SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Senior quarterback Anthony Garnett ran for one touchdown and passed for another, leading Cal Poly to a 37-13 victory over Sacramento State in a non-conference football game Saturday night before 6,786 in Mustang Stadium.
Garnett, who completed 14 of 23 passes for 210 yards, connected with Ramses Barden on a 38-yard scoring pass early in the third quarter, giving Cal Poly (1-1) a 17-7 lead.
Less than two minutes into the final period, Garnett sneaked one yard for another touchdown and a 31-7 Mustang advantage.
Sacramento State (0-2), which has lost its last three games and four of five to Cal Poly, was held to 238 yards in total offense while the Mustangs amassed 398 total yards.
Mustang redshirt freshman James Noble, in his first career start, gained 108 yards on 20 carries, scoring Cal Poly's first touchdown of the game on a 24-yard run.
After Sacramento State tied the game at 7-7 on Phil;ip Perry's 22-yard touchdown catch from Chris Hurd, Cal Poly took the lead for good on a 43-yard field goal by Nick Coromelas with 58 seconds to go in the first half. Cal Poly led 10-7 at the break.
Cal Poly's second-half scores included a nine-yard run by Adam Martinez midway through the third quarter and an eight-yard run by Fred Hives II midway through the fourth period.
Chris Cavender scored Sacramento State's final points on a 26-yard pass from Brad Tredway with 49 seconds to play.
Sophomore running back Ryan Mole rushed for 98 yards on 23 carries for Sacramento State. Hurd completed 11 of 19 passes for 94 yards but was picked off twice by Mustang junior cornerback Courtney Brown. Tredway connected on eight of 12 passes for 64 yards.
Top receivers in the game were Sacramento State's Ryan Coogler with six catches for 15 yards and Cal Poly's Jonah Russell with four receptions for 82 yards.
Mustang linebacker Kyle Shotwell led all defenders in the game with 12 tackles, including seven solo sops. Defensive end Chris Gocong, a Buck Buchanan Award candidate, added nine tackles, including a pair of sacks. He led Division I-AA in sacks a year ago with 17.5.
Prior to the game, ground breaking ceremonies for the Alex G. Spanos Stadium Renovation Project were held on the Richard J. O'Neill Green. The $21.5 million project is expected to be completed in August 2006 and will raise seating capacity to 10,000.
Cal Poly will host Montana State next Saturday at 6 p.m. in Mustang Stadium.
