Inside Cal Poly Football’s new quarterback rotation
This is a cross-published piece with Mustang News, more information can be found here.
Since the start of Big Sky Conference play, the Cal Poly offense has had three different quarterbacks on the roster play meaningful snaps.
The Mustangs (2-3, 1-1 Big Sky) switched from being primarily pass-oriented to a brute force on the run while employing a multi-quarterback system.
Cal Poly ran the ball 100 times through the past two games for 585 yards. In the first three combined, they went to the ground 60 times for 84 yards.
Starting quarterback Jaden Jones did not attend practice on Tuesday and was confirmed Wednesday to be out with a concussion.
With Jones out, expect a mix of snaps from both redshirt sophomore quarterbacks Richie Watts and Bo Kelly after a strong second-half effort against Idaho State.
However, they still have plenty to prove with a gauntlet of Big Sky matchups in the coming weeks.
The Mustangs play No. 6 UC Davis on the road this Saturday, Oct. 12, in the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe at 4 p.m.
They will play another road match on Oct. 19 against the University of Idaho, the Big Sky runner-up a season ago.
This transformation for the Mustangs came from a series of trial and error they gradually learned through their first five games.
Offensive struggles during pre-conference play
First, the Mustangs’ offense struggled to move the ball in their opener against the University of San Diego, a team they had not lost to in seven years.
Cal Poly only possessed the ball for 21 minutes of the game.
Kelly’s poor performance in throwing two interception touchdowns did not help and ultimately cost them the game.
The Toreros’ dominance in the run game and offensive possession also limited Cal Poly’s offense’s opportunities on the field.
The rush collected just one first down in each of the first three games, and the rest were in the air. The Mustangs also did not possess the ball for more than 26 minutes in the first three games.
An immediate switch in conference play with Jaden Jones
To begin conference play, Cal Poly faced off against Northern Colorado. The Bears finished last in the Big Sky Conference in the 2023 season, but this year, they controlled possession through a strong run game.
The Mustangs were defeated by the University of San Diego using that same strategy, so they took a different approach.
A good way the offense could counter that is to employ a strong running scheme to keep the Bears’ offense off the field for longer.
After two unsuccessful drives with Kelly, head coach Paul Wulff brought in Jones, who, with his mobility, brought a different style of play.
Jones was the team’s starting quarterback in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury.
The Mustangs went on to beat Northern Colorado with a convincing 28-7 final. Jones rushed four times for 74 yards and threw a 95-yard touchdown to redshirt junior receiver Michael Briscoe.
Watts also took some snaps in the win but had a much more significant role against Idaho State.
With a 120-yard game on 23 carries for redshirt freshman running back Aiden Ramos, it became all the more convincing for the offense to roll with the run.
“All three of those guys have done some really nice things, [so] don’t be surprised to continue to see something like that,” Wulff said in practice following their victory against Northern Colorado.
Watts’ emergence in the rush
Jones started his first game of the season against the Idaho State Bengals last Saturday.
He completed six of nine attempts for 48 yards in the first half and rushed four times for 58 yards.
However, a hit to the head caused a fumble with a minute left in the second quarter, which put him out of commission for the rest of the game.
As a result, the Mustangs played to the strengths of Watts and Kelly in the second half.
“All these guys have been working hard, and they all deserve an opportunity to play a little bit,” Wulff said before the Idaho State game. “We are trying to use player strengths and what they do well and create more problems for defenses.”
Watts had rushed four times for eight yards against Northern Colorado but scored a rushing touchdown. He also completed a five-yard passing touchdown in that appearance.
However, the University at Buffalo transfer rushed for 115 yards on 18 attempts against Idaho State, reaching the end zone twice.
After averaging just 3.8 rush yards a game during his season at the College of San Mateo two years ago, Watts’ running ability has been a newfound strength.
“It was one of those opportunities where you feel like, over time, you mature, and you kind of grow into your body,” Watts said Tuesday. “The past couple years I’ve [grown] into my body and move a little better than I used to.”
How Kelly can revitalize his role on the team
After Wulff pulled Kelly from the Northern Colorado game, he never returned. It was also unclear whether Kelly would have played if Jones did not get hurt.
Kelly played a secondary role to Watts’ rush attack against the Bengals but made the most of his opportunities, completing all six passing attempts for 65 yards.
He converted a crucial third-and-long in the third quarter after being subbed on that play, eventually leading to a touchdown.
Kelly almost did the same in the fourth on the final drive but completed a nine-yard pass just one-yard shy of first down.
Watts fell short on fourth down, leading Idaho State to complete a game-winning drive.
Despite getting fewer opportunities to play, Kelly applauds the improvement of this multi-quarterback system.
“I’m just ready for whatever my name’s called, I’m not really thinking too much into it,” Kelly said.
The last game indicated that Kelly is still trusted to throw the football. However, if a Watts-Kelly duo will work for these next few weeks, Kelly must maximize his opportunities.
Failing to limit turnovers and keep possession has cost Cal Poly multiple games.
Kelly has improved in handling the football and has not thrown an interception since the second game of the season, but the next step is to keep possession by converting on third and long and creating longer drives.
Wulff returns to his high school hometown at No. 6 UC Davis this Saturday, Oct. 12, in the Battle of the Golden Horseshoe at 4 p.m. at UC Davis Health Stadium.
