College football: CSM shows why it’s No. 1 in state

College of San Mateo was down to its second-string quarterback and running back. The offensive line was missing three starters. Two of its top defensive linemen haven’t been available all season.

Still, the Bulldogs didn’t a miss beat Saturday afternoon at home, cruising to a 52-7 victory over San Joaquin Delta that cemented CSM’s status as the top-ranked team in the state.

“Even if the backups go in, the expectancy doesn’t go any lower,” said outside linebacker Semisi Paea, who tied for the team lead with four tackles and added a sack.

“One thing our coach is big on, if someone goes down the next guy has to step up,” slot back DJ Peluso said. “We can’t lose a beat.”

The game was never in doubt, with CSM (4-0) forcing punts on three-and-outs four times in the first quarter. Delta (0-4) didn’t record a first down until a personal foul on the Bulldogs in the second quarter.

“They couldn’t move the ball consistently on our defense,” CSM coach Bret Pollack said. “They were struggling to move it either with the run or with the pass.”

Proof is in the numbers as the Bulldogs held an astonishing edge in yards from scrimmage after three quarters — 496 to 40.

“The coaches were giving us reports about how many yards they were gaining on us,” Paea said. “But it’s deducted by the sacks, so I didn’t even know we were doing that phenomenal.”

The defense also forced four turnovers, recovering half of the six fumbles forced.

About the only things that went wrong for the Bulldogs were the 18 flags for 170 yards and three missed extra points, two of which hit the uprights (along with one field goal).

“I thought we came out and played well today for two halves, and I have no complaints,” Pollack said.

CSM quarterback Justin Burgess, who came off the bench to engineer last week’s rout of defending state champion Butte, was in rhythm from the start and finished 15 of 21 for 181 yards, including a pair of touchdowns to wide receiver Raeshawn Lee.

The first was a 39-yard bomb down the seam to a streaking Lee, who beat single coverage with ease to make it 12-0 with 5:38 left in the first quarter.

“The coaches knew that they were blitzing,” said Lee, who also caught an 8-yard fade and had game highs of five catches for 98 yards. “When we gave them motion the safeties fly out, so the middle of the field is pretty wide open.”

Burgess added a 16-yard touchdown run with 2:49 left in the second quarter to put the Bulldogs ahead 31-0 at halftime, but the bulk of the damage was done by CSM’s slot backs.

Miles Willis (7 carries, 75 yards) opened the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown run, while Peluso (9 carries, 117 yards) capped a seven-play, 81-yard drive to begin the second half with a 21-yard jet sweep to the left side sealed by a block from Willis.

Slot backs Dewone Young and Booker Robinson added touchdowns of 8 and 5 yards, respectively, in the second half.

“We spent a lot of time this week on wing blocking,” Pollack said.

“We practice very hard,” Paea said. “That’s what makes us come out even more prepared for the games, because we just practice relentlessly. And the coaches, they push us to make sure we do the right things come game time. And we want it. So it’s really about the hunger of the team and the desire.”

CSM, which didn’t attempt a pass in the fourth quarter, finished with 383 yards on the ground and 181 through the air.

“We believe we have a chance to win state,” Lee said. “So every week we come out and prove it.”

Next up is a trip to American River (4-0), which is ranked No. 2 in Northern California after shutting out City College of San Francisco 13-0 over the weekend.

“We’ll celebrate today, we’ll celebrate tomorrow,” Peluso said. “On Monday, we’ll come back and we’ll be oh-and-oh. Can’t look back.”