4-7 , 3-5
North Dakota
7-4 , 5-3
North Dakota Keeps FCS Playoff Hopes Alive With 45-21 Victory
11/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Held to a season low in rushing yards, Cal Poly fell 45-21 to North Dakota in the final game of the 2015 regular season for both teams Saturday night in Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
The newly named Fighting Hawks held Cal Poly's vaunted Triple Option attack, No. 1 in the Football Championship Subdivision in rushing the last three years, to just 153 yards, the lowest Mustang total since the 2011 season opener at San Diego State (137 yards).
While the loss dropped Cal Poly to 4-7 on the year and 3-5 in Big Sky Conference games, North Dakota became playoff eligible with its seventh win of the year, improving to 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the Big Sky with its third straight win.
The Fighting Hawks, who entered the game giving up just 95 yards per game on the ground, scored the first 35 points of the game and never looked back, taking advantage of two Mustang fumbles and a goal-line stand at the one-yard line which North Dakota turned into a 99-yard scoring drive.
Freshman running back John Santiago, the Big Sky leader in rushing, scored three times on runs of 14, 15 and 5 yards and finished with 117 yards on 27 carries. He has 1,459 yards on the year. Santiago has nine 100-yard games this season, accomplishing the feat in each of North Dakota's eight Big Sky contests.
Sophomore quarterback Keaton Studsrud accounted for the other two scores, hitting Clive Georges with a 64-yard scoring pass and Luke Stanley with an eight-yarder. For the game, Studsrud completed 17 of 20 passes for 255 yards.
Cal Poly finally ended the drought midway through the third quarter as senior quarterback Chris Brown scored the first of his two touchdowns in the game, a three-yard run with 7:01 to go in the period.
Brown also ran one yard for the final score of the game and hit Roland Jackson Jr. with a 61-yard pass with 10 seconds to go in the third quarter.
Brown, who needed 29 yards on the ground and 65 more through the air to reach 3,000 career yards in each category, rushed for 63 yards on 21 carries and completed 11 of 19 passes for a season-high 211 yards.
Only two other active players in the FCS have 3,000 career yards both rushing and passing – Jacob Huesman of Chattanooga and John Robertson of Villanova.
With his two touchdown runs Saturday, Brown completed his Mustang career with 75 touchdowns scored, tying the school record.
North Dakota's final 10 points of the game came via a 24-yard field goal by Reid Taubenheim and a fumble recovery in the end zone by Kyle Norberg following his 10-yard run.
Cal Poly's 153 yards on the ground were enough to break the school and Big Sky records for rushing yards in a season. Old mark of 4,221 was set in 12 games last year by the Mustangs and they finish the 11-game 2015 campaign with 4,260 yards.
North Dakota accumulated advantages of 24-18 in first downs, 219-153 in rushing yards, 255-211 in passing yards and 474-364 in total offense. The Fighting Hawks also held a 10-minute advantage in time of possession.
Cal Poly's defensive leaders were cornerback Karlton Dennis with 12 tackles and a forced fumble and linebacker Tu'uta Inoke with 11 stops. Tackle Jason Patterson contributed two tackles for lost yardage.
Linebacker Will Ratelle notched 11 tackles and recovered a fumble for North Dakota. Strong safety Cole Reyes added 10 tackles, two for lost yardage.
Brown, Inoke, Dennis and Jackson were among the 18 seniors honored in a pregame ceremony prior to playing their final game in a Mustang uniform.
The others were linebacker Burton De Koning, defensive linemen Tyler Alsey, Logan Mayes and Dylan Gutierrez, defensive backs Kaulin Blair, Fernando Cabico and Chris Fletcher, offensive linemen Stephen Sippel and Weston Walker, slot back Frankie Griggs, wide receivers Willie Tucker and Jordan Hines, kicker Stephen Pyle and long snapper Zac Powell.
Photos at top of Roland Jackson Jr. and Chris Brown at left courtesy of Ray Ambler | RA Photos
Team Stats
UND 7, CP 0
UND - John Santiago 14 yd run (Reid Taubenheim kick), 4 plays, 32 yards, TOP 1:50
UND 14, CP 0
UND - John Santiago 15 yd run (Reid Taubenheim kick), 14 plays, 99 yards, TOP 6:54
UND 21, CP 0
UND - Clive Georges 64 yd pass from Keaton Studsrud (Reid Taubenheim kick) 2 plays, 65 yards, TOP 0:49
UND 28, CP 0
UND - Luke Stanley 8 yd pass from Keaton Studsrud (Reid Taubenheim kick) 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:48
UND 35, CP 0
UND - John Santiago 5 yd run (Reid Taubenheim kick), 8 plays, 65 yards, TOP 4:26
UND 35, CP 7
CP - Chris Brown 3 yd run (Stephen Pyle kick), 10 plays, 50 yards, TOP 3:25
UND 35, CP 14
CP - Roland Jackson 61 yd pass from Chris Brown (Stephen Pyle kick) 6 plays, 85 yards, TOP 2:10
UND 38, CP 14
UND - Reid Taubenheim 24 yd field goal 7 plays, 49 yards, TOP 3:36
UND 45, CP 14
UND - Kyle Norberg 0 yd fumble recovery (Reid Taubenheim kick)
UND 45, CP 21
CP - Chris Brown 1 yd run (Stephen Pyle kick), 12 plays, 81 yards, TOP 3:21
