Upcoming Event: Football at Youngstown State on October 4, 2025 at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT
/
6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT
Football
at Youngstown State
South Dakota State University Athletics
Saturday, October 18
Brookings, S.D.
6 p.m.
South Dakota State University
28
vs
42
Cal Poly
No. 3 Cal Poly stifles Jackrabbits
10/18/2008 1:00:00 AM | Football
Third-ranked Cal Poly recorded 10 sacks and racked up nearly 300 yards rushing en route to a 42-28 victory over 21st-ranked South Dakota State in non-conference action Saturday night at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
The Mustangs improved to 4-1 overall, while SDSU, which lost consecutive home games for the first time since 2000, dropped to 3-4.
Cal Poly never trailed in the game, drawing first blood on its first offensive possession. Jono Grayson capped a 10-play, 68-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.
The Jackrabbits came right back to tie the game with a nine-play, 76-yard touchdown drive. After extending the drive with a first down on third-and-26, Ryan Berry hooked up Glen Fox on the next play for a 35-yard touchdown with 4 minutes, 44 seconds remaining in the first half.
Cal Poly tacked on field goals of 36 and 20 yards from Andrew Gardner on its next two possessions, then built the lead to 20-7 with 2:33 remaining in the second quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jonathan Dally and ensuing Gardner PAT.
SDSU failed to capitalized on a golden opportunity late in the first half. After Cal Poly was held to a three-and-out deep in its own territory, the Jackrabbits took over at the Mustang 18 with 29 seconds left after a 14-yard punt. Berry's next three passes all fell incomplete and kicker Peter Reifenrath missed a 35-yard field goal attempt wide left.
The teams traded touchdowns in third quarter. The Mustangs upped the lead to 27-7 early in the third quarter as Dally found Ramses Barden behind the SDSU defense for a 34-yard touchdown. SDSU then responded with an 11-play, 73-yard drive, finished off by a 6-yard pass from Berry to JaRon Harris.
Cal Poly ended an hopes of a Jackrabbit comeback on its first play of the fourth quarter as Grayson bounced off a tackle and sprinted 81 yards for a touchdown to make the score 35-14.
SDSU again answered with a 3-yard touchdown run by Tyler Duffy with 11:29 remaining, but the Jackrabbits had a punt blocked on their next possession that led directly to Cal Poly's final score of the night, a 1-yard run by Ryan Mole.
Harris scored his second touchdown and the final Jackrabbit touchdown of the night on SDSU's next possession, getting a foot down in the corner of the end zone from five yards out with 4:28 to play.
The Jackrabbits recovered the onside kick to take over at their own 43, but Berry was sacked on three consecutive plays by a Mustang defense that entered the game ranked second in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision for sacks.
Ryan Shotwell recorded three sacks, while Carlton Gillespie and James Chen each were credited with 2.5 sacks. Greg Francis led the Mustangs with seven tackles and intercepted a pair of passes.
Grayson, playing in place of an injured James Noble, led the Cal Poly ground game with 124 yards on eight carries. Mole added 81 yards on 10 carries as the Mustangs out-gained SDSU 287-38 in net rushing yards.
Dally ended the night 11-of-18 passing for 132 yards, but threw his first interception of the season in the fourth quarter, when he was picked off by Jimmy Rogers. Tredale Tolver led Cal Poly's receivers with seven catches for 59 yards.
Berry completed 19-of-33 passes for 252 yards for the Jackrabbits. Fox tallied eight receptions for 113 yards, with Harris adding eight catches for 95 yards.
Kyle Minett led SDSU on the ground with 13 carries for 76 yards.
Defensively, the Jackrabbits were led by Chris Johnson's 12 tackles. Danny Batten added 11 stops, including two tackles for loss.
SDSU, which is one of four teams in Missouri Valley Football Conference play with one loss, returns to league action Oct. 25 at Indiana State. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Central) in Terre Haute, Ind.
Notes: Cal Poly now leads the series, 3-2 ... SDSU dropped to 17-5 in night games at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, with two of the losses to Cal Poly ... all four of SDSU's home games this season have been played against ranked opponents ... defensive tackle Eric Schroeder, free safety Brock Campbell and strong safety Conrad Kjerstad returned to the starting lineup for the Jackrabbits ... Minett failed to score a touchdown for the first time this season ... Harris moved into sixth place on the Jackrabbit career receptions list with 125 and fourth in career reception yards with 1,915 ... Berry passed Shane Bouman (4,663 yards from 1988-91) for seventh place on the career passing yards chart, upping his career total to 4,891 yards ... Fox recorded his team-best third 100-yard receiving game of the season ... Dean Priddy recorded a season-best 55-yard punt in the second quarter ... Cole Brodie returned seven kickoffs for 138 yards ... SDSU last played a conference game on Sept. 20 at Northern Iowa
The Mustangs improved to 4-1 overall, while SDSU, which lost consecutive home games for the first time since 2000, dropped to 3-4.
