# 2016 Cal Poly Mustangs football team

The 2016 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Tim Walsh, Cal Poly compiled an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the Big Sky. The Mustangs received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where they lost to San Diego in the first round. The team played home games at Mustang Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 6:30 pm | at Nevada* | | Mackay StadiumReno, NV | Campus Insiders | L 27–30 $^{OT}$ | 19,138 |
| September 10 | 6:05 pm | San Diego* | | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | GoPoly | W 38–16 | 6,251 |
| September 17 | 4:00 pm | at No. 9 South Dakota State* | | Dana J. Dykhouse StadiumBrookings, SD | ESPN3 | W 38–31 | 16,887 |
| September 24 | 12:00 pm | No. 6 Montana | | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | RTNW | W 42–41 | 8,156 |
| October 1 | 11:00 am | at North Dakota | No. 16 | Alerus CenterGrand Forks, ND | Midco SN | L 24–31 | 10,097 |
| October 15 | 2:30 pm | at Portland State | No. 19 | Providence ParkPortland, OR | GoPoly | W 55–35 | 4,019 |
| October 22 | 6:05 pm | UC Davis | No. T–17 | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA (Battle for the Golden Horseshoe) | GoPoly | W 21–16 | 11,075 |
| October 29 | 6:00 pm | at Sacramento State | No. 14 | Hornet StadiumSacramento, CA | GoPoly | W 59–47 | 5,334 |
| November 5 | 6:05 pm | No. 3 Eastern Washington | No. 14 | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | GoPoly | L 21–42 | 9,722 |
| November 12 | 11:00 am | at Weber State | No. 16 | Stewart StadiumOgden, UT | KJZZ | L 15–22 | 7,821 |
| November 19 | 6:05 pm | Northern Colorado | No. 21 | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | GoPoly | W 55–48 | 6,863 |
| November 26 | 4:00 pm | No. 24 San Diego* | No. 21 | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA (NCAA Division I First Round) | ESPN3 | L 21–35 | 3,356 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Pacific time ||||||||

## Ranking

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | — | RV | RV | RV | 16 | 21 | 19 | 17–T | 14 | 14 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 24 |
| Coaches | — | RV | RV | RV | 18 | 22 | 20 | 18–T | 17 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 21–T |

## Game summaries
### At Nevada

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Mustangs | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
| Wolf Pack | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 30 |

### San Diego

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Toreros | 0 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| Mustangs | 10 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 38 |

### At South Dakota State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mustangs | 7 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 38 |
| #9 Jackrabbits | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 31 |

### Montana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #6 Grizzlies | 7 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
| Mustangs | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |

### At North Dakota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #16 Mustangs | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Fighting Hawks | 10 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 31 |

### At Portland State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #19 Mustangs | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 55 |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |

### UC Davis

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Aggies | 6 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
| #17–T Mustangs | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |

### At Sacramento State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #14 Mustangs | 14 | 3 | 21 | 21 | 59 |
| Hornets | 7 | 14 | 0 | 26 | 47 |

### Eastern Washington

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #3 Eagles | 14 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 42 |
| #14 Mustangs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |

### At Weber State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #16 Mustangs | 0 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 15 |
| Wildcats | 12 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 22 |

### Northern Colorado

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 7 | 17 | 7 | 17 | 48 |
| #21 Mustangs | 21 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 55 |

### San Diego–NCAA Division I First Round

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #24 Toreros | 14 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| #21 Mustangs | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |