Saturday, November 26, 2016
The Pioneer Football League's champion San Diego makes its second NCAA Division I Football Championship appearance when it tavels to in-state foe Cal Poly, an at-large pick from the Bid Sky Conference, for opening round action, Saturday on ESPN3.
San Diego at Cal Poly, 7 p.m.
Video: ESPN3
Setting the Scene: The newly nationally-ranked Toreros travel northward seeking their first victory in the postseason tournament, which also would be the PFL’s first win since receiving an automatic bid in 2013. San Diego and Cal Poly met in Week 2 of the 2016 campaign, the Mustangs winning by a 38-16 scoreline. Saturday’s rematch will pit the FCS’ No. 5 and 6 runners against each other. Cal Poly’s Joe Protheroe finished the season averaging 121.2 rushing yards per game with 11 touchdowns. San Diego’s Jonah Hodges posted 119.0 rushing yards per game and scored 15 touchdowns.
San Diego Story to Watch: Make a Statement Against the Run. San Diego’s pass defense garners a great deal of attention, but its run defense has been just as stout in 2016 with one exception – the Cal Poly contest. The Toreros held nine of their 10 opponents to less than 85 yards on the ground in 2016, winning each of those contests. However, San Diego surrendered 354 of the 822 rushing yards it allowed in 2016 to the Mustangs in Week 2 – Protheroe running for 131 yards while quarterback Dano Graves chipped in 98 rushing yards.
Cal Poly Story to Watch: Make the Toreros experience déjà vu. The Mustangs only need look back to Week 2 to see how to contain the Toreros, as they are the only team to hold San Diego to less than 390 offensive yards this season. However, they will run into a Toreros squad that is a little different creature than it faced in that first meeting, particularly running back Jonah Hodges. Hodges was held to 93 rushing yards in the season’s first meeting, but didn’t really find his legs until Week 4 and has since broken off 100-plus yards in six of his last seven outings.