1978 Cal Poly Mustangs football team

1978 Cal Poly Mustangs football
1978 Cal Poly Mustangs football
CCAA champion
NCAA Division II Quarterfinal, L 0–17 vs. Winston-Salem State
Conference	California Collegiate Athletic Association
Ranking
AP	No. 8 (NCAA Division II)
Record	7–3 (2–0 CCAA)
Head coach	Joe Harper (11th season);
Home stadium	Mustang Stadium
	Seasons ← 1977 1979 →

1978 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 8 Cal Poly $^	2	–	0	–	0	7	–	3	–	0
Cal Poly Pomona	1	–	1	–	0	3	–	7	–	0
Cal State Northridge	0	–	2	–	0	5	–	5	–	0

$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from Associated Press poll

The 1978 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1978 NCAA Division II football season. Led by 11th-year head coach Joe Harper, Cal Poly compiled an overall record of 7–3 with a mark of 2–0 in conference play, winning the CCAA title for the third consecutive season. The Mustangs advanced to the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs for the first time, where they lost to Winston-Salem State in the quarterfinals. Cal Poly played home games at Mustang Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 16	Sacramento State*		Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 52–6	2,700
September 23	Cal State Fullerton*		Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 41–27	5,430	^[1]
September 30	at Fresno State*	No. 9	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, California	W 24–12	12,287	^[2]^[3]
October 7	Portland State*	No. 3	Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 56–20	6,025	^[4]
October 14	at Northern Colorado*	No. 2	Jackson Field Greeley, CO	L 10–15	2,087
October 21	Cal State Northridge	No. 4	Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 38–17	6,180
November 4	at Cal Poly Pomona	No. 4	Kellogg Field Pomona, CA	W 35–8	3,500	^[5]
November 11	at No. 6 UC Davis*	No. 3	Toomey Field Davis, CA (rivalry)	L 22–29	9,600
November 18	Boise State*	No. 8	Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 7–3	7,430	^[6]
November 25	No. 1 Winston-Salem State*	No. 8	Bowman Gray Stadium Winston-Salem, NC (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal)	L 0–17	8,500	^[7]
*Non-conference game Rankings from Associated Press Poll released prior to the game

^ "Fullerton Defeated by Cal Poly (SLO)". Los Angeles Times. September 24, 1978. p. III-20. Retrieved February 7, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Fresno State 2016 Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved December 8, 2016.
^ "Kingsmen Win Despite Errors". Los Angeles Times. October 1, 1978. p. III-18. Retrieved March 31, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Cal Poly saturates Vikings' defense 56–20". The Sunday Oregonian. October 8, 1978. Retrieved September 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Maglione Leads Cal State Northridge". Los Angeles Times. November 5, 1978. p. III-20. Retrieved February 21, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "2015 Boise State Football Media Guide". Boise State University Athletics. 2015. p. 157. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
^ Mulhern, Mike (November 26, 1978). "Winston-Salem lives up to top rating with shutout". Sunday News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. p. B7. Retrieved June 13, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Final 1978 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
^ "Cal Poly Football; 2016 Media Guide". Retrieved January 12, 2017.