Week 1: Cal Poly football preview

Posted: Aug 31, 2012 4:56 PM by Bill Halter
Updated: Aug 31, 2012 4:58 PM

The Cal Poly football team opens the season on Saturday with a 4:00pm home game against the University of San Diego. The Toreros return 12 starters from last years team that finished 9-2 and shared the Pioneer League title. The only common opponent Cal Poly had with USD last season was UC-Davis. The Mustangs lost 24-17 at Davis, the Toreros lost 31-3 at Davis. USD has won four Pioneer League titles and were picked by the coaches to win another this year. The teams in the Pioneer League do not give football scholarships.

USD running back Kenny James rushed for 1,208 yards and 12 TDs in 2011 while wide receiver Sam Hoekstra caught 53 passes for 554 yards and six scores. Toreros head coach Ron Caragher has guided USD to three 9-2 campaigns since replacing Jim Harbaugh (Stanford/San Francisco 49ers.)

This will be Cal Poly's second meeting with USD, in 1959 the Mustangs beat the Toreros 36-14.

This will be the Mustangs 60th football season and 19th in the Football Championship Subdivision. Cal Poly enters the 13 team Big Sky Conference after winning four of eight titles in the now disbanded Great West Conference.

Tim Walsh begins his fourth season in charge of Cal Poly with just seven returning starters. Quarterback Andre Broadous is one of those returners, the senior completed 101 of 171 passes (58 percent) for 1,235 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Broadous also rushed for 646 yards and a school record 18 touchdowns. He was number four in the FCS in scoring.

Defensively the teams top two returning tacklers from a year ago are back. Linebackers Johnny Millard (82 tackles) and Kennith Jackson (80 tackles) return to anchor a linebacking core that is the strength of the defense. Nick Dzubnar and University of Wisconsin transfer Cameron Ontko are expected to play a lot this season at linebacker as well.

Other transfers expecting to see playing time are defensive linemen Wesley Flowers (UCLA), Jake Irwin (Wisconsin) and Barrett Wangara (College of San Mateo) as well as safety Alex Hubbard (College of San Mateo.)

Cal Poly has a bye week after the game leading into its only game against an FBS team. The Mustangs play at the University of Wyoming on September 15.