Cal Poly put up an impressive effort on the road against the University of Idaho but fell 34-29 on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Kibbie Dome.
The Mustangs (2-5, 1-3 Big Sky) matched up against the No. 13 Vandals (5-3, 2-2 Big Sky), who were 22-point favorites to win the game. Cal Poly is now tied for last in the Big Sky Conference with Idaho State and Portland State.
The Mustangs are still looking to get their second conference win this season, which they have not done since 2019.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Bo Kelly threw two touchdowns for a career-high 268 passing yards. Redshirt senior receiver Giancarlo Woods caught eight passes for 102 yards to lead the receiving core.
Kelly flew out the gate, completing 14 of his first 15 passes on the day. Cal Poly led at halftime 14-6. Kelly and redshirt sophomore quarterback Richie Watts both contributed with passing touchdowns by the half.
Redshirt senior defensive end Elijah Ponder picked up a sack, putting him third in most career sacks in program history.
However, the Mustangs’ offense became stagnant in the third quarter.
After a Vandal touchdown to tie the game at the beginning of the third, the Mustangs punted the ball twice and missed a field goal.
Idaho went on to score two more touchdowns in the third quarter and held a 27-16 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
Kelly threw a ball that got tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by the Vandals, who scored on the following offensive drive.
Down 34-16, Kelly connected to Woods in the end zone for the second time with 2:39 on the clock.
The defense had one last chance to stop Idaho before time ran out. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Kai Rapolla delivered, recovering a loose football to get a 71-yard touchdown.
Unfortunately for the Mustangs, they could not score on the two-point conversion and did not recover the onside kick, allowing Idaho to kneel out the clock.
The Mustangs have plenty of time to recover before their next game, Nov. 2, against the University of Montana, which will begin a three-game homestand.
