Photo courtesy of Sara Dechance
The Mustangs defeated the University of San Diego 66-35 in San Luis Obispo on St. Patrick’s Day, scoring 10 tries en route to a blowout victory over one of D1A’s fastest-rising programs — and now welcome the UCLA Bruins to the Central Coast.
The Bruins, ranked No. 17 in the monthly D1A power rankings, and Cal Poly will kick off at 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, at the Lower Sports Complex fields in San Luis Obispo, with a B-side match to follow.
The Bruins were defeated by USD 40-19 in San Diego late last month and haven’t found a level of success this season, on paper, that has been typical of the program in recent seasons.
They, like the Mustangs, have been dealing with injuries. The Bruins have played a gauntlet of a schedule, too.
“I’ve watched different games, and they can be dangerous at any time,” head coach Chris O’Brien said. “This is the week we played really well last year against Army and UCLA, so we’re hoping to peak at the right time.”
Mustangs roll past Toreros at home
Cal Poly scored five first-half tries on the Toreros, ranked No. 16 in the most recent power rankings, who were undefeated in conference play up until last Saturday.
“They’re a very good team,” O’Brien said. “We just have to eliminate a couple of mistakes.”
Those included a vacated ruck in the first half that gave the Toreros a free seven points as the Mustangs were looking to build momentum, and a near-goal-line exit gone awry in the second half that also spotted the Toreros an additional seven.
The Mustangs also found creative ways to get their playmakers in space — and Mustangs fans should expect more of the same as the season hits its inflection point.
Cal Poly matched its first-half try-scoring output in the second half, with a combination of slick handling from the backs and power from the forward pack.
The Toreros won back-to-back D1AA national championships in 2023 and 2024 before entering the top level of college rugby competition last season.