Stephen F. Austin
Cal Poly
NOTES: SFA Meets Cal Poly for First Time as Home Stretch Continues
9/17/2025 2:48:00 PM | Football
'Jacks play host to a California program for the fourth time since 2000
1st meeting
Nacogdoches, Texas (Jimmy W. Murphy Field at Homer Bryce Stadium)
FULL GAME NOTES ARE HERE
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Coming off of a big win in the home opener, Stephen F. Austin football returns to Homer Bryce Stadium on Saturday as the 'Jacks resume FCS play by welcoming in Cal Poly (2-1) of the Big Sky Conference. It's the first meeting all-time between the two programs. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.SFAJacks.com.
• HOME SWEET HOMER: The Lumberjacks boast six home games on their schedule for the second-consecutive season and since the 2020 campaign, SFA is 20-6 inside Homer Bryce Stadium following Saturday night's win over Sul Ross. The 'Jacks have eight undefeated home seasons inside HBS, winning no fewer than four games in each of those schedules including four each in 2020 and 2021. In home openers, SFA moved to 6-1 under Carthel and has won six straight.
• PUTTING A BOW ON NON-CON: The 'Jacks wrap up non-conference play on Saturday in the program's first ever matchup with Cal Poly. Under Carthel, the 'Jacks are 17-16 against non-conference opponents, are 9-8 when facing non-league FCS foes and are 8-0 against non-DI competition.
• CALI CONTESTING: The Mustangs will be just the second team from the state of California to venture to Homer Bryce Stadium during Carthel's tenure. SFA handled Lincoln 61-13 on September 25, 2021. Prior to that matchup, the 'Jacks previously contested a California-based program on three different occasions. On November 5, 2005, the 'Jacks claimed a 27-17 home win against UC-Davis. The year prior, the 'Jacks flew out west and won 22-19 at UC-Davis. The 'Jacks hosted Cal State-Northridge on September 22, 2001 which ended with SFA topping CSUN 30-27 in overtime in the first game back following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Since 2000, SFA holds a 4-0 mark against teams from California and is 3-0 inside HBS.
• MUSTANGS RUNDOWN: Cal Poly is led by Paul Wulff who is in his third season as head coach and 15th leading a program after stints with Eastern Washington and Washington State. The Mustangs handled San Diego 41-17 in the season opener, dropped a Power 4 matchup at No. 25 Utah and similar to SFA enters the weekend coming off of a convincing victory over a Lone Star Conference opponent; a 56-7 result against Western Oregon. CP brings the nation's sixth-highest passing offense to Nacogdoches as well as the top redzone offense through three weeks.
• LAST TIME OUT: The 'Jacks dominated their former Lone Star Conference foe Sul Ross State from the jump in last Saturday's home opener. SFA scored 56 first-half points to prompt eight minute quarters in the second half and forced the Lobos to SFA and Southland Conference single-game teams records in fewest yards allowed (-36) and fewest plays ran (38). SRS converted just one third down opportunity against the Lumberjacks, while SFA produced a pair of defensive touchdowns, scoop and scores by Saco Alofipo and Michael Woods, and totaled four turnovers including an endzone interception by Jaiydyn Johnson.
• REESE RACES: Senior Richard Reese, in his first year with the 'Jacks, tallied 142 all-purpose yards against Sul Ross. He touched the football six times and in the process recorded the longest rush and the longest reception of his career. Reese hauled in a 64 yard touchdown pass midway through the first quarter and then followed with a 58-yard scoring scamper with just over eight minutes remaining before the half. His two endzone trips marked the sixth time in his career that he scored two or more times in a game with the first five instances coming during his time at Baylor.
• CLOSING IN ON 2Kylon: Senior wide receiver Kylon Harris hauled in nine passes for 105 yards in the loss at ACU. It marked the ninth 100-yard receiving game for the Pelican State native in his collegiate career. Additionally, Harris' effort saw him eclipse 1,900 career receiving yards. After notching three catches for 40 yards against Sul Ross, he is currently 166 receiving yards away from entering the program's career top 10. Harris is 17 catches shy of moving into the top five. With his performance against ACU, Harris eclipsed 2k all-purpose yards as a Lumberjack.
• TOP TACKLER: Junior linebacker Malachi Williams leads the Southland Conference in tackles per game with 9.7. The mark currently ranks inside the FCS top 20. His 17 tackles against ACU, in just his second game as a 'Jack, are the most in a game by an SFA defender since Gavin Roland's 17 against Nicholls in 2019. Williams has logged 29 over his first three games at SFA.
• SOUTHARD SMOTHERS: Senior linebacker Jaydon Southard produced back-to-back double-digit tackle efforts for the first time as a Lumberjack after a career-high 16 vs. Abilene Christian, which followed 11 in the season opener against Houston. He is three stops from reaching the century mark as a Lumberjack.
• RETURN THREAT: One week after recording the longest punt return of his career with a 30-yard effort at Houston, redshirt junior Bugs Mortimer scampered for 52 yards and a score late in the fourth quarter against ACU. This season, Mortimer has returned seven punts for 108 yards at 15.4 yards per return which rates as the fifth highest average in FCS. He is one of 11 FCS players with a punt return TD and it is the longest by a Lumberjack since Xavier Gipson's 85-yard return against Utah Tech in 2022.
