Cal Poly Football’s quarterback carousel continued to spin in Saturday night’s loss against Montana State.
The Mustangs (3-5, 1-3 Big Sky) utilized two quarterbacks in their 34-17 home loss to the No. 5-ranked Bobcats (6-2, 4-0 Big Sky).
Cal Poly has historically struggled against Montana State. This is the seventh consecutive game that the Mustangs have dropped to the Bobcats, not having won a matchup against their Big Sky rivals in over a decade.
Offensive Woes
Redshirt freshman quarterback Ty Dieffenbach entered the game as the starter for Cal Poly. Dieffenbach played the entire first quarter but was unable to convert his drives into anything meaningful.
Dieffenbach went three-and-out in all three of his first quarter opportunities, throwing five total passes in his three drives and completing just two of them for a total of three passing yards. Dieffenbach gained nine extra yards on the ground in three attempts for 12 total yards in the first quarter.
Cal Poly’s quarterback position is one defined by instability and inconsistency, and Dieffenbach’s performances in his first season as a Mustang is ultimately reflective of the state of the position.
Dieffenbach started the season off in a strong fashion, earning two wins in his first three appearances in the green and gold. He threw for five touchdowns and one interception, but went down with an injury in his fourth appearance in late September.
In his two appearances since coming back from injury, including his start against Montana State, Dieffenbach has thrown four interceptions, and has completed just 17 of his 38 total pass attempts.
Redshirt junior quarterback Bo Kelly replaced Dieffenbach at the start of the second quarter and remained the Mustangs’ quarterback throughout the rest of the game. Kelly, however, faced the same struggles Dieffenbach encountered through his time under center.
Of his first five drives as the Mustangs’ quarterback, Kelly only led the Mustangs to score once: a 21-yard field goal midway through the second quarter. His other four drives consisted of three punts and an interception, the only turnover Cal Poly conceded in the game.
Throughout the first three quarters, Cal Poly put together eight offensive drives in total. The Mustangs only scored once, the aforementioned field goal, punted six times and threw one interception.
Cal Poly found even less success on the ground than in the air. Throughout the first three quarters, the Mustangs put together 36 rushing yards, 12 of which had come from Cal Poly’s two quarterbacks.
The Mustangs’ longest rush was a rush by redshirt freshman running back Trey Wilson, a 13-yard run midway through the second quarter. Cal Poly would not have a rush farther than that in the game. They would finish the game with a total of 50 rushing yards, the lowest amount of yards Cal Poly has recorded throughout the season.
“We just weren’t in sync on offense,” head coach Paul Wulff said. “And it wasn’t one person, it was a combination of all 11 on the field and it’s not uncommon coming off a bye, but it was just disappointing how we were not executing.”
Defensive Struggles
Cal Poly struggled nearly just as much on the other side of the ball. The Mustangs’ rushing defense has been solid as they sit sixth in the Big Sky allowing 173.3 rushing yards per game. On Saturday, Cal Poly showcased a different side of their defense against Montana State, allowing 290 rushing yards on the night.
The Mustangs’ defense, as a unit, proved unable to stack up against the complete offense of the Bobcats. Of Montana State’s 12 offensive drives, the Bobcats scored on six of them.
Tackling was a primary issue for Cal Poly. There were several sequences in which the Mustangs would initially make contact at the line of scrimmage but the Bobcats’ backs would continuously shed several Mustang defenders and run for the first down.
Cal Poly allowed Montana State to put together 10 rushes for 10 or more yards.
Montana State also only had two drives end in three-and-outs. Cal Poly tripled their total, with six three-and-outs.
“They have such a complete offense,” junior linebacker Mikey D’Amato said. “They have a great run game. They have a great passing game. It’s just hard to stop when teams like that have that many weapons on the offensive side of the ball.”
Fourth Quarter Rejuvenation
Cal Poly found life in the fourth quarter.
The Mustangs’ first two drives within the quarter resulted in touchdowns, the first touchdowns scored by Cal Poly in the game. Both were thrown by Kelly.
The second score showed flashes of what Kelly was capable of after completing a perfectly placed, 6-yard teardrop throw to Logan Booher in the right corner of the endzone.
Both possessions lasted longer than two minutes – two of the four total drives over two minutes that Cal Poly put together in the game.
The fourth quarter was a reflection of Cal Poly’s true offensive potential. In just six minutes of game time, the Mustangs put 14 points on the board – more points than Cal Poly had recorded in the three previous quarters of the game combined.
“We just sped up the tempo,” Wulff said. “We were able to make some throws, some players made some plays and our success was just a combination of that. That was really good to see at the end of the game.”
What’s Next?
Cal Poly has four games left in the regular season.
The Mustangs have a chance to bounce back from their three-game losing streak in their upcoming matchup against last-place Portland State.
Portland State has yet to win a match this season, and Cal Poly has six wins and three losses in their last nine encounters. The Mustangs will look to take revenge next week, having fallen to the Vikings in their previous matchup 59-21.
The game will kick off on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Mustang Memorial Field at 2 p.m.