Oct. 27, 2007
Final Stats
Pocatello, ID --- Idaho State gave up a lot of yards, but they were primed for a big comeback until a crushing goal line fumble, which paved the way for a 99-yard march for Cal Poly, as the Mustangs defeated the Bengals 48-28 in a game closer than the final score would indicate.
The loss pushed Cal Poly's record to 5-3, and dropped ISU to 3-5. Idaho State, trying for an epic comeback in the second half, had it for the taking, as a strong second half had given ISU all the momentum. However, down 41-28 with the ball at the four-yard line, Ken Cornist swept to the outside and cut back to the goal line, but Fred Hives II knocked the ball loose just before he crossed into the end zone, and Louis Shepherd came out with the ball from the bottom of the pile, giving the Mustangs the ball back with 10:24.
From there, the Mustangs drove 99 ½ yards (the drive started with a delay of game penalty) in 16 plays, capping it off with a 1-yard plunge from quarterback Jonathan Dally, who had a career game, throwing for 453 yards and five touchdowns, and rushing for another 119. Dally's total was the second-most passing yards in Cal Poly history, and he hit Ramses Barden 10 times for 268 yards, a Holt Arena record, and three touchdowns. Barden's three scores receiving also tied a Holt record for an opponent.
ISU had been down 41-14 after Cal Poly opened the third quarter with a 79-yard scoring pass to Ramses Barden, the Bengals answered with good old fashioned smash mouth football, going 65 yards in 12 plays, mostly behind Josh Barnett but the last 11 on the only pass on the drive, an 11-yard strike from Russel Hill to Jaron Taylor to cut it to 41-21. Barnett then made it 41-28 with a 2-yard run as he broke Alfredo Anderson's school record with his 14th career 100-yard game. Barnett now needs 177 yards to break the all-time school rushing record of 3,370 yards.
Cal Poly broke open a tight 7-7 game at the break with a 27-point second quarter. First, Tredale Tolver caught his second touchdown pass of the game, this from 68 yards out to make it 14-7. The Bengals responded when Eddie Thompson scored his first career punt return touchdown, weaving in and out from 78 yards away. However, the Mustangs took just two plays and 32 seconds to retake the lead, as Barden, a 6-6 junior, caught a jump ball in the end zone from 27-yards out. After a three-and-out, Barden took the next play from scrimmage for an 85-yard swing pass touchdown and a 28-14 lead.
Former Sacramento State Hornet Ryan Mole made it 34-14 with a short touchdown run with 36 seconds left in the half.
Idaho State opened the scoring just 53 seconds into the game when Hill hit Taylor for a career-long 81-yard touchdown, but Tolver's first score, a 38-yard catch, answered that midway through the first quarter.
The two teams combined for 1,066 yards of offense, with the bulk, 687, coming from Cal Poly. That amount was the most allowed by ISU since giving up 736 against another option team, Southern Utah, in a 62-24 loss on October 21, 2000. Along with Barden's record day, Tredale Tolver added 154 yards and two touchdowns on four catches. Dally was 16-of-24 for 453 and three touchdowns, and he amassed 572 yards of total offense. For Idaho State, Barnett rushed for 117, and Russel Hill was 11-for-24 for 227 and a pair of touchdowns with one interception. Jaron Taylor had his first career-100-yard receiving game with four catches for 149 and two touchdowns. Eddie Thompson caught five passes for 52 yards, and had one punt return for 78. Defensively Ryan Phipps and Brad Rife combined for 11 tackles each.
The Bengals now head to Ogden looking for their first win at Stewart Stadium since 1984. The Bengals, who in the last two weeks have faced the #1 passing offense in the nation (Portland State), and the #2 overall offense in the nation (Cal Poly), now face off against a Wildcat team that is coming off an Arena-like game against Portland State, winning 73-68 in regulation, allowing nine touchdown passes and picking up 687 yards of offense, 353 rushing and 334 passing, scoring 10 touchdowns and totaling an inconceivable 1,008 all-purpose yards.
NOTES: Barnett now has five 100-yard games this year, and four in his last five games (the one he missed he had 98 yards against Northern Arizona) ... Barnett's 804 yards rushing are the fourth-most by a senior in ISU history ... Thompson now has 57 catches on the year, ninth-most in school history ... the lost fumble by Cornist was the only the third fumble lost by the offense this year, and the first in the last five games ... ISU has forced nine fumbles in the last three games ... Dan Zeidman, despite an injury, averaged 43.1 yards per punt and 41.0 net, as ISU entered the game ranked fourth in the country in net punting ... for the first time this season there were no field goal attempts in a game by either team.
