By ERIC W. BURDICK
Cal Poly Sports information
A total of 95 football players — 42 veterans, 18 redshirts, seven transfers and 28 newcomers — opened fall amp on Monday at Cal Poly with plenty of energy, excitement, optimism and expectations.
“It was a really good day,” said seventh-year Mustang head coach Tim Walsh. “The energy level was exceptionally great, especially from within the players.
“Chris Brown, Weston Walker and Stephen Sippel set the standard at the start of practice and the first two units played at a high efficiency level,” Walsh added. “Some of the newcomers, led by D.J. Peluso, picked up on the energy and expectations we have. I am excited about what I saw offensively.”
Sixteen of the veterans started at least five games a year ago, led by nine returning starters on offense. The defense has five holes to fill, mostly up the middle at the tackle, middle linebacker and safety positions, but Walsh liked what he saw Monday afternoon on the upper field of the Cal Poly Sports Complex.
“I really think that our defense probably is deeper at every position,” said Walsh. “Are we better? We’re looking for that answer during these first three weeks of practice. Shoes have to be filled and we’ll see how we have improved up the middle.”
Gone are tackle Chris Lawrence, linebackers Nick Dzubnar and Cameron Ontko and safeties Dave Douglas and Jordan Williams.
Augustino Elisaia, who played all 12 games as a true freshman a year ago, and Jason Patterson, back from a 2014 Spring Game knee injury which sidelined him throughout the 2014 season, are back to fill Lawrence’s void.
Burt De Koning (43 tackles in 2014) is the heir apparent to Ontko’s spot at Will linebacker while Tu’uta Inoke (29 tackles) and Boise State transfer Chris Santini are ready to replace Dzubnar in the middle. Both De Koning and Inoke played all 12 games at Cal Poly a year ago.
The safety corps is led by three-year letterman Kaulin Blair (15 tackles, three breakups in 2014), B.J. Nard (who is finally ready to play after suffering a serious knee injury in the 2013 Fall Camp) and Washington State transfer Kevin Griffin.
As was the case Monday, Tuesday’s practice will be with helmets only, followed by practices Wednesday and Thursday with helmets and shoulder pads. The first full-padded practice is set for Friday afternoon. All sessions will begin at 2:50 p.m.
Two-a-day practice sessions are scheduled for Saturday along with August 18, 20, 22, 25, 27 and 29 and the Mustangs will not practice on Sundays. Fall Camp ends August 29 and the Mustangs will take a day off before beginning preparations for the Montana game on Monday, August 31.
All practices are open to the public.
Cal Poly, which claimed four Great West titles in the conference’s eight-season run and captured the Big Sky Conference title in 2012, its first season in the 13-team league, is coming off a 7-5 campaign in 2014, finishing in a tie for fifth place with Northern Arizona in the Big Sky with a 5-3 mark. The Mustangs are 17-7 in their first three seasons in the conference.
Cal Poly played its first football game 100 years ago after hiring its first coach, D.W. Schlosser in 1915. The Mustangs’ 97th season of football — Cal Poly didn’t play in 1918 due to a flu epidemic, in 1930 due to a polio epidemic and in 1943 and 1944 due to World War II — officially begins Saturday, Sept. 5, at Montana.
The Mustangs play their home opener Sept. 19 against Northern Iowa in Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
