Weber State football: WSU gets Cal Poly in playoffs

OGDEN — A stunning loss to close out their regular season proved to be costly for the Weber State Wildcats.

The Wildcats learned on Sunday that they will have to begin the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs on the road and against a tough opponent in Cal Poly. The two teams will clash on Saturday in a first-round FCS playoff game at 7:05 p.m. (MST) in San Luis Obispo.

Weber State lost out on what would have been a top four seed and home playoff game when it was defeated by Eastern Washington 33-26 on Saturday. A top four seed instead went to Montana, the Big Sky co-champions and a team that was routed by the Wildcats earlier in the season.

But the good news for the Wildcats, who earned a share of the Big Sky title for the first time in 21 years, is that they're still playing. They're in the playoffs for the first time since 1991.

"We're a little upset about Montana getting the seed over us, of course," said Weber State tight end Cody Nakamura. "Other than that, I think we got a good shot."

The Wildcats briefly thought they were going to host Saturday's playoff game. When the games were announced on ESPNU's FCS Playoffs Selection Show on Sunday, the matchups that were unveiled prior to the Weber State-Cal Poly game had the home teams listed on top. When the network announced Weber State's matchup, it had the Wildcats listed on top. So for about 30 minutes, they believed they were going to be the home team.

That obviously was not the case, and the Wildcats will instead be on the road for Saturday's game.

"It is what it is," said Weber State athletic director Jerry Graybeal. "The No. 1 thing is we're in the playoffs. To have it not be reported properly (by ESPNU) is kind of disappointing. It's not an easy trip, to be honest."

Logistics can make it tough for road teams to get into San Luis Obispo, the home of the Mustangs. Beating Cal Poly isn't much easier.

The Mustangs went 8-2 during the regular season. They defeated a higher-division team in San Diego State and lost a heartbreaker to Wisconsin on Saturday. The Mustangs missed three extra points while dropping a 36-35 result to the Badgers in overtime.

Cal Poly was in the same position as Weber State entering Sunday's unveiling of the tournament field. The Mustangs had hoped to get a top four seed, but will gladly accept the opportunity to play at home.

"To be able to get that opportunity — a home game — to let our fans see what that looks like is great for our program," said Cal Poly coach Rich Ellerson. "There are nothing but great teams out there. I think it's great for our fans to get a chance to see a playoff game at home."

It will be a daunting task to try and defeat Cal Poly, but the Wildcats are anxious to get back on the field after Saturday's disappointing loss to Eastern Washington. They believe that the loss may bode well for them, as it brought them back to earth in what was a dream season prior to Saturday.

"It's definitely good to get that bad taste out of your mouth," said Weber State fullback Marcus Mailei. "It's also good to have your eyes opened and your clocks cleaned once in awhile."

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E-mail: aaragon@desnews.com

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