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South Dakota State
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Pair of Interception Returns for Touchdowns Spark Cal Poly to Victory
9/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Senior cornerback Asa Jackson returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown while junior quarterback Andre Broadous ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more scores as Cal Poly opened the home portion of its 2011 football schedule Saturday afternoon with a 48-14 victory over South Dakota State before a sellout crowd of 11,075 in Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
Jackson's seventh career interception and second return for a score gave the Cal Poly (1-2) football team, presented by French Hospital Medical Center, a 41-14 advantage late in the third quarter. The Buck Buchanan Award candidate as the best defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision also returned a theft 47 yards for a touchdown against South Dakota State (1-2) in 2009.
Jackson's 100-yard return on Youth Day and Armed Forces Day tied the school record for the longest interception return, accomplished once before by Ross Bauer against San Francisco State in 1968.
Broadous, in his first career start at home following six starts on the road over the last two seasons, completed 12 of 16 passes for a career-high 213 yards, including scoring strikes of 29 yards to senior wide receiver Jarred Houston in the opening six minutes of the game and a 69-yarder over the middle to senior slotback Mark Rodgers early in the second period.
Broadous also ran 23 yards for a touchdown eight seconds into the second quarter and plunged one yard for another score early in the third period, finishing with 69 yards on 13 trips.
Senior fullback Jake Romanelli reached the 100-yard mark in rushing for the second time in his career, netting exactly 100 yards on 17 carries and scoring once on an 11-yard run, Cal Poly's final score of the game. Romanelli, who rushed for 98 yards last week at Montana, gained 108 yards against Southern Utah in 2009 for his other 100-yard game as a Mustang.
After Houston's 29-yard scoring pass from Broadous gave Cal Poly a 7-0 lead, South Dakota State answered with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Thomas O'Brien to Zach Zenner late in the first quarter, tying the game at 7-7.
The 23-yard run by Broadous gave Cal Poly the lead for good and began a streak of 27 unanswered Mustang points. Included in the run was a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown by junior cornerback Bijon Samoodi with 4:07 to play in the first half.
The interception returns for touchdowns by Jackson and Samoodi marked the first time Cal Poly returned two thefts for scores in the same game since 2004 when Jordan Beck and Joey Warren accomplished the feat against Idaho State.
South Dakota State ended Cal Poly's scoring run with a six-yard touchdown pass from O'Brien to Jason Schneider, cutting Cal Poly's lead to 34-14 with 9:24 to go in the third period.
But the Mustangs scored the final two touchdowns of the game on Jackson's 100-yard interception return and Romanelli's 11-yard run.
The two teams combined for 967 yards of total offense and 50 first downs. Cal Poly had a slight advantage in both departments – 522-445 in yards and 27-23 in first downs – but South Dakota State amassed 407 yards through the air while the Mustang defense held the Jackrabbits to just 38 yards on the ground.
Broadous' top receivers were Rodgers and freshmen Lance Castadena and Chris Nicholls, each with three catches.
O'Brien completed 28 of 45 passes for 376 yards and two scores. His favorite targets were Aaron Rollin with nine catches for 109 yards and Dale Moss with eight receptions for 106 yards.
Samoodi led Cal Poly defensively with 11 tackles while sophomore cornerback Vante Smith-Johnson had nine. Freshman linebacker Nick Dzubnar also notched an interception for the Mustangs, who created three turnovers in the game, all interceptions, for their first turnovers of the season.
Cal Poly also notched its first five sacks of the year, with senior end Kyle Murphy recording three and sophomore tackle Sullivan Grosz getting the other two.
Dirk Kool and Mike Lien led the Jackrabbits in tackles with 13 and 10 respectively.
Cal Poly graduates Jake Rose and Rob Marrs piloted F/A-18C Hornets over Alex G. Spanos Stadium in a U.S. Navy flyover following the National Anthem. The 10-year naval aviators were honored at halftime for their service to the nation.
Cal Poly visits Northern Illinois next Saturday for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff in DeKalb, Ill. The Huskies, 2010 Humanitarian Bowl winners over Fresno State, fell to 1-2 on the year Saturday, dropping a 49-7 decision at home to Wisconsin.
Team Stats
SDS 0, CP 7
CP - Jarred Houston 29 yd pass from Andre Broadous (James Langford kick) 12 plays, 79 yards, TOP 3:41
SDS 7, CP 7
SDS - Zach Zenner 36 yd pass from Thomas O'Brien (Kyle Harris kick) 6 plays, 56 yards, TOP 3:01
SDS 7, CP 14
CP - Andre Broadous 23 yd run (James Langford kick), 7 plays, 51 yards, TOP 1:58
SDS 7, CP 21
CP - Mark Rodgers 69 yd pass from Andre Broadous (James Langford kick) 4 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:24
SDS 7, CP 27
CP - Bijon Samoodi 46 yd interception (James Langford kickfailed)
SDS 7, CP 34
CP - Andre Broadous 1 yd run (James Langford kick), 8 plays, 81 yards, TOP 2:16
SDS 14, CP 34
SDS - Jason Schneider 6 yd pass from Thomas O'Brien (Kyle Harris kick) 9 plays, 83 yards, TOP 3:11
SDS 14, CP 41
CP - Asa Jackson 100 yd interception (James Langford kick)
SDS 14, CP 48
CP - Jake Romanelli 11 yd run (James Langford kick), 10 plays, 78 yards, TOP 3:35
