) on Friday.
Brian De Los Santos contributed to this article
If we go 9-2 this year, you can bet your bottom dollar we will be going to a playoffs. We would probably be in at 8-3.
I personally believe Poly is a 10-1 team this year.
The Great West 5 team conference was the main reason we were denied before- now, being in a conference with the likes of Montana, Montana State and Eastern Washington, there is no way to deny us.
It’s a good time to be a fan of the Green and Gold.. Hope to see a lot of students out for the Northern Colorado game..
There hasn’t been a Poly team this explosive since 2008.
The Weber State game will be free to view here: http://www.bigskyconf.com/sports/2009/8/14/BigSKYTV81509.aspx