Mustangs Fall to Toreros in Season Opener, 27-21 - Cal Poly (2024)

SAN DIEGO – Cal Poly's defense returned a fumble for a touchdown and allowed just 13 points, but three interceptions by the Mustangs offense, including two pick-sixes, resulted in the Mustangs falling in their season opener to San Diego Saturday, 27-21.

Defensively, Cal Poly linebacker Judaea Moon had a career high 11 tackles while fellow linebacker Je'kob Jones had eight tackles. Preseason All-American defensive end Elijah Ponder had himself a game rushing the quarterback, finishing with five tackles, a sack, and three hurries.

The biggest Mustang defensive play of the game was a forced fumble by redshirt freshman safety Demel Turner that was picked up and returned for a touchdown by cornerback Budha Boyd Jr.

Offensively, starting quarterback Bo Kelly finished 21-35 for 226 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Senior receiver Giancarlo Woods, Cal Poly's leading receiver in 2023, led the way with six catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kian Salehi had a solid first game as he finished with five catches for 62 yards.

San Diego went 14 plays on its opening drive, ending in a field goal to get on the board first. On the second play of Cal Poly's second drive, Bo Kelly's pass deflected of receiver Michael Briscoe's chest and into the hands of San Diego's Trey Ortega who returned it for a touchdown.

Cal Poly got the ball back with about 90 seconds, proving more than enough time for Kelly and the offense. Kelly connected with receiver Tyrece Fairly-Diyem for a 43-yard connection to get the ball down to the San Diego two-yard line. Two plays later, Kelly hit Giancarlo Woods on a fade in the left corner of the end zone to get the Mustangs on the board.

On the second play of San Diego's opening drive of the second half, safety Demel Turner hit Torero running back Matt Colombo hard in the open field, forcing a fumble that was picked up by cornerback Budha Boyd Jr. who returned it 36 yards for the touchdown and give the Mustangs a 14-10 lead.

On the Toreros' ensuing possession, San Diego went 56 yards down the field in three plays, capping the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to take the lead back 17-14 with 7:32 left in the third quarter.

Just under a minute into the fourth quarter, San Diego intercepted Kelly's pass, returning it 40 yards for a touchdown and pushing its lead up to 24-14. With three minutes left in the fourth, San Diego hit a field goal to extend the lead to 27-14.

On Cal Poly's next drive, sophom*ore quarterback Jackson Akins led a 70-yard drive in two minutes, finishing it with a one-yard touchdown pass to freshman tight end Alek Marshall for both of their first career scores as Mustangs. Cal Poly went for an onside kick but were unable to recover it.

The Mustangs will stay on the road for week two, heading up north to Palo Alto to face their lone FBS opponent of the year in Stanford, now in the ACC, on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 4 p.m.