Nov. 20, 2005

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Redshirt freshman running back James Noble broke a school record by rushing for five touchdowns and gained 248 yards to lead No. 13 Cal Poly to a 35-10 victory over Idaho State in a non-conference NCAA Division I-AA football game Saturday night before 6,339 in Mustang Stadium.

With the win, Cal Poly improved to 8-3 on the season -- recording its third straight winning season for the first time since Mustang head coach Joe Harper guided Cal Poly to 13 consecutive winning campaigns from 1968-80.

Idaho State, which knocked Cal Poly out of the running for a playoff berth in 2003 with a come-from-behind 38-31 victory in Mustang Stadium, finishes its 2005 season 5-6.

The Mustangs will learn Sunday morning at 10 a.m. on ESPNews if they earn the school's first-ever Division I-AA playoff berth. Cal Poly, which moved to Division I in 1994, was 9-2 a year ago but was denied a spot in the 16-team playoffs.

Noble scored on runs of 12, 10, 23, 35 and two yards, breaking the Cal Poly record of four rushing touchdowns in a game accomplished four times, most recently by Craig Young in 1997.

For Noble, it was his second 200-yard game in three weeks -- he gained 221 yards against Eastern Washington on Nov. 5 -- and his seventh 100-yard game in nine starts this season.

Ken Cornist tied the game at 7-7 for Idaho State with 3:55 left in the first quarter on a one-yard run and Jaret Johnson's 38-yard field goal with four seconds left in the first half gave the visiting Bengals a 10-7 lead at the break.

But Noble's second touchdown gave Cal Poly the lead for good at 14-10 with 11 minutes left in the third quarter. He added his other three scoring runs with 1:12 to go in the third quarter and with 8:58 and 5:57 remaining in the final period.

Idaho State entered the game ranked sixth in the nation in defending the run, but Cal Poly amassed 305 yards on the ground and added 112 more through the air as redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Brennan completed nine of 21 passes.

Jonah Russell and Ramses Barden each caught four passes for the Mustangs.

Idaho State, which was without starting quarterback Matt Hagler due to an injury last week, was led by Cornist with 95 rushing yards. Quarterback Luke Sniewski completed 12 of 31 passes for 97 yards for the Bengals and Kenyon Blue caught four passes.

Cal Poly junior linebacker Kyle Shotwell recorded 12 tackles -- seven solo -- while senior defensive end and Buck Buchanan Award candidate Chris Gocong added seven tackles, including 2.5 sacks, and seven quarterback hurries.

Pago Togafau had 14 tackles, including one for lost yardage, and one pass deflection for Idaho State.