Cal Poly SLO football loses 30-20 to San Jose State

A new head coach, two wins and Cal Poly’s best start in 14 years gave the Mustangs early signs that a new era of football might look different.

That momentum followed Cal Poly into CEFCU Stadium on Saturday night for its first road test of the season. But against San Jose State, the Mustangs faced something they had not seen through the opening two weeks: an FBS opponent.

The Mustangs hung around early, but the jump in competition eventually caught up with the Mustangs as their undefeated start ended in their first loss of the Tim Skipper era, 30-20 to the Spartans.

Cal Poly (2-1, 1-0 Big Sky) made its presence felt early when Kaleb Pleis forced a fumble that Brayden Breedlove recovered at San Jose State’s 29-yard line. The turnover was an early sign that the Mustangs’ defense was not going to give the Spartans anything easy.

But just as Cal Poly moved into the red zone, the momentum flipped. Anthony Grigsby Jr. targeted Tayvion McCoy in the end zone, but San Jose State intercepted the pass and sent possession back the other way.

In a matter of plays, Cal Poly went from creating an early turnover to giving the ball right back, erasing a prime scoring opportunity.

The intercepted pass marked the first turnover for Grigsby this season.

On offense, Grigsby has shown through the first two weeks that he is willing to attack the perimeter and give his receivers opportunities outside. Ray Hall and McCoy emerged as two of his primary targets in those first two games.

On Saturday night, Fidel Pitts became another option for the Mustangs to continue to sustain drives downfield.

Pitts put Cal Poly on the scoreboard first with a 2-yard rushing touchdown, but the extra-point attempt from Josue Lopez sailed wide right and left the Mustangs with a 6-0 lead.

San Jose State followed with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Carson Clark. The Spartans converted the extra point to take a 7-6 lead, taking advantage of Cal Poly’s earlier missed PAT.

Back-to-back field goals in the second quarter extended the Spartans’ lead and sent them into halftime up 13-6.

After the break, Grigsby tied the game at 13 when he connected with Jaden Green on a 6-yard touchdown pass.

San Jose State carried a 20-13 lead into the fourth quarter after finding the end zone late in the third.

Cal Poly answered immediately to get back into the game in the fourth. Misa Paiau punched in a 1-yard rushing touchdown, giving Lopez another chance after missing an extra point earlier in the game.

This time, Lopez sent the kick through the uprights to tie the game at 20 and give the Mustangs a fresh start to the fourth quarter.

Everything then came down to the final quarter.

With the game tied, Cal Poly’s defense needed to keep San Jose State from moving into scoring range, especially with the Spartans already showing they could capitalize from distance.

That became clear when San Jose State connected on a 41-yard field goal to retake the lead, 23-20 and put more pressure on the Mustangs to answer offensively.

The Spartans had a difficult time cashing in, so they had to settle for numerous field goal attempts throughout the game.

The pressure was on Grigsby throughout the entire night as San Jose State consistently found ways into the backfield and disrupted Cal Poly’s passing game.

With Cal Poly down by 3, a chance to take the lead was dashed when Caleb Womack intercepted a pass in the end zone intended for McCoy.

The turnover quickly became costly, as San Jose State capitalized on the change of possession with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Luke Weaver to Clark, putting the Spartans in control at 30-20.

The Spartans recorded four sacks and forced Grigsby into two interceptions on the night. The Spartans’ defense made it difficult for the Mustangs to get ahead of the sticks and find the same offensive success they had through the first two weeks of the season.

Grigsby finished the night 24-of-40 for 249 yards. Most of Cal Poly’s offensive production came through the air, as the Mustangs finished with 249 passing yards compared with just 91 rushing yards.

The disparity showed how heavily Cal Poly relied on its passing game to move the ball against the Spartans. The limited production on the ground pointed to areas where Cal Poly’s offensive line could improve in creating running lanes for opportunities to gain more ground.

Cal Poly returns home to Mustang Memorial Field on Saturday, Sept. 19, for its homecoming game against San Diego at 5 p.m.

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