Oct. 26, 2007

Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

GAME 8
UC Davis (2-5, 0-2)

at

Southern Utah (0-6, 0-0)

Oct. 20, 2007 • Noon (PDT) • Eccles Coliseum (8,500)

OPENING KICKOFF
• Random news, notes and headline items to get things started... Many will be expanded on later in these notes. • UC Davis looks to take another step on its quest for a 38th straight winning season when the Aggies host South Dakota State in the Aggies' annual homecoming game. • The Jackrabbits, who have played six teams that have been ranked nationally at some point this season, have won the past two meetings by a combined three points. • UC Davis' streak of consecutive winning seasons is currently the second-longest for NCAA schools behind Linfield (Ore.) which is at 51 and is 4-2 with three games to play. • UC Davis' win at Southern Utah ended a three-game losing streak, the first time the program had lost three games in the same season since 1995. • QB Matt Engle, starting for the second time in a row, threw for 295 yards and 3 TD's at Southern Utah, narrowly missing his first 300-yard effort for the second straight week... He had 298 against Cal Poly on Oct. 13. • The Aggies have gained 3,183 yards this season, EXACTLY the same amount they've given up. • UC Davis has scored 21 points in the second quarter the last two games. • Injuries continued to plague the Aggies who played without starters QB Tim Plough, DT John Faletoese and FS Nero Evero, all who have been out since getting hurt at North Dakota State.... RB Joe Trombetta, injured at San Jose State, suited up at Southern Utah but did not play. • UC Davis' 41 points at Southern Utah were the program's most since scoring 37 in the 2006 season finale against San Diego.... The Aggies last scored at least 41 points last season when they won 45-0 at Montana State. • UC Davis is looking to win consecutive games for the first time since the last two games of last season (Sacramento State, San Diego). • The Aggies are playing their final Great West Football Conference game of 2007 this weekend... Cal Poly has played two for the next highest total so far. • After gaining more first downs on the ground than in the air during each of the first two games, UC Davis has picked up more via the pass in each of the past six. • South Dakota State, like North Dakota State, is playing its final season in the GWFC before joining the Gateway Conference next season... Those two teams are being replaced by South Dakota and North Dakota beginning next season. • UC Davis - with 179 at SUU - last had 175 rushing yards when it gained 178 against San Diego in the 11th game of last season... It's the most since gaining 182 yards against Northern Colorado in the final game of 2005 (W, 24-14). • RB Brandon Tucker (119) gave UC Davis its first 100-yard rusher since Trombetta gained 104 against Northeastern... Trombetta has a pair of century-mark games in 2007 (Western Washington, Northeastern) • The Aggies have not been shutout in a game since losing 19-0 to Cal Poly in 1990, a span now covering 197 games. • After going a combined 14 of 30 on third down against SJSU and NDSU, UC Davis has gone just 8 of 26 against Cal Poly and Southern Utah (4 of 13 versus each.) • The Aggies went 5 for 5 in the red-zone at Southern Utah for 35 points, their best showing of the season. • UC Davis is appearing on Comcast SportsNet West for the second time this season... Its previous appearance was against San Jose State on Sept. 29. THE NAME GAME • With a new life in Division I comes more attention from national media and, as a result, more media outlets referring to UC Davis in a number of different manners... Simply, the university is either "UC Davis" or "University of California, Davis". • Incorrect references we have seen in media outlets: California-Davis, Cal-Davis, U.C. Davis, Cal St. Davis, Davis State and U.C.-Davis. • We've even seen U-C Davis... You name it, we've seen it and heard it.... then tried to correct it. • An new moniker noticed on a luggage tag last season at Montana State was "U-C David"... Never thought we'd see that one, though. • The Aggies thank you for helping them make a new name for themselves on the field only.

ALL-TIME SERIES
• South Dakota State holds a 3-2 all-time advantage in the series, including having won the last two matchups by a totla of three points. • The Aggies are 1-1 against the Jackrabbits in Davis, including a 52-0 win at Toomey Field in 2004. • UC Davis led 21-7 at halftime in last year's game but was outsored 15-0 in the second half in a 22-21 defeat... QB Andy Kardoes hit WR Dusty Snyder on a 9-yard, fourth-down play with 1:08 left for the winning points. • The last two games have been in South Dakota (2006: Brookings; 2005: Sioux Falls)

A LOOK AT THE HEAD COACHES
• Bob Biggs (UC Davis `73) is in his 15th season at the helm of the Aggies and his 30th with the program overall. • He owns a 117-53-1 (.687) overall record and is 61-19-1 (.759) at home, 46-15 (.754) in October and entered the year 37-20 (.649) against opponents on the 2007 schedule. • Biggs is the second-winningest coach in the history of the UC Davis program, trailing only Jim Sochor whose 156-41-5 record between 1970-88 led to his enshrinement into the College Football Hall of Fame. • JOHN STIEGELMEIER (SDSU `79) is 64-51 and in his 11th year at South Dakota State... His career record is the same. • Coach "Stig" is second on the program's all-time wins list and has posted five consecutive winning seasons... The Jackrabbits were 8-3 in 1999 when he was named the North Central Conference Coach of the Year.

