The Mustangs brushed off a slow start Saturday under overcast skies, defeating Sacramento State 77-15 in Sacramento.
Cal Poly, featuring a mix-match roster due to several key contributors sitting out the match for various reasons, built a 35-3 halftime lead after an “off” first 10 minutes, Mustangs head coach Chris O’Brien said, adding that the team was able to “flip the switch.”
Prop Joey Hodge, whose birthday was Saturday, led the way for the Mustangs, scoring four tries.
“We’re just trying to each week continue to build on our team shape and stuff that we’ve been working on,” O’Brien said.
The Mustangs added another 42 points in the second half.
The 62-point conference road win was the type of bounce-back victory the Mustangs needed as winter break approaches.
“In the fall it could be tough because you don’t get a lot of games,” O’Brien said. “I’ve been watching video and there’s certain times we put together just some really good phases.”
Long Beach State visits Cal Poly on Saturday, Dec. 13 — a team O’Brien described as a “handful.” The Sharks played UCLA and Saint Mary’s tough, according to O’Brien.
The Mustangs’ second side also defeated the Hornets, 48-0, in a shortened match.
The Hornets won the D1AA national championship in 2023. They’ve been playing in the D1A California Conference since then.
The Mustangs narrowly lost to No. 8 BYU in San Luis Obispo in mid-November, 21-12.