The Cal Poly offense found a rhythm in their victory against Northern Colorado last weekend, but in a different way than expected.
The offense broke out for 290 rush yards and 202 passing yards on Saturday, adding to a season-high 492 scrimmage yards.
Cal Poly has relied heavily on the pass for the past season and a half. However, the insertion of redshirt junior Jaden Jones at quarterback and his running potential transformed the offense into a ground threat against Northern Colorado.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Richie Watts also got playing time towards the end of the game. He also rushed heavily and threw a five-yard touchdown to seal the victory.
Running back Aiden Ramos also performed well, gaining 120 yards on 23 attempts last week against Northern Colorado.
Head Coach Paul Wulff said on Tuesday that, regarding having three quarterbacks in the game, “don’t be surprised to continue to see something like that.”
Defensively, the Mustangs will go from the run-heavy offense of Northern Colorado to the pass-heavy Idaho State.
Cal Poly dominated possession in a 28-7 road victory against Northern Colorado last weekend. Despite struggling against the run so far this season, the Mustangs prepared enormously for it last week and during the bye week.
“Our players came and played very physically and tackled well, and when you [do that] you’re going to stop the run,” Wulff said.
Idaho State has two quarterbacks who pose different strengths. Kobe Tracy has been their primary quarterback, averaging 168 passing yards per game.
Their other quarterback, Hunter Hays, found his strength rushing. He’s carried the ball 29 times for 121 yards this season and is the third-leading rusher on the team.
Redshirt senior Elijah Ponder and the defensive line may see continued success limiting the pass if they can pressure the quarterbacks.
Their leading receiver, Ian Duarte, has 301 receiving yards so far and has received the ball at least four times every game. He caught a 41-yard pass against Western Oregon in a game where he scored two touchdowns.
The Mustangs have not had two conference wins in a season since 2019 and have the rest of the season to get a win and break that streak.
The Mustangs (2-2, 1-0 Big Sky) will look to continue their win streak against Idaho State at 4 p.m.
After Idaho State, the Mustangs head back on the road for the rest of October and play UC Davis on Oct. 12 at 4 p.m.
