Late rally fails for Mustangs against No. 13 Idaho

MOSCOW, ID – Mustang quarterback Bo Kelly threw for a career-high 268 yards and two touchdowns and Cal Poly's defense had both an interception and a fumble recovery, but the Mustangs (2-5, 1-3 Big Sky) were unable to hold on as No .13 Idaho rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Cal Poly 34-29 on Saturday at the Kibbie Dome.

Kelly, who completed 14 of his first 15 pass attempts entering the game, finished 29-41 with two touchdowns and one interception. Senior wideout Giancarlo Woods led all Mustang receivers with eight receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, it was a monumental day for the senior defensive end Elijah Ponder When he notched a sack, he was the sole owner of the third-most sacks in program history with 25. It was also a big day for the cornerback Kai Rapolla He recorded both an interception and a fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown in addition to seven tackles. Security Mason Rivera led the Mustangs with 11 tackles.

The Vandals got on the field first on their second drive of the game and hit a 44-yard field goal with 90 seconds left in the first quarter to take a 3-0 lead. Cal Poly responded with its first drive of the second quarter, covering 75 yards in 13 plays, capped by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Kelly to Woods in the back of the end zone that gave the Mustangs a 7-3 lead.

After forcing an Idaho punt, the Mustangs put together another impressive drive, covering 63 yards in six plays to give Cal Poly a 14-3 lead. The ride was highlighted by Michael Briscoe He fought through tacklers and took it 50 yards to the Vandal two-yard line, setting up a touchdown pass a few plays later Richie Watts to freshman tight end Alex Marshall.

Cal Poly's defense came up big on Idaho's next drive. After the Vandals fended off a big play that put them at the Mustangs' six-yard line, Cal Poly held them out of the end zone and forced Idaho to settle for a field goal to take a 14-yard lead at halftime :6 to hold.

On the first drive of the second half, Idaho drove 93 yards down the field in seven plays and scored on an eight-yard pass. They then converted the two-point try three minutes into the third quarter to tie the game at 14. After a Mustang punt, Idaho got the ball back and drove 65 yards downfield for another touchdown. Cal Poly Security Brian Dukes Jr. was able to fend off an attempt to score an extra point and regain the score to make it 20-16 midway through the third period.

The Vandals took a 27-16 lead after making three big offensive plays, capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass, and completing a 76-yard drive. The Mustang defense kept the Mustangs alive with a big stop after the cornerback Kai Rapolla came up with an interception at the Cal Poly 34-yard line to keep the deficit at 11.

However, the Mustangs gave the ball back to Idaho after a pass from Kelly was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by the Vandals, giving them the ball at midfield. Six plays later, Idaho scored a 21-yard touchdown pass to extend its lead to 34-16.

The Mustangs scored a touchdown with 2:39 left in the fourth when Kelly Woods scored on an end zone fade from four yards out, allowing Woods' second touchdown of the game to make it 34-23.

With just over a minute left, the Mustangs were able to force the Vandals to fumble when Rapolla recovered the loose ball at the 29-yard line and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown to put the Mustangs up 34-29. However, Cal Poly was unable to convert either of the two conversions or the onside kick as Idaho was running out of time.

Cal Poly will have its final bye week of the season next week before returning home against No. 11 Montana on Nov. 2, beginning a run of three straight home games. Kickoff time against the Grizzlies is 2:00 p.m