Cal Poly improves to 7-0 after 4th quarter comeback

Posted: Oct 20, 2012 11:11 PM by Bill Halter
Updated: Oct 20, 2012 11:39 PM

Trailing 25-23 going into the final quarter, Cal Poly scored two touchdowns to pull away and beat Portland State 37-25. The 12th ranked Mustangs are now 7-0, 5-0 in Big Sky play. The Vikings fall to 2-5, 1-3 in the Big Sky.

Portland State jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the second play of the game as freshman quarterback Kieren McDonagh threw a 32 yard touchdown pass to Justin Monahan. With 9:50 to go in the first quarter, Cal Poly tied it on a 31 yard touchdown pass from Andre Broadous to slotback Cole Stanford.

Later in the first quarter, the Mustangs had the ball inside the Portland State 40 yard line when full back Brandon Howe was unable to handle a high option pitch from Broadous. The fumble was recovered by Portland State linebacker Ian Sluss who returned it 57 yards for a touchdown. Portland State went ahead 14-7.

Broadous scored on a 13 yard run with 1:38 to play in the first quarter. The game was tied at 14 after the first quarter.

Both teams kicked field goals in the second quarter and the game went to the break tied at 17.

Cal Poly added another field goal early in the third quarter to take a 17-14 lead but Portland State answered two minutes later with another McDonagh to Monahan touchdown pass. The 35 yard hookup put the Vikings up three. A low snap on the extra point was handled by holder Tomas Carter, the wide receiver rolled out and threw a completion to Kalua Noa in the endzone for a two point conversion.

Down 25-20, Cal Poly kicker Bobby Zalud made his third field goal of the game with 4:01 to play in the third quarter.

With 10:35 to play in the fourth, Broadous complete a third down pass to Willie Tucker for an 11 yard touchdown. Tucker's third touchdown in as many weeks gave the Mustangs a 30-25 lead.

Defensively Cal Poly kept Portland state off the board in the fourth quarter. With 5:39 to play, Broadous rushed for a one yard touchdown to cap the scoring. Overall, the senior quarterback rushed 22 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns. Broadous was 8-11 passing for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior slotback Deonte Williams rushed a career high 27 times for 169 yards. It was the sixth time in seven games he cracked the 100-yard mark.

The Mustangs gained 458 yards including 341 on the ground. Portland State gained 344 yards. The Mustangs converted 12 of 21 third-down plays and had the ball for 14 more minutes than Portland State.

Cal Poly is off to its best start since the 2004 team started 7-0, that team finished 9-2.

Cal Poly is one of just two unbeaten teams in the Football Championship Subdivision. Lehigh is 8-0 on the year while Tennessee State and Harvard both lost for the first time on Saturday.

10,025 were on hand at Alex G. Spanos Stadium for Cal Poly's homecoming game.

The Mustangs play three of their final four games of the regular season on the road, beginning next Saturday with a Big Sky game at Sacramento State.