March 18, 2009

2009 UC Davis schedule.
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DAVIS, Calif. - Matchups against Western Athletic Conference members Fresno State and Boise State, along with an early-season home game against NCAA Division I FCS runner-up Montana, highlight the 11-game 2009 UC Davis football schedule announced on Wednesday.

The most ambitious schedule in school history, which also features a home game against playoff participant and Great West Conference rival Cal Poly, has five dates at Aggie Stadium.

One of the six road games will not be far, however, with the 56th annual Causeway Classic at nearby Sacramento State in November. Four conference games - two each at home and on the road - are also part of the slate.

Aggie Stadium, entering its third season as home to the UC Davis football team, will host games against Montana (Sept. 12), Western Oregon (Sept. 26), Winston-Salem State (Oct. 17, Homecoming), Cal Poly (Nov. 7) and North Dakota (Nov. 14).

Season tickets for the upcoming season are currently available through the UC Davis Ticket Office at (530) 752-1915 or through the ticket page on the UC Davis athletics website at www.ucdavisaggies.com.

After opening the early portion of the season at Fresno State (Sept. 5) and Boise State (Oct. 3), UC Davis will travel to face South Dakota (Oct. 10), Portland State (Oct. 24), Southern Utah (Oct. 31) and Sacramento State (Nov. 21).

"To say the least it's a challenging schedule," said head coach Bob Biggs. "But I feel with 19 returning seniors next year that we have the kind of leadership and the kind of experience that will be up to challenges."

Boise State, coached by former Aggie quarterback Chris Petersen, narrowly missed posting a 13-0 record for the second time in the past three years when it lost a close game to TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl in December. Petersen has led the Broncos to a sparkling 35-4 record over his first three seasons.

Boise State is 3-0 all-time against UC Davis, last facing the Aggies in 1985 when Petersen started at quarterback for his alma mater in a close 13-9 loss.

Petersen is another in a long line of former Aggie players and coaches who have gone on to lead major college programs.

"We're so happy with the success of people like Mike Bellotti (Oregon), Chris Petersen, Dan Hawkins (Colorado) and Gary Patterson (TCU)," said Biggs. "And I look at it much like way I looked at TCU. We're going to play somebody that's been part of our program, somebody that we're proud of the way they have carried on a lot of the traditions they got at UC Davis and certainly have expanded in their programs.

"Again, (Boise State is) a program that we respect and people that we respect and any time you've got an opportunity to play somebody like that, it's always fun and it's challenging," Biggs added. "But I think it all comes down to we're all trying to develop young men and put them in a position to play the best they can."

Fresno State earned a bid to the New Mexico Bowl last season, finishing the year with a 7-6 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the WAC. The Bulldogs own an 11-5-1 all-time advantage in their series with UC Davis which began in 1922 but was last played in 1952.

Montana and UC Davis will meet for the second straight year and the fourth time overall with the Aggies looking for their first win in the series. Montana scored late in the game last season, edging UC Davis 29-24.

The Grizzlies, along with Cal Poly, spent most of the season near the top of the national rankings. They captured their 11th Big Sky Conference championship, advancing to the national championship against Richmond and finishing with a 14-2 record.

Cal Poly, 8-3 in 2008, won the Great West, earning a bid to the postseason after losing in overtime at Big Ten member Wisconsin in its regular-season finale. The Mustangs help make up a four-game conference schedule for UC Davis which also includes South Dakota, Southern Utah and North Dakota.

UC Davis will resume rivalries with Big Sky members Portland State and local rival Sacramento State after splitting games with the pair last year, including a win over the Vikings in the first-ever night game at Aggie Stadium.

Western Oregon returns to the schedule after facing UC Davis eight times - all Aggie wins - between 1997-2004. Winston-Salem State, located in North Carolina, makes its first appearance against the Aggies when it comes to California for the annual homecoming game. The Rams will be entering their third year of a four-year reclassification from Div. II to Div. I this fall.

"I know I sound like a broken record sometimes when I say every year it just looks like it's the most competitive schedule," said Biggs. "But again, top to bottom, look at this schedule and tell me if it's not (our) most competitive schedule."

UC Davis finished 5-7 overall last season, finishing second in the Great West Conference.