After a three game stretch against three ranked opponents, the Cal Poly Mustangs return home for Big Sky Conference play as they take on winless Northern Colorado in a game that could potentially help the Mustangs get back on track.
After losing to No. 2 FCS ranked Montana State this past weekend, the Mustangs take on the Bears who are 0-6 on the season but have had close one score losses to top teams in the conference like Sacramento State and Weber State. For wide receivers coach, Asa Jackson, he sees similarities with both the Mustangs and their opponent.
“Northern Colorado is a good team and the record doesn't indicatejust how good they are and how good they've been much like ourselves.”
While the offensive and defensive performances have been hit or miss, the wide receiver room has remained consistent with different standouts each week.
“Everybody can get the ball and everybody's good at their own thing," redshirt junior Evan Burkhart said. "We're a very diverse room, so it kind of takes pressure off and certain games certain people can go off and do other things just depending on like what we see from their defense.”
Burkhart has been one of the steady forces in this year’s passing attack with three touchdown catches this season, including one on Saturday against the Bobcats.
“He works his tail off every single day. He's versatile. He understands what's going on. He can play multiple positions," Jackson said. "I can use him all over the field and I can rely on him.”
Once a highly regarded recruit out of Stockdale High School in Bakersfield, Burkhart suffered an ACL injury before his senior year which led him to walk-on at Arizona State.
“At that moment a lot was in the air," Burkhart recalls. "I sat down with my parents, talked to them, and just worked through it.Through hard work, I got where I'm at now.”
Burkhart's improved play this season isn't just thanks to the newly implemented air raid offense but also in part to watching former Cal Poly standout Chris Coleman who graduated last year. In Coleman's one and only season with the Mustangs, Burkhart had a front row seat to learning how to be a skilled receiver at the Division I level.
“He was always just talking about confidence and just [not being] afraid to just put it all out there,” Burkhart said.
“Who you are as a player is going to be defined by what you put on that tape each and every down, regardless of the scoreboard and that's something that Chris really took to heart,” Jackson added.
With the confidence in this year’s receiver's group, the coaching staff remains confident that there is still a chance to gain a winning record this season at 2-4 and four games remaining on the schedule.
“We still have a chance, despite the last couple of weeks and want to end the season with a winning record," Jackson explained. "That is a complete possibility if we win out.”
Kickoff set for 5 p.m. against Northern Colorado at Spanos Stadium.
