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Cal Poly hosts Southern Utah in 2018 regular season finale

Posted at 12:48 PM, Nov 15, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-15 21:49:39-05

Cal Poly (4-6, 3-4 Big Sky), which has split its last eight games after an 0-2 start, including an upset of No. 24 Idaho State last week, wraps up the 2018 season Saturday afternoon with a Big Sky Conference game against Southern Utah (1-9, 1-6 Big Sky) inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium (cap.: 11,075).

After capturing its fourth FCS playoff berth in 2016 and finishing 7-5 overall and tied for fourth place in the Big Sky Conference, Cal Poly slipped to 1-10 and 12th place in 2017. As many as eight starters missed games due to injuries, including quarterback Khaleel Jenkins and fullback Joe Protheroe. Four of the six team captains suffered season-ending injuries.

Head Coach Tim Walsh says you can’t let Southern Utah’s record deceive you.

“They’re a 1-9 team but they’ve got a lot of guys coming back from the team that won it last year,” Walsh said. “They’re not bad and actually average more yards per game than us and more points per game than us. They do a lot of good things but have found ways to lose. We need to be able to run the football, that’s who we are. I think it’s two teams that really aren’t playing for much, but 4-4 for us and tied for 4th in the Big Sky with where we started, I’d take that.”

Jenkins, Protheroe, offensive linemen Harry Whitson, Zach Shallcross and Sam Ogee and defensive backs Dominic Frasch, Aaron Johnson and Carter Nichols all return this fall, bolstering hopes for a turnaround from the team that tied the school record for losses in a season.

Protheroe needs just 118 yards to set the school’s all-time rushing record.

The Senior Day / Youth Day / Green Out kickoff is set for 4:05 P.M.

Provided by Cal Poly