CLU Hits Hard Times, Loses, 42-6

The biggest ovation at Mustang Stadium on Saturday night had nothing to do with the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo football team.

News of Kirk Gibson’s game-winning home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a baseball game played 200 miles south of here drew the loudest ovation from the 2,300 spectators.

As for the football game, Mustang fans did most of their cheering in the first 30 minutes as San Luis Obispo jumped ahead, 21-0, at halftime en route to a 42-6 Western Football Conference victory over Cal Lutheran.

The Kingsmen (2-4, 0-2) gained only 151 total yards, including 14 rushing in 30 carries, in losing their fourth consecutive game.

“They’re a better football team than we are,” Coach Bob Shoup said. “We have a lot of young kids who made a lot of mistakes.”

San Luis Obispo improved to 3-3 and evened its conference record at 2-2. The Mustangs had 461 total yards, including 176 rushing.

Cal Lutheran’s most significant achievement was punter Kent Sullivan’s WFC record 11 punts.

Cal Lutheran’s only touchdown came in the final 2:15. Quarterback Jim Bees hit wide receiver John Bankhead on a 1-yard scoring pass.

Quarterback Tom Sullivan completed 7 of 13 passes for 228 yards and 2 touchdowns to pace the Mustang victory. Halfback Todd Henderson rushed for a game-high 90 yards in 13 carries and 2 touchdowns.

San Luis Obispo stung the Kingsmen on its first play. Henderson burst through the middle for a 58-yard touchdown with 12:24 left in the first quarter.

Henderson put the Mustangs ahead, 14-0, on a 4-yard scoring run with 14:49 to play in the second quarter. San Luis Obispo moved 75 yards in 10 plays for the score.

Sullivan connected with Terry Cole on a 54-yard pass, the first of Cole’s 2 touchdown catches, to give San Luis Obispo a 21-0 lead with 11:27 left in the first half.

Cal Lutheran failed to take advantage of an excellent scoring opportunity before intermission. Henderson fumbled at the Mustang 27-yard line, giving the Kingsmen their best field position of the first half.

But defensive back Rene Oliver intercepted a Bees pass to stall the Kingsmen drive as time ran out in the period

Sullivan connected with Cole on a 75-yard scoring pass play with 3:08 left in the third quarter. Backup quarterback David Lafferty threw 2 touchdowns in the final 3 minutes to complete the Mustangs’ scoring binge.

Bees completed 18 of 34 for 131 yards and 1 interception.