Nov. 15, 2003
Box Score
San Luis Obispo --- Jared Allen pushed his Buck Buchanan hopes into overdrive scoring two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score on a four-yard romp late in the third quarter as the Bengals knocked off #20 Cal Poly to keep their playoff hopes alive and all but dash Cal Poly's. The game was played in rainy conditions, and it gave ISU the first back-to-back seven-win seasons in the school's 99-year football history.
Allen had a remarkable game with two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, and two touchdowns. His first touchdown came with 9:29 in the third quarter. Allen scooped up a fumbled shotgun snap at the four-yard line and rumbled into the end zone for a 28-23 ISU lead. Allen also scored in the fourth quarter to give ISU a 35-23 lead on a halfback option pass from David Beverly. Quarterback Mark Hetherington pitched the ball to Beverly as he was falling down, and Beverly, looking for someone, lobbed the ball to Allen, who was standing all alone just inside the goal line.
Up 38-31 with 1:18 left, Allen put the finishing touches on the game. With the Mustangs on the ISU 4-yard line on fourth and goal, Allen tackled quarterback Chris Peterson on the option from behind to snuff the potential rally. Isaac Mitchell, who rushed for 69 yards on the night, then got the one first down ISU needed, and the Bengals earned the win.
Allen also forced and recovered a fumble at the ISU four-yard line as the Mustangs were going to extend an early lead.
The Bengals bolted out of the gate in fine fashion, going 57 yards in six plays, capped off by a 14-yard pass from Hetherington to Brett Fowler. ISU also ended the half well as Hetherington found Akilah Lacey wide open in the end zone for a 40-yard score. The middle was all Cal Poly however.
The Mustangs scored on a 19-yard pass the Darrell Jones from Chris Peterson to tie it at 7-7. After a safety when Hetherington was sacked in the end zone, Cal Poly got a short scoring run before the big blow, a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown by Jones that made it 23-7 Cal Poly.
Notes: Jared Allen has now scored three career touchdowns as he scored on an interception return against Utah State in 2001 ... the safety scored by Cal Poly was the first since September 23, 2000 when Sacramento State scored one in a 41-39 ISU win ... the 76-yard punt return by Darrell Jones was the first such score against ISU since 1997, when Hassan Proherbs of Portland State scored on a 47-yard return at the end of a 26-24 ISU win ... Sale' Key extended his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 26, one away from tying the ISU record ... Jared Allen did not record a sack for the first time this season ... Jeremy Hershey has now made seven straight field goals, and his 46-yarder was his longest outdoors this season ...
