| Year: | 2023 |
| Team: | Cal Poly Mustangs |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Big Sky Conference |
| Short Conf: | Big Sky |
| Record: | 3–8 |
| Conf Record: | 1–7 |
| Head Coach: | Paul Wulff |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Off Coach: | Sheldon Cross |
| Oc Year: | 1st |
| Codef Coach1: | Will Plemons |
| Codc1 Year: | 2nd |
| Codef Coach2: | Cody Von Appen |
| Codc2 Year: | 2nd |
| Stadium: | Mustang Memorial Field |
The 2023 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led first-year head coach Paul Wulff, the Mustangs compiled an overall record of 3–8 with a mark of 1–7 in conference play, placing 11th in the Big Sky. Cal poly played home games at Mustang Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California.
On July 23, 2023, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Mustangs were predicted to finish eleventh in the Big Sky by both the coaches and media.[1]
| 1 | Montana State | 120 (10) | |
| 2 | UC Davis | 96 (1) | |
| 3 | Sacramento State | 94 (1) | |
| 4 | Weber State | 91 | |
| 5 | Idaho | 89 | |
| 6 | Montana | 84 | |
| 7 | Eastern Washington | 52 | |
| 8 | Portland State | 45 | |
| 9 | Northern Arizona | 44 | |
| 10 | Northern Colorado | 37 | |
| 11 | Cal Poly | 25 | |
| 12 | Idaho State | 15 |
| 1 | Montana State | 447 (26) | |
| 2 | Idaho | 410 (8) | |
| 3 | Montana | 359 (2) | |
| 4 | Sacramento State | 334 (3) | |
| 5 | UC Davis | 330 | |
| 6 | Weber State | 320 | |
| 7 | Eastern Washington | 216 | |
| 8 | Northern Arizona | 178 | |
| 9 | Portland State | 167 | |
| 10 | Northern Colorado | 109 | |
| 11 | Cal Poly | 103 | |
| 12 | Idaho State | 69 |
The Mustangs had one player selected to the preseason all-Big Sky team.[2]
Defense
David Meyer – LB
See also: 2023 San Jose State Spartans football team.
| style= | Pregame line! | style= | Over/under! | style= | Win prob. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SJSU -23.5 | 60 | SJSU 88.4% |
| Statistics | CP | SJSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Turnovers | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| SJSU | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
See also: 2023 Idaho Vandals football team.
See also: 2023 Sacramento State Hornets football team.
| Statistics | CP | SAC |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 24 | 23 |
| Total yards | 539 | 538 |
| Rushing yards | 45 | 225 |
| Passing yards | 494 | 313 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 38–59–2 | 17–26–1 |
| Time of possession | 29:37 | 30:23 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | Passing | 37/58, 483 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT | |
| Rushing | Paul Holyfield Jr. | 7 carries, 27 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Michael Briscoe | 3 receptions, 124 yards, 2 TD | |
| Sacramento State | Passing | Carson Conklin | 17/26, 313 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Marcus Fulcher | 20 carries, 121 yards | |
| Receiving | Jared Gipson | 5 receptions, 154 yards | |