In a thrilling contest on Saturday, Cal Poly triumphed over Sacramento State with a final score of 26-23, thanks largely to the impressive performance of quarterback Jackson Akins. Akins amassed a total of 305 passing yards and tossed two touchdown passes, while kicker Noah Serna showcased his reliability by converting all four of his field goal attempts, including the decisive kick as the clock wound down.

Serna’s critical 38-yard field goal with just over five minutes left in the game secured the victory, breaking a 23-23 deadlock. Earlier, he tied the game at 23 with a 29-yard field goal just before the conclusion of the third quarter. His scoring contributions began with a 33-yard field goal at the end of the first half, granting the Mustangs a 20-13 advantage at halftime. He also opened the scoring with a 31-yard kick in the first quarter, putting Cal Poly ahead 3-0.

Sacramento State’s last lead in the closely contested match came in the third quarter, when quarterback Carson Conklin threw a 10-yard touch down pass to Anderson Glover with 6:29 remaining, putting the Hornets up 23-20.

Conklin delivered a strong performance, accumulating 308 passing yards and completing two touchdown passes, while Jared Gipson was particularly effective for Sacramento State with 11 receptions totaling 130 yards.

The victory improved Cal Poly’s record to 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the Big Sky Conference, while Sacramento State fell to 3-8 with a 1-6 conference standing. This matchup underscored both teams’ resilience as they battled for crucial points in the season.