The game was the regular-season finale for both teams. Sacramento State finished the year with a 3-8 record overall (2-5 Big Sky Conference). The victory over the Hornets means that the Great West Conference champion Mustangs finished the season with a 9-2 overall record, and likely secured a berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs which begin next weekend.

Cal Poly controlled every facet of the game, amassing 499 yards of total offense while limiting Sacramento State to just 217 total yards. In the game’s opening quarter, the Hornets were held to just 15 yards of total offense on 21 plays, as the Mustangs built a 14-0 lead that they would never relinquish.

One bright spot for the Hornets in defeat was the play of senior wide receiver Fred Amey. Amey finished with nine receptions for 143 yards, moving in to 4th place in NCAA Division I-AA history with 4,049 receiving yards for his career. In addition, the game also marked the 42nd career game in which Amey had a reception, moving him into 10th place in NCAA Division I-AA history for receptions with 248.

Another highlight for Sacramento State was the running of sophomore tailback Kris Daniels. Daniels became the first person all season to gain over 100 yards rushing against Cal Poly, finishing with 115 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries.

Hornet senior quarterback Ryan Leadingham completed 11-of-27 passes for 153 yards, throwing one touchdown pass and three interceptions.

Mustang junior quarterback Anthony Garrett lead a balanced Cal Poly offensive attack by completing 12-of-24 passes for 247 yards, throwing one touchdown pass while rushing for another touchdown.

Leading Cal Poly’s rushing attack was senior running back Geno Randle, who finished with 99 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Sophomore quarterback Cordel Webb had 12 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown, while Garrett finished with 45 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

Cal Poly junior wide receiver Jonah Russell finished with five receptions for 103 yards, while senior wideout Darrell Jones added with five receptions for 98 yards.

The Mustangs Adam Martinez initiated the game’s scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run with 14:00 to play in the first quarter. Randle followed with a 5-yard scoring run just 1:34 later to give Cal Poly a 14-0 cushion at the end of the first quarter.

Sacramento State answered back with 12:51 remaining in the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown pass from Leadingham to junior tight end McRuben Fleurinord, cutting the deficit to 14-7.

After Byungwoo Yoon’s 26-yard field goal gave the Mustangs a 17-7 edge four minutes later, the Mustangs took advantage of prime field position following an interception that gave them possession at the Hornet 42-yard line. Cal Poly marched into the end zone on just five plays, scoring on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Garnett to Martinez that gave Cal Poly a 24-7 at the half.

The Hornets answered back early in the second half, as Daniels scampered 70 yards for a touchdown (the first of his career) to trim the Mustang lead to 24-13 with 10:21 left in the third quarter.

However, the touchdown by Daniels would be the last time that the Hornets would threaten the rest of the way. Cal Poly drove 65 yards on just six plays immediately following the Hornet touchdown, with Garnett rushing in to the end zone from the 2-yard line to culminate the drive and give the Mustangs a 31-13 advantage with 7:21 remaining in the third quarter.

Cal Poly put the game out of reach 1:33 later as Kenny Chicoine returned an interception 68 yards for a touchdown to give Cal Poly an insurmountable 37-13 lead. Webb finished the third quarter scoring on a 15-yard touchdown run with 3:01 left to put Cal Poly on top 44-13.

The Mustangs’ Matt McCormick scored on a 6-yard touchdown run with 11:47 remaining in the game, and Josiah Jennings concluded the night’s scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run with 4:56 left.

Defensively, Matt Logue paced Sacramento State with a career-high 15 tackles. Logue has now had at least 10 stops in the final three games of the year. Linebacker Jimmy Ellingson added 12 tackles and Tyson Butler and Brett Shelton each added 11. Buck Buchanan Award candidate Jordan Beck led Cal Poly with 11 tackles.

NOTES: Ryan Mole’s quest for 1,000 yards ended when he was forced out the game midway through the second quarter with bruised ribs. Mole ended the night with 12 yards and concludes the season with 858 in nine games… Shelton has reached double-digits in tackles each of the last three games…the Hornets recovered two fumbles in the first half on punts that were lined off Cal Poly upmen…there were nine turnovers in the game with each team fumbling three times and Sacramento State throwing three interceptions…Ellingson moved into a tie for third in school history with 132 tackles this season…the win was the first for Cal Poly in Sacramento since 1996.