Cal Lutheran Is Victim of Cal Poly’s Slow Burn

The best that could be said about Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s 51-23 win at Cal Lutheran on Saturday is that it ended--glory hallelujah--finally. Actually, churned to a masochistic halt is more accurate. Midway through the hourlong third quarter, a lot of people wondered which would come first, the millennium or the final gun.

So invigorating was this game, which seemed to last a thousand years, that the story line went like this: The Mustangs and the Kingsmen combined to break the Western Football Conference record for 1) most penalties 2) most penalty yards and 3) most bickering and blabbering between opposing linemen.

By the unglorious end, CLU Coach Bob Shoup looked as if he wanted to throw himself off a building.

“We made mistakes in our kicking game,” he said. “We gave them two scores that were tragic errors. We had too many penalties, held too much on offense and we turned Tom Bonds into a fugitive.”

What Shoup was trying to say was--his team, specifically the offensive line, played poorly.

Cal Poly defensive lineman Tom Carey spent the afternoon making life miserable for Bonds.

“We came to put a program of discouragement on their quarterback,” said Carey, who had a couple of sacks and came close on numerous other occasions. “We knew he was good and we knew he was going to throw about 60 times.”

Bonds may have dropped back to pass about 60 times, but he managed to get off only 24 throws, 8 of which were completed for 146 yards. He gained 54 yards on the ground, lost 73, and netted minus-19 total rushing yards.

Said the fatigued fugitive: “It was frustrating to have them in our backfield so much. We had a lot of heart, but it just got away from us.”

But was the “program of discouragement” effective?

“Nah, I wasn’t affected mentally,” Bonds said. “Just frustrated.”

Bonds said the worst instance came in the third quarter, moments after the Kingsmen had scored a safety to draw within eight points, 31-23. “We had the momentum, but then it shifted.”

After the safety, the Mustangs punted and the Kingsmen wound up with good field position on their own 45. But a personal foul on CLU moved the ball back to the 30. Bonds then threw two incomplete passes. A subsequent unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on one of the Kingsmen coaches moved the ball back to the 15.

Bonds was then sacked at the one-yard line. End of drive, end of Cal Lutheran’s chances of winning.

“It was ridiculous,” Bonds said. “Ridiculous.”

Particularly telling in the conference opener for both teams was the fact that Cal Lutheran (1-1) rolled up more yardage in penalties than it did in total offense. All told, the Kingsmen were penalized 15 times for 188 yards. The offense netted 134 yards--and minus-29 yards rushing. For its part, Cal Poly was penalized 14 times for 100 yards, but its offense overcame its problems, netting 456 yards. The Mustangs had 308 yards rushing.

Running backs Todd Henderson and Allen Survia combined for 190 yards and three touchdowns.

It became apparent on the first Cal Poly possession that its game plan was to cram the ball down the Kingsmen’s throats. Ten of the first 13 plays were running plays, most of which went for five or more yards.

Meanwhile, the Kingsmen revealed their game plan--which was to self-destruct--on the same series of downs. On an important fourth-and-seven play, the Mustangs faked a punt and blocking back David Graves was tackled short of a first down by a passel of Cal Lutheran defenders near the CLU 40-yard line.

The Kingsmen, however, had used 12 men on the play, giving Cal Poly (2-0) the ball and a first down at the 25. A minute later, quarterback Tom Sullivan hit Lance Martin in the end zone on a 21-yard pass. The Kingsmen used the 12-man formation again on the point-after attempt, but Sean Pierce’s kick was good anyway to make the score, 7-0.

Strangely, amid what Cal Lutheran linebacker Terry Rowe called “stupid mistakes,” the Kingsmen and Mustangs managed to make some brilliant plays.

Bonds completed a 43-yard pass to John Bankhead, and then hit Bankhead again for a 13-yard touchdown to tie the score, 7-7, in the first quarter.

Carey blocked a Kent Sullivan punt into the end zone where Steve Klaus fell on the ball to put Cal Poly ahead, 17-7.

After another Mustang touchdown, Bonds came back with a 72-yard touchdown pass to Bankhead with a minute left in the first half. For a few nervous moments, it looked as if that play might be called back, but officials ruled that offsetting penalties occurred after the play--the touchdown would stand.

After the safety and subsequent penalties, though, CLU could not conjure up enough good plays to counter its boneheaded mistakes.