# 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.

## Preseason
### Polls

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.
Coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Weber State | (7) |
| 2 | Montana | (3) |
| 3 | Eastern Washington | (2) |
| 4 | Montana State | (1) |
| 5 | Sacramento State | (1) |
| 6 | UC Davis | |
| 7 | Northern Arizona | |
| 8 | Idaho | |
| 9 | Idaho State | |
| 10 | Portland State | |
| 11 | Southern Utah | |
| 12 | Cal Poly | |
| 13 | Northern Colorado | |
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Weber State | (14) |
| 2 | Montana | (4) |
| 3 | Eastern Washington | (3) |
| 4 | Montana State | (3) |
| 5 | Sacramento State | |
| 6 | UC Davis | |
| 7 | Northern Arizona | |
| 8 | Idaho | |
| 9 | Idaho State | |
| 10 | Portland State | |
| 11 | Southern Utah | |
| 12 | Northern Colorado | |
| 13 | Cal Poly | |

### Preseason All–Big Sky team

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

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 4 | 2:05 p.m. | at San Diego* | Torero StadiumSan Diego, CA | | W 28–17 | 2,966 |
| September 11 | 7:05 p.m. | at Fresno State* | Bulldog StadiumFresno, CA | CW59 | L 10–63 | 30,119 |
| September 18 | 5:05 p.m. | South Dakota* | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | ESPN+ | L 14–48 | 11,075 |
| September 25 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 4 Montana | Washington–Grizzly StadiumMissoula, MT | ESPN+ | L 7–39 | 25,600 |
| October 2 | 5:05 p.m. | No. 19 Weber State | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | ESPN+ | L 7–38 | 7,089 |
| October 9 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 10 Montana State | Bobcat StadiumBozeman, MT | RTNW | L 7–45 | 19,847 |
| October 23 | 5:05 p.m. | No. 10 UC Davis | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA (Battle for the Golden Horseshoe) | ESPN+ | L 13–24 | 9,573 |
| October 30 | 2:05 p.m. | at Portland State | Hillsboro StadiumHillsboro, OR | ESPN+ | L 21–42 | 3,245 |
| November 6 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 16 Sacramento State | Hornet StadiumSacaramento, CA | ESPN+ | L 9–41 | 7,287 |
| November 13 | 5:05 p.m. | Idaho State | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | ESPN+ | W 32–29 | 5,651 |
| November 20 | 5:05 p.m. | Northern Arizona | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | ESPN+ | L 21–45 | 6,371 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Pacific time |||||||

## Game summaries
### At San Diego

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

### At Fresno State

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

### South Dakota

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

### At No. 4 Montana

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

### No. 19 Weber State

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

### At No. 10 Montana State

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

### No. 10 UC Davis

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

### At Portland State

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

### At No. 16 Sacramento State

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

### Idaho State

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

### Northern Arizona

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