Story and photo courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Senior quarterback Andre Broadous and senior slotback Deonte Williams both surpassed the 100-yard mark in rushing for the second time in their Cal Poly careers as the Mustangs opened their 2012 football season with a 41-14 victory over San Diego in a non-conference game Saturday afternoon in Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
Broadous rushed for 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also passing for 135 yards and two more scores as fourth-year head coach Tim Walsh's Mustangs beat San Diego in just the second meeting between the two California schools. The Mustangs earned a 36-14 victory over the Toreros in 1959, also in San Luis Obispo.
Broadous (pictured at right) completed 12 of 19 passes, including a seven-yard scoring pass to Akaninyene Umoh and a 12-yarder to Williams, both in the fourth quarter. He ran a career-long 56 yards for a touchdown in the third period and added a five-yard run in the final quarter.
Williams netted 109 yards on 21 carries as Cal Poly accumulated 323 yards on 62 rushing plays and compiled a 458-240 advantage in total offense.
Broadous' other career 100-yard game was a 103-yard effort against Northern Illinois a year ago while Williams rushed for 100 yards against UC Davis, also in 2011.
Cal Poly never trailed, building a 13-7 lead at the break. The two teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter – Broadous running 56 yards for Cal Poly and Tobin Gramyk recovering a fumble in the end zone for San Diego – as the Mustangs maintained a six-point cushion at 20-14.
Cal Poly broke the game open with three unanswered touchdowns in the final period as the Mustangs won their season opener for the seventh time in the last 10 years.
San Diego senior quarterback Mason Mills completed 15 of 27 passes for 138 yards, but was held out of the end zone and was intercepted three times. Matthew Reza, Alex Hubbard and Johnny Millard collected the interceptions for Cal Poly.
The Mustangs intercepted three passes in a game three times in 2011.
San Diego's top rusher was Joe Ferguson with 43 yards on 13 carries. Sam Hoekstra caught five passes for 40 yards while Brandon White was on the receiving end of four passes for 47 yards.
Cal Poly's top receiver was sophomore Lance Castaneda with four receptions for 60 yards.
Sophomore linebacker Nick Dzubnar was Cal Poly's leading tackler with nine (eight solo). Senior cornerback Nick Molino and senior linebacker Kennith Jackson each had six. Sophomore safety Dave Douglas recovered a San Diego fumble.
Cal Poly turned the ball over once on a fumble while San Diego committed four turnovers.
In his first game as a Mustang, junior Bobby Zalud kicked a 26-yard field goal to open the scoring, added a 30-yarder in the second period and was perfect on his five extra-point kicks. He transferred to Cal Poly from Arkansas State during the offseason.
Redshirt freshman slotback Kristaan Ivory ran two yards for a Mustang touchdown late in the third quarter, giving Cal Poly a 10-0 advantage.
Darrion Hancock trimmed the Mustangs' lead to 10-7 with a one-yard run five minutes into the second quarter. Zalud's second field goal upped the Cal Poly lead to 13-7 at intermission.
Cal Poly has a bye next week, returning to action Sept. 15 at Wyoming.