Homecoming night drew a packed house to Spanos Stadium and gave Cal Poly a chance to reset after last week’s loss.
The Mustangs (2-2, 1-0 Big Sky) returned home on Saturday looking to get back in the win column. Instead, San Diego spoiled the night by handing Cal Poly a 38-35 loss in a back-and-forth game that came down to the final possession.
In recent years, the Toreros have been a familiar early-season opponent for the Mustangs, with Cal Poly winning the last meeting.
University of San Diego running back Adam Criter rushes for a touchdown in the first quarter at Mustang Memorial Field on Sept. 19, 2026. The Mustangs lost to the Toreros 38-35 on Homecoming night on a last-minute field goal. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
This time, however, San Diego looked like a different team than what Cal Poly had seen before.
San Diego struck first, but Cal Poly answered almost immediately. From there, neither team really created much separation from one another.
The game was tied at 21 in the second quarter before San Diego broke through just before halftime.
Cal Poly wide receiver Tayvion McCoy runs through the San Diego Toreros defense at Mustang Memorial Field on Sept. 19, 2026. The Mustangs lost to the Toreros 38-35 on Homecoming night on a last-minute field goal. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
With about a minute remaining in the first half, the Toreros punched in a one-yard rushing touchdown to take a 28-21 lead into the locker room.
San Diego’s biggest threat came from running back Adam Criter, who accounted for much of the Toreros’ production on the ground. Head Coach Tim Skipper said Cal Poly expected San Diego to lean heavily on its rushing attack.
“We knew they were going to try and run the ball,” Skipper said. “They wanted to control the clock, and we knew that was going to happen.”
University of San Diego running back Omar Mbakwe finds the end zone against Cal Poly in the third quarter at Mustang Memorial Field on Sept. 19, 2026. The Mustangs lost to the Toreros 38-35 on Homecoming night on a last-minute field goal. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
Despite anticipating the run-game, Cal Poly rarely had answers to put a stop to Criter’s dominant explosiveness.
Cal Poly struggled to contain Criter throughout the first half, as he accounted for 179 of San Diego’s 263 total rushing yards.
Linebacker Mikey D’Amato said San Diego’s offensive line frequently used cut blocks against Cal Poly’s defensive front, which made it difficult for the Mustangs to maintain their gap assignments and opened running lanes for Criter to exploit.
“We had to overcome how their O-line was cutting us D-linemen,” D’Amato said. “That first half killed us. It’s disappointing, but we’re gonna bounce back this week.”
University of San Diego quarterback Dom Nankil throws a quick pass in the first quarter at Mustang Memorial Field on Sept. 19, 2026. The Mustangs lost to the Toreros 38-35 on Homecoming night on a last-minute field goal. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
San Diego extended its lead in the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run, going up by two scores, 35-21. Cal Poly clawed its way back when Anthony Grigsby Jr. connected with Tayvion McCoy on a 28-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to one score, 28-35.
But the seesawing game all came down to the fourth quarter.
There, Cal Poly found itself in a familiar spot: the game tied 35-35, much like it had been the week before at San Jose State.
Cal Poly wide receiver Tayvion McCoy stiff-arms San Diego Toreros safety Ian Harrison at Mustang Memorial Field on Sept. 19, 2026. The Mustangs lost to the Toreros 38-35 on Homecoming night on a last-minute field goal. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
Skipper told the Tribune on Monday that finishing games was something Cal Poly needed to improve on, and facing the same kind of situation as last week, Cal Poly needed to finish this time.
The game came down to the final minutes with both teams having the opportunity to score.
With 2:30 remaining, Cal Poly was three yards away from moving the chains and potentially putting the game away.
San Diego Toreros running back Adam Criter rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns at Mustang Memorial Field on Sept. 19, 2026. The Mustangs lost to the Toreros 38-35 on Homecoming night on a last-minute field goal. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
Instead, a fumble, false start and sack sent the Mustangs backward, turning second-and-3 into fourth-and-23 and forcing Cal Poly to punt.
San Diego got the ball back with just over a minute remaining and made Cal Poly pay. The Toreros drove into field-goal range and converted a 38-yard game-winning kick to put the game away.
“We had an opportunity for us to hit the game-winning field goal and we screwed it up and gave them the ball back, and they took advantage of it,” Skipper said.
Cal Poly running back Jaden Green rushes for the end zone against the San Diego Toreros at Mustang Memorial Field on Sept. 19, 2026. The Mustangs lost to the Toreros 38-35 on Homecoming night on a last-minute field goal. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
For Skipper, the message remains the same. Cal Poly has to keep straining through the fourth quarter.
After coming up short in yet another one-possession game for the second consecutive week, the Mustangs are searching for a way to turn competitive finishes into consistent wins when the margin for error is at its smallest.
Even with the loss, the Mustangs found more balance offensively compared to last week. Their production through the air and on the ground stayed relatively close.
Grigsby completed 14 of 23 passes for 211 yards, while Cal Poly added 173 rushing yards.
Cal Poly hits the road next Saturday for a game against Eastern Washington at 4 pm.
Cal Poly wide quarterback Anthony Grigsby Jr. is tackled just short of the end zone at Mustang Memorial Field on Sept. 19, 2026. The Mustangs lost to the Toreros 38-35 on Homecoming night on a last-minute field goal. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com 
Cal Poly wide receiver Tayvion McCoy catches a pass from quarterback Anthony Grigsby Jr. at Mustang Memorial Field on Sept. 19, 2026. The Mustangs lost to the Toreros 38-35 on Homecoming night on a last-minute field goal. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
Related Stories from San Luis Obispo Tribune