SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – It wasn't Hollywood, but it was close.
 
Colgate put on a near picture-perfect display for three quarters and then held off a furious Cal Poly rally to post a 20-14 intersectional victory over the No. 23 Mustangs here Saturday.
 
With the ESPNU cameras rolling and a national television audience tuned in, Colgate jumped to a 20-0 lead through the first 45 minutes. James Holland Jr., returned from injury to rush for a 17-yard touchdown and Alex Mathews added a 57-yard scamper to highlight the Raider offense.
 
Carmine Scarfone emerged relatively unscathed from his first collegiate start and first collegiate snap. Scarfone led his opening drive of the game 75 yards in 11 plays for a Chris Puzzi 27-yard field goal. He finished 8-of-15 passing for 94 yards and one interception.
 
Puzzi added a 35-yarder in the third quarter for Colgate's 20-0 cushion, and the Raiders needed nearly every point.
 
Cal Poly scored TDs with 14:22 and 7:07 remaining in the game and was driving for the winning points in the closing minutes. The Mustangs had converted three straight fourth-down conversions before they were foiled on the final attempt when Abu Daramy-Swaray batted down a Khaleel Jenkins pass with 37 seconds left.
 
Colgate's win is its first to open a season since a 37-34 overtime triumph over Albany back in 2011. The last time the Raiders began with a road victory was the 15-1 national championship game season of 2003 that started 20-19 at Georgetown.
 
Bottom Line
• Colgate 20, No. 23 Cal Poly 14

Won-Lost Records
• Colgate opens the season 1-0 for the first time since 2011.
• Cal Poly is 0-1.

Quick Rundown
• Colgate's best offensive drive of the first half was its opening one – 75 yards in 11 plays leading to Puzzi's 27-yard field goal.
• The Raiders made it 10-0 late in the quarter on a 17-yard TD run by Holland. That score was set up when Ben Hunt IV caused and recovered a fumble at the Mustang 36.
• Colgate's next possession lasted only two plays and culminated in Mathews racing 57 yards untouched to pay dirt.
• The Raiders led 17-0 at halftime.
• Puzzi's 35-yarder was the only scoring of the third quarter, and then Cal Poly got on the board two plays into the fourth on Joe Protheroe's 7-yard run that made it 20-7.
• Cal Poly closed to within 20-14 with 7:07 remaining on Kyle Lewis' 16-yard TD catch from Jenkins on a fourth-and-11 play.
• The Mustangs converted one fourth-down play on the final drive but Abu Daramy-Swaray was on the spot to bat down a fourth-and-8 pass from the Raider 22.
• Colgate ran out the clock from there.
 
Stats of the Game
• Colgate's defense limited the team that led the NCAA in rushing each of the last four seasons to just 210 yards on the ground. The Mustangs averaged 343.5 last season.
• Colgate set a program record last year allowing just 69.4 per game.
• Even though Colgate returned only three starters from its 2016 defensive unit, Saturday's group surely surprised Cal Poly just a bit with its gang-tackling and overall ferocious play.
• Cal Poly averaged only 3.4 yards per rush to Colgate's 4.5.
 
Notables
• Linebacker T.J Holl led all tacklers with a career-high 16 stops, including nine solos.
• John Steffen and Chuck Moore made their first career starts and posted 10 and nine tackles, respectively.
• Hunt also had nine tackles, including one that caused a fumble he recovered. Holland scored five plays later for a 10-0 Raiders lead.
• Hunt led all defenders with two tackles for loss.
• Tyler Castillo broke up three passes and Daramy-Swaray two.
• The 57-yard TD by Mathews was a career long run.
• Puzzi's two made field goals came on his first two collegiate attempts.
• Eight Raiders made their first career starts.
• On offense, it was Scarfone, Owen Rockett and Jovaun Woolford. On defense, it was Steffen, Moore, Caleb Fell, Jacob Esarco and Alec Wisniewski.
 
Out of Bounds
• Colgate ran 11 plays on its opening possession, leading to a Puzzi kick for a 3-0 lead.
• After that, the Raiders offense had the ball for 3, 5, 2, 3, 3, 3, 1, 3, 9, 3, 3 and 3 plays.
• Cal Poly's last three drives went for 13, 10 and 14 plays. Whew!
 
From the Sources
• Colgate head coach Dan Hunt: (On the defense) "It's been fun to watch this group. They're extremely hungry. They want to prove that they belong and they are as good as the players who played last year.
 
"To see them execute and make the stops when they had to and really hold a good football team scoreless for three periods – I'm really proud of them."

Listen to the rest of Coach Hunt's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate defensive end Pat Afriyie: (On the defense) "We did a great job staying disciplined the whole game. It was a great game for our defense, just to show what we are capable of."

Listen to the rest of Afriyie's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate tailback James Holland Jr.: (On his return) "It felt great to be back with the team. The offensive line did a great job, per usual. They were giving me holes and it showed in the big performance we had."

Listen to the rest of Holland's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate defensive back Abu Daramy-Swaray: (On the last play) "Coach (Stan) Dakosty has been coaching me up – read the hips, read the hips, break on him. My eyes were never back on the quarterback and as soon as he broke, I drove down on him. I wasn't thinking interception; I was just thinking make sure he doesn't catch that ball."

Listen to the rest of Daramy-Swaray's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate quarterback Carmine Scarfone: (On his first drive) "The first series of my college career – everything was pretty crazy. But as the plays went by, everything started to move slower. Our backs did a great job of telling me what holes they were seeing and really helping me out."

Listen to the rest of Scarfone's comments HERE.
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Alex G. Spanos Stadium was 8,428.
• The Colgate contingent was notable and impressive.
 
Up Next
• Colgate opens its home season in two weeks against No. 7 Richmond.
• The Spiders defeated Colgate in a 38-31 barnburner last year in Virginia.
• Kickoff Sept. 9 is 1 p.m., with the Patriot League Network providing enhanced coverage.