Dahle, Kjars, Small rally Weber State football to 2-overtime win at Cal Poly
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- Weber State running back Seth Rigtrup runs for a 13-yard touchdown against Cal Poly during a Big Sky football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in San Luis Obispo. (PAUL GRUA, Weber State Athletics)
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- Weber State receiver Tate Kjar pops up after a reception against Cal Poly during a Big Sky football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in San Luis Obispo. (PAUL GRUA, Weber State Athletics)
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- Weber State linebacker Teni Worthen (23) celebrates forcing a Cal Poly fumble, later overturned to an incomplete pass, during a Big Sky football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in San Luis Obispo. (PAUL GRUA, Weber State Athletics)
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- Weber State quarterback Nate Dahle, center right, looks to pass as Cal Poly’s Kaleb Pleis (87) rushes during a Big Sky football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in San Luis Obispo. (PAUL GRUA, Weber State Athletics)
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- Weber State quarterback Nate Dahle (13) runs between Cal Poly defenders Jalonn Booth (32) and Luke Westfall (58) during a Big Sky football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in San Luis Obispo. (PAUL GRUA, Weber State Athletics)
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- Weber State quarterback Nate Dahle (13) tucks to run against Cal Poly’s Kenny Olson (20) during a Big Sky football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in San Luis Obispo. (PAUL GRUA, Weber State Athletics)
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- Weber State running back Seth Rigtrup, center, celebrates his touchdown with Luke Sampson during a Big Sky football game against Cal Poly on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in San Luis Obispo. (PAUL GRUA, Weber State Athletics)
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- Weber State quarterback Nate Dahle (13) looks to pass against Cal Poly during a Big Sky football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in San Luis Obispo. (PAUL GRUA, Weber State Athletics)
Weber State now has four of its six games decided by one score. Cal Poly has four of its six games decided in the final minute or overtime.
So it’s no wonder two of the most dramatic teams in the Big Sky put together some theater Saturday night in San Luis Obispo.
The Wildcats answered the call multiple times in a challenging second half to beat the Mustangs 42-34 in two overtimes, handing Cal Poly its first conference loss while lifting WSU to a 3-3 mark this season.
“I love the way our kids fought and battled, especially through the finish of the game,” WSU head coach Eric Kjar said in a postgame radio interview.
Weber State (3-3, 2-1 Big Sky) got the game to overtime tied 27-27 after two costly turnovers in the third quarter gave Cal Poly (3-3, 2-1) new life.
One week after Cal Poly’s Jaden Green ran for 269 yards on 28 carries against Eastern Washington, he got the ball 31 times for 171 yards Saturday. As overtime periods begin at the opponents’ 25-yard line, Green’s night included four consecutive overtime carries straight to the paint, capped with a 3-yard plunge and his second TD of the night to put Cal Poly ahead 34-27.
WSU answered when freshman quarterback Nate Dahle tucked a second-down pass play through left tackle and dashed 25 yards for a touchdown. David Dellenbach punched through the PAT, continuing the game at 34-34.
WSU faced a third-and-5 from the 20 to start the second OT. Dahle underthrew a sure touchdown to Robert Young while taking major pressure, and blitzing Cal Poly safety RL Miller was flagged for roughing the passer.
With new life, a third-and-goal from the 9 saw Dahle throw to the left flat to Tate Kjar, who got major reps with Marvin Session out with a hamstring pull. Kjar spun at the 4 and dove to the pylon for his second touchdown of the night.
“We gave (Dahle) two choices and he killed the first one, to run a draw,” Eric Kjar said. “We were going to try to run a double move to Noah and then a double behind that with our No. 2, but didn’t get that so he liked the sharp into the boundary to Tate, and Tate ended up being able to score.”
Required to go for two, Dahle roped a slant to Noah Kjar, who hung on for the points to make it 42-34.
Cal Poly tried to answer all at once, with Anthony Grigsby Jr. throwing too long to Fidel Pitts in the end zone. Zion Finau stopped Green on a 1-yard rush, and, on third down, defensive end Porter Small chased down a rolling Grigsby for a sack and a loss of 10 yards. It was Small’s fourth tackle for loss and third sack of the night.
On fourth-and-19 from the 34, Tre Tribble and Jayden Mayberry broke up Grigsby’s prayer to the end zone and WSU left California with the victory.
Saturday’s game was wildly different than WSU’s 44-41 loss last week to Portland State. For example, against PSU, Weber State ran 49 plays in the first half. At Cal Poly, WSU didn’t run its 49th play until 8:45 left in the game. Last week, WSU outgained PSU by nearly 300 yards; this week, Weber had 80 fewer yards.
