2021 Cal Poly Mustangs football team

The 2021 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Beau Baldwin, the Mustangs compiled an overall record of 2–9 with a mark of 1–7 in conference play, tying for 11th place in the Big Sky. Cal poly played home games at Mustang Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California.

2021 Cal Poly Mustangs football
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record2–9 (1–7 Big Sky)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorNick Edwards (2nd season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorJ. C. Sherritt (2nd season)
Base defense3–4
Home stadiumAlex G. Spanos Stadium
Seasons
 2020
2022 
2021 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 10 Sacramento State $^ 80  93 
No. 2 Montana State ^ 71  113 
No. 7 Eastern Washington ^ 62  103 
No. 6 Montana ^ 62  103 
No. 17 UC Davis ^ 53  84 
Weber State 53  65 
Northern Arizona 44  56 
Portland State 44  56 
Idaho 35  47 
Northern Colorado 26  38 
Cal Poly 17  29 
Idaho State 17  110 
Southern Utah 08  110 
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll

Schedule

edit
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 42:05 p.m.at San Diego*W 28–172,966
September 117:05 p.m.at Fresno State*CW59L 10–6330,119
September 185:05 p.m.South Dakota*ESPN+L 14–4811,075
September 2512:00 p.m.at No. 4 MontanaESPN+L 7–3925,600
October 25:05 p.m.No. 19 Weber Statedagger
  • Alex G. Spanos Stadium
  • San Luis Obispo, CA
ESPN+L 7–387,089
October 91:00 p.m.at No. 10 Montana StateRTNWL 7–4519,847
October 235:05 p.m.No. 10 UC Davis
ESPN+L 13–249,573
October 302:05 p.m.at Portland StateESPN+L 21–423,245
November 66:00 p.m.at No. 16 Sacramento StateESPN+L 9–417,287
November 135:05 p.m.Idaho State
  • Alex G. Spanos Stadium
  • San Luis Obispo, CA
ESPN+W 32–295,651
November 205:05 p.m.Northern Arizona
  • Alex G. Spanos Stadium
  • San Luis Obispo, CA
ESPN+L 21–456,371
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Pacific time

[1][2][3]

Preseason

edit

Polls

edit

On July 26, 2021, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Mustangs were predicted to finish twelfth in the Big Sky by the coaches and last in the media.[4]

Preseason All–Big Sky team

edit

The Mustangs did not have any players selected to the preseason all-Big Sky team.[5]

Game summaries

edit

At San Diego

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Mustangs 7 7 0 14 28
Toreros 7 0 3 7 17

At Fresno State

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Mustangs 0 10 0 0 10
Bulldogs 7 28 21 7 63

South Dakota

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Coyotes 21 20 0 7 48
Mustangs 7 0 0 7 14

At No. 4 Montana

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Mustangs 0 0 0 7 7
No. 4 Grizzlies 15 3 21 0 39

No. 19 Weber State

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
No. 19 Wildcats 7 21 10 0 38
Mustangs 7 0 0 0 7

At No. 10 Montana State

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Mustangs 0 0 7 0 7
No. 10 Bobcats 7 28 7 3 45

No. 10 UC Davis

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
No. 10 Aggies 0 10 14 0 24
Mustangs 0 7 6 0 13

At Portland State

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Mustangs 6 0 8 7 21
Vikings 14 0 7 21 42

At No. 16 Sacramento State

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Mustangs 0 9 0 0 9
No. 16 Hornets 14 10 10 7 41

Idaho State

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Bengals 7 7 0 15 29
Mustangs 7 7 12 6 32

Northern Arizona

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Lumberjacks 7 31 7 0 45
Mustangs 7 7 0 7 21

References

edit
  1. "Cal Poly Mustangs Schedule 2021". ESPN. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  2. "2021 Football Schedule". Cal Poly Athletics. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  3. "History (1915–2023)" (PDF). Cal Poly Athletics. p. 27. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  4. "Weber State Picked to Win Big Sky by Coaches and Media". July 26, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  5. "2021 Preseason All-Big Sky Conference Teams Announced". July 26, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.