SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Oct. 15 - Southern Utah got the
fast start it wanted. It got somewhat of a running game going. It threw the
ball successfully. The Thunderbirds either led or were tied for the first 59:15
of the game. But in the end, Cal Poly did what it has done since the second
time the Mustangs hosted the Thunderbirds, in 1988, it won the game in the end
for their 13 straight home win in the series.
Southern Utah put together a scoring drive on the opening
possession of the game and led by as many as 11 points but Cal Poly quarterback
Andre Broadous ran a quarterback keeper three yards with 45 seconds remaining
to give the Mustangs their first lead of the game and ultimately a 31-27 win.
For just the second time this season Southern Utah scored on
its first drive of the game to take a 7-0 lead. After taking the opening
kickoff the Thunderbirds drove 60 yards in six plays, punching it in on a
one-yard Deckar Alexander run.
After Cal Poly cut the deficit to 7-3 on a 33-yard James
Langford field goal the Thunderbirds went up 14-3 with a 14-yard pass from Brad
Sorensen to Daryl Brown.
The Thunderbirds then squandered an opportunity. After Tyler
Osborne sacked Mustang quarterback Andre Broadous and stripped the ball from
him Niock Witzman recovered the fumble on the CP 49-ayrd line . ON SUU's first
play, however, Sorensen never got a handle on the snap and fumbled it right
back to the Mustangs.
Cal Poly was the beneficiary of an unnecessary roughness
penalty on the first play of its ensuing drive, spotting the ball at the SUU 35
yard line. The Mustangs then ran the ball on seven straight plays, getting into
the end zone and pulling within 14-10 when Broadous ran one yard up the middle
for a touchdown.
SUU went back up by seven as time expired in the half when
Colton Cook hit a 33-yard field goal to give the Thunderbirds a 17-10 lead at
the break.
On the opening
drive of the second half Cal Poly drove 76 yards in 1:19 to tie the score at
17-17. The Mustangs ran five plays, including a 47-yard Broadous run, and got
the tying score on a 3-yard Jake Romanelli run.
Sorensen completed 25-of-42 passes for 296 yards and two
touchdowns and the Thunderbirds wound up with 70 rushing yards, with Austin
Minefee carrying 12 times for 44 yards and Deckar Alexander taking 12 handoffs
for another 33. Aiono had a team-high five receptions for 53 yards, while
MInefee, Measom and Fatu Moala had four receptions each, for 54, 70 and 60
yards.
Romanelli carried 22 times for 101 yards while Broadous
finished with 81 yards on 16 carries as the Mustangs ran for 267 yards.
Southern Utah finished with 366 yards of offense while Cal
Poly had 364.
-- SUU --
