Alex Kohm is a journalism senior and sports reporter for Mustang News. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.
If you told first-year me that I’d enjoy watching a Cal Poly football game, I would have laughed in your face.
I went to my first Cal Poly football game during quarter plus (for first-year students, quarter plus is the same thing as semester kickstart, which I just looked up and laughed out loud at). The stadium was so empty that I ended up sitting behind the parents of USD’s players because I couldn’t tell where the Cal Poly fans were. Cal Poly actually won 27-10, but it felt like they lost in spirit before the game even started.
I went to a couple of games after that, including one with a packed crowd, but I never felt like there was anything to root for. In the following years, I kept up with the team, and even watched a game here and there. There was never a point when I believed in the team.
The first glimmer of hope I had came during the most recent offseason, when Cal Poly and then-Head Coach Paul Wulff “parted ways.” Nothing against Coach Wulff, but it was clear the team needed change(s) years ago. In his three seasons at Cal Poly, he had a 10-24 record.
Then, Cal Poly hired Tim Skipper, and I was intrigued. I was having the time of my life making fun of UCLA’s 0-4 start last year, but I realized I had to stop after they won three straight games after Tim Skipper took over.Â
Of course, they also lost five straight games to end the season. Still, the ability to turn a team like that around, even if it crumbled in the end, is genuinely impressive.
I went to the home opener on Friday against Idaho as a reporter for Mustang News. Cal Poly’s first 21 points were the first time I thought the team looked good.
The team had a clear game plan and identity. In the first quarter, quarterback Anthony Grigsby Jr. only attempted two passes over 15 yards, as the Mustangs relied heavily on runs and screens. In the second quarter, they began to expand on first down, utilizing play action. I was very impressed by the competency of their execution.
But more importantly, the record-breaking number of fans (11,186) was electric. It was clear that I wasn’t the only one who had started to believe in the team.
The only reason Idaho came back was that Cal Poly’s defense gave up explosive plays on three straight drives. I have faith in the coaching staff to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
The ending of the game was the most miraculous thing I’ve seen live at a sporting event, outside of something that happened at a soccer game in high school.
On the game-winning fourth-down play, you could feel that Grigsby Jr. was going to do something special after he left the pocket. And who else to make the game-winning catch but Tayvion McCoy, who looked like Deebo Samuel all game.
I watched the fans storm the field, stunned by what I had witnessed. It was a generationally good Cal Poly football game. I’ve heard multiple people (students and faculty) say that it was the best game of the last 20 years.
So, can one game change the relationship status of Cal Poly students with their football team? No, it’s likely the team will have rocky moments. It’s also likely that attendance will rapidly decline as we get deeper into the semester.
It’s going to take time for Cal Poly to become a football school, but last Friday was as good a start as they could’ve had.