In their Big Sky opener, Cal Poly football met their match on the road against Portland State losing 59-21. It was a game that surprised many with the Mustangs starting out the season 2-1 but clearly, there’s still work to be done.
On the defensive side of the ball, Portland State used their strong running attack to produce 404 yards on the ground; a stat line and performance that redshirt junior linebacker David Meyer said was unacceptable.
“I thought we had a good game plan going into the week, but it just came down to execution and we just came out not ready and this week we can't slack on it because U.C. Davis is going to come out with their hair on fire," Meyer said.
The Mustangs renew their rivalry with No. 21 U.C. Davis in a battle for the Golden Horseshoe this time at home. The Aggies have won the match-up each of the last six meetings dating back to 2016 and it’s a rivalry meaning there’s no love lost between the two teams.
“My years being here, we've never beat them," Meyer explained. "These guys don't respect us and it's kind of mutual with them so we're just going to come out and try to take that horseshoe.”
On the positive side, offensively, the Mustangs saw both freshmen Aiden Ramos and Aidan Scott score their first collegiate touchdowns. Scott, a Santa Ynez High School graduate, caught a touchdown from redshirt freshman Bo Kelly in the fourth quarter with Kelly replacing starter Sam Huard who left the game due to illness.
“It felt great. Obviously we were down by a lot, but getting that first touchdown is just surreal for me," Scott said. " I've been working my whole moment to get on this stage and to be able to show what I've been working on is amazing.”
For Ramos, he led the Mustangs in rushing going for 97 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown.
“It's just super cool to see two freshmen showing showing off their skills," Scott added. "I'm excited for the future of this program.”
Huard will be the starter under center come Saturday after missing most of the Portland State game. Starting Nose tackle Josh Ngalauafe is back in the lineup after missing the Portland State game with a hand injury.
The Battle for the Golden Horseshoe is slated for a 5pm kickoff on homecoming, Saturday Sept. 30.
