1978 Cal Poly Mustangs football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1978
| team = Cal Poly Mustangs
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = California Collegiate Athletic Association
| short_conf = CCAA
| APRank = 8 (NCAA Division II)
| record = 7–3
| conf_record = 2–0
| head_coach = Joe Harper
| hc_year = 11th
| captain =
| stadium = Mustang Stadium
| champion = CCAA champion (unofficial)
| bowl = NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
| bowl_result = L 0–17 vs. {{cfb link|year=1978|team=Winston-Salem State Rams|title=Winston-Salem State}}
}}
{{1978 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings}}
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 conference title was unofficial as the CCAA had only three members.{{cite news |author= |title=Mustangs Win |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-press-recorder/164114316/ |newspaper=Times-Press-Recorder |location=Arroyo Grande, California |date=November 8, 1978 |page=10 |access-date=January 27, 2025 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} The Mustangs advanced to the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs for the first time, where they lost to {{cfb link|year=1978|team=Winston-Salem State Rams|title=Winston-Salem State}} in the quarterfinals. Cal Poly played home games at Mustang Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1978
| rankdivision = NCAA Division II
| poll = Associated Press
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 16
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Sacramento State
| site_stadium = Mustang Stadium
| site_cityst = San Luis Obispo, CA
| score = 52–6
| attend = 2,700
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 23
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Cal State Fullerton
| site_stadium = Mustang Stadium
| site_cityst = San Luis Obispo, CA
| score = 41–27
| attend = 5,430
| source = {{cite news|title=Fullerton Defeated by Cal Poly (SLO)|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=September 24, 1978|page=III-20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8804306/fullerton_defeated_by_cal_poly_slo/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 7, 2017}}{{Open access}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 30
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| rank = 9
| opponent = Fresno State
| site_stadium = Ratcliffe Stadium
| site_cityst = Fresno, California
| score = 24–12
| attend = 12,287
| source = {{cite web|url=http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/gobulldogs.com/documents/2016/7/31/2016_Fresno_State_Football_Media_Guide_FINAL.pdf?id=5374|title=Fresno State 2016 Media Guide|access-date=December 8, 2016}}{{cite news|title=Kingsmen Win Despite Errors|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=October 1, 1978|page=III-18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9953473/kingsmen_win_despite_errors/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 31, 2017}}{{Open access}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 7
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| rank = 3
| opponent = Portland State
| site_stadium = Mustang Stadium
| site_cityst = San Luis Obispo, CA
| score = 56–20
| attend = 6,025
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-oregonian-cal-poly-saturates/155118417/|work=The Sunday Oregonian|title=Cal Poly saturates Vikings' defense 56–20|date=October 8, 1978|accessdate=September 11, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 14
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| rank = 2
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1978|team=Northern Colorado Bears|title=Northern Colorado}}
| site_stadium = Jackson Field
| site_cityst = Greeley, CO
| score = 10–15
| attend = 2,087
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 21
| w/l = w
| rank = 4
| opponent = Cal State Northridge
| site_stadium = Mustang Stadium
| site_cityst = San Luis Obispo, CA
| score = 38–17
| attend = 6,180
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 4
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 4
| opponent = Cal Poly Pomona
| site_stadium = Kellogg Field
| site_cityst = Pomona, CA
| score = 35–8
| attend = 3,500
| source = {{cite news|title=Maglione Leads Cal State Northridge|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=November 5, 1978|page=III-20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9081028/maglione_leads_cal_state_northridge/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 21, 2017}}{{Open access}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 11
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| rank = 3
| opponent = UC Davis
| opprank = 6
| site_stadium = Toomey Field
| site_cityst = Davis, CA
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 22–29
| attend = 9,600
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 18
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| rank = 8
| opponent = Boise State
| site_stadium = Mustang Stadium
| site_cityst = San Luis Obispo, CA
| score = 7–3
| attend = 7,430
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 25
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| rank = 8
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1978|team=Winston-Salem State Rams|title=Winston-Salem State}}
| opprank = 1
| site_stadium = Bowman Gray Stadium
| site_cityst = Winston-Salem, NC
| gamename = NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
| score = 0–17
| attend = 8,500
| source = {{cite news |last=Mulhern |first=Mike |title=Winston-Salem lives up to top rating with shutout |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103679586/the-morning-news/ |newspaper=Sunday News Journal |location=Wilmington, Delaware |date=November 26, 1978 |page=B7 |access-date=June 13, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1978 Cumulative Football Statistics Report |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/90/stats/13635 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=June 13, 2022 }}{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/calpoly/docs/2016fbguidelow-res|title=Cal Poly Football; 2016 Media Guide|access-date=January 12, 2017}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Cal Poly Mustangs football navbox}}
Category:Cal Poly Mustangs football seasons
Category:California Collegiate Athletic Association football champion seasons