Cal Poly never trailed in the game, drawing first blood on its first offensive possession. Jono Grayson capped a 10-play, 68-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.
The Jackrabbits came right back to tie the game with a nine-play, 76-yard touchdown drive. After extending the drive with a first down on third-and-26, Ryan Berry hooked up Glen Fox on the next play for a 35-yard touchdown with 4 minutes, 44 seconds remaining in the first half.
Cal Poly tacked on field goals of 36 and 20 yards from Andrew Gardner on its next two possessions, then built the lead to 20-7 with 2:33 remaining in the second quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jonathan Dally and ensuing Gardner PAT.
SDSU failed to capitalized on a golden opportunity late in the first half. After Cal Poly was held to a three-and-out deep in its own territory, the Jackrabbits took over at the Mustang 18 with 29 seconds left after a 14-yard punt. Berry's next three passes all fell incomplete and kicker Peter Reifenrath missed a 35-yard field goal attempt wide left.
The teams traded touchdowns in third quarter. The Mustangs upped the lead to 27-7 early in the third quarter as Dally found Ramses Barden behind the SDSU defense for a 34-yard touchdown. SDSU then responded with an 11-play, 73-yard drive, finished off by a 6-yard pass from Berry to JaRon Harris.
Cal Poly ended an hopes of a Jackrabbit comeback on its first play of the fourth quarter as Grayson bounced off a tackle and sprinted 81 yards for a touchdown to make the score 35-14.
SDSU again answered with a 3-yard touchdown run by Tyler Duffy with 11:29 remaining, but the Jackrabbits had a punt blocked on their next possession that led directly to Cal Poly's final score of the night, a 1-yard run by Ryan Mole.
Harris scored his second touchdown and the final Jackrabbit touchdown of the night on SDSU's next possession, getting a foot down in the corner of the end zone from five yards out with 4:28 to play.
The Jackrabbits recovered the onside kick to take over at their own 43, but Berry was sacked on three consecutive plays by a Mustang defense that entered the game ranked second in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision for sacks.
Ryan Shotwell recorded three sacks, while Carlton Gillespie and James Chen each were credited with 2.5 sacks. Greg Francis led the Mustangs with seven tackles and intercepted a pair of passes.
Grayson, playing in place of an injured James Noble, led the Cal Poly ground game with 124 yards on eight carries. Mole added 81 yards on 10 carries as the Mustangs out-gained SDSU 287-38 in net rushing yards.
Dally ended the night 11-of-18 passing for 132 yards, but threw his first interception of the season in the fourth quarter, when he was picked off by Jimmy Rogers. Tredale Tolver led Cal Poly's receivers with seven catches for 59 yards.
Berry completed 19-of-33 passes for 252 yards for the Jackrabbits. Fox tallied eight receptions for 113 yards, with Harris adding eight catches for 95 yards.
Kyle Minett led SDSU on the ground with 13 carries for 76 yards.
Defensively, the Jackrabbits were led by Chris Johnson's 12 tackles. Danny Batten added 11 stops, including two tackles for loss.
SDSU, which is one of four teams in Missouri Valley Football Conference play with one loss, returns to league action Oct. 25 at Indiana State. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Central) in Terre Haute, Ind.
Notes: Cal Poly now leads the series, 3-2 ... SDSU dropped to 17-5 in night games at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, with two of the losses to Cal Poly ... all four of SDSU's home games this season have been played against ranked opponents ... defensive tackle Eric Schroeder, free safety Brock Campbell and strong safety Conrad Kjerstad returned to the starting lineup for the Jackrabbits ... Minett failed to score a touchdown for the first time this season ... Harris moved into sixth place on the Jackrabbit career receptions list with 125 and fourth in career reception yards with 1,915 ... Berry passed Shane Bouman (4,663 yards from 1988-91) for seventh place on the career passing yards chart, upping his career total to 4,891 yards ... Fox recorded his team-best third 100-yard receiving game of the season ... Dean Priddy recorded a season-best 55-yard punt in the second quarter ... Cole Brodie returned seven kickoffs for 138 yards ... SDSU last played a conference game on Sept. 20 at Northern Iowa
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
P
/ Football
PK
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DL
/ FootballDan Jackson Weekly Press Conference (09.30.2025)
Tuesday, September 30
Football Highlights vs Mercyhurst (09.27.2025)
Sunday, September 28
Football Postgame Press Conference vs Mercyhurst (09.27.2025)
Saturday, September 27
Gameday Eve - Mercyhurst (09.26.2025)
Thursday, September 25