WSU got the ball just once in the first quarter, a quick-strike 92-yard drive. Dahle threw to Noah Kjar for 32 yards and hit a streaking Tate Kjar for a 39-yard touchdown, Tate’s first career score in his third college year. That put Weber up 7-3 after one.
Grigsby threw into zone traffic on Cal Poly’s next possession and Mayberry picked him off across midfield and returned it 53 yards to the Cal Poly 5. But WSU settled for Dellenbach putting through a 30-yard field goal to make it 10-3 early in the second quarter. That loomed large for most of the game.
Grigsby soon cashed in a 40-yard field after a short punt with an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Alek Marshall. Josue Lopez missed the extra point, and WSU led 10-9.
Weber’s final drive of the second half went 10 plays for 75 yards, and Seth Rigtrup rushed in from 13 yards to put WSU up 17-9 with 57 seconds left. WSU gave up a Green 43-yard rush but the half ended with Lopez missing a 43-yard field goal.
Weber felt in control despite having run just 26 plays, but that changed quickly. On the second play of the third quarter, Dahle threw deep into double coverage; Miller picked it off and set up the Mustangs at their own 40-yard line.
Tayvion McCoy broke a 47-yard gain off a short pass and Green was soon punching in a 2-yard touchdown. A trick-play pass completion on the try tied the game 17-17.
Three plays later, a blitzing Chase Martin hit Dahle as he threw and the ball floated to defensive back Demel Turner, giving Cal Poly a 42-yard field.
Facing fourth-and-7, Grigsby unloaded a 34-yard pass to Ray Hall down to the WSU 5. Linebacker Teni Worthen appeared to have a strip sack on third-and-goal, but the play was reversed on review to an incomplete pass. Lopez put through a 22-yard field goal and Cal Poly led 20-17 with 7:16 left in the third.
Having quickly seen its lead evaporate, Weber State turned in a much-needed, 12-play possession keyed by a Noah Kjar 16-yard reception and Young drawing a pass interference. After Dahle fumbled the snap on third-and-goal at the 1 but recovered, Spencer Ferguson punched in the fourth-down run from inside the 1. Taking 6:06 of game time, WSU regained a 24-20 lead.
The fourth quarter felt all Cal Poly. WSU punted away two possessions that got near midfield on either side of the Mustangs scoring an easy touchdown drive (a 15-yard pass from Grigsby to Fidel Pitts). WSU punted away trailing 27-24 with 7:24 left.
It got worse for the Wildcats. Cal Poly turned to bigger running back Misa Paiau (14 carries, 61 yards) and he carried his team down to the WSU 26, slowly and surely marching to points, it seemed. But CP stopped its momentum with a holding penalty and, on third-and-long, it was Small chasing Grigsby on a rollout and ultimately forcing a 7-yard loss.
Weber State used all three timeouts, Cal Poly milked 5:17 off the clock, and, according to ESPN, the home team had a 91.2% chance of winning. CP punted a touchback with 2:07 left, holding a 27-24 lead.
On either side of the 2-minute timeout, Dahle hit fellow freshman Jasean Mayberry for completions of 21 and 18 yards. Dahle then uncorked a 20-yard scramble, going out of bounds at the Cal Poly 21 with 1:32 left and flipping the script for the Wildcats.
But WSU couldn’t win it there, stalling and bringing on Dellenbach for a 38-yarder, which he split perfectly for a 27-27 knot with 55 seconds left.
Cal Poly threw an incomplete deep pass, then settled for taking the game to overtime.
Grigsby finished 17 of 27 for 213 yards, two touchdowns and one interception as Cal Poly outgained WSU 455-371.
Dahle threw 15 of 33 for 223 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, and led Weber with 85 yards on 15 carries. Tate Kjar caught five passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns, and Noah Kjar had five catches for 79 yards. Rigtrup added 49 yards on 11 carries in a game WSU threw 33 passes and had 33 carries.
Weber State returns home to host Idaho next week. The Vandals picked up their first win in dramatic fashion, beating No. 1 Montana State 35-34 on Friday on a touchdown and a two-point conversion with time expired to end the Bobcats’ 19-game winning streak.
WSU is an expected 1-1 in games it was either an overwhelming favorite or underdog. In games against similar opponents, WSU is 2-2 with regulation margins of one, three and five points, plus Saturday’s double-overtime.
“We’re giving people their entertainment value, for sure,” Eric Kjar said.