BRIEF JACKRABBITS SCOUTING REPORT
• South Dakota State is a deceiving 3-4 overall, a record that has been punctuated by games against six opponents that have been ranked at some point in the top 25. • The Jackrabbits used a 312-yard rushing attack to subdue Cal Poly, a performance that was highlighted by 259 yards and four scores from RB Cory Koenig. • Koenig was named the Great West Football Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts, one of three GWFC Player of the Week honors for South Dakota State. • DL Mitch Pontrelli had 11 tackles against the Mustangs, including a pair of sacks, and was named the league's top defensive player while Adam Monke returned the opening kickoff 91 yards - part of 191 return yards in the game - on his way to GWFC Special Teams accolades. • Koenig (94.0 ypg) has 8 TD's on the ground while RB Kyle Minett is averaging 7.0 yards a carry and has 3 TD's. • QB Ryan Berry has completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,432 yards and 13 touchdowns... WR JaRon Harris (33 rec., 531 yds, 5 TD's) is his favorite target. • Defensively, the Jackrabbits are allowing 212.3 ypg. on the ground but are better against the pass at 178.3 ypg. •.LB Jimmy Rogers has 69 total tackles while Pontrelli has a team-best 5.0 sacks. •The Jackrabbits have 49 tackles-for-losses through seven games and have picked off 10 passes, including two each for DB Tyler Koch and DB Brock Gentile. • SDSU also has one of the best placekickers in the country in PARKER DOUGLASS... Douglass is 11 of 12 (.917) overall and has only missed a 37-yarder... He has a long of 57 yards which he made against Stephen F. Austin. • Douglass had four field goals against Western Illinois and three against Stephen F. Austin.

UC DAVIS-SOUTHERN UTAH REVIEW
• UC Davis won for the first time at Southern Utah since 1999 and extended its winning streak over the Thunderbirds to three. • The Aggies were 2 of 3 on fourth down while SUU was 2 of 4... Both of the Thunderbirds' misses came in the first quarter after they had driven to the UC Davis 19 and 12, respectively. • PK Emmanuel Benjamin, who is also handling punting duties, booted a career-best 72-yarder in the first quarter with the ball settling at the SUU 2-yard line... He averaged 49.5 yards on four kicks. • QB Matt Engle threw for 295 yards and 3 TD's and has 593 yards and 6 TD's in his two starts against Cal Poly and Southern Utah -- the only starts of his Aggie career. • The Aggies had 474 yards of offense, their second-highest total of the year... 179 of it came on the ground, also most for the season. • UC Davis had 11 penalties for the second straight game and at least that many for the fifth time. • CB Jeremy Scott had a 38-yard interception return, his second fourth-quarter defensive TD in the past two seasons... His other was a 38-yard fumble return at Northern Colorado in the 2006 opener... He must like the Mountain time zone... His pick return for a TD was the Aggies' first since graduated FS Jonathan Barsi returned one 44 yards in last year's Causeway Classic. • Six of the seven players who caught passes for the Aggies had at least one grab of at least 20 yards... WR Kale Turner had a 41-yarder for the longest. • WR Bakari Grant had a 46-yard run on a reverse, his first career carry... RB Brandon Tucker had a 34-yard run for his longest carry of the day but was stripped of the ball at the end of the run, losing possession. • Tucker had a career-high 119 rushing yards and added three catches for 42 yards. • LB Mike Morales had eight total tackles (4 solo) with 2.5 of his stops recorded as TFL's... LB Dozie Amajoyi had a career-best eight stops (2 solo). • After going 41 yards in four plays for its first touchdown, Southern Utah was held to minus-8 yards on its next two possessions in the second quarter. • The Aggies held the ball for 20:36 of the second half... That compares to the first quarter when they had it for just 2:07 and ran just seven plays. • WR Brandon Rice has two 100-yard receiving games in his past three outings. • DE Andy Rice blocked Trevor Ward's punt attempt late in the first half, leading to UC Davis having a final possession at the SUU 15 with 14 ticks left... Engle then found Rice down the middle with 8 seconds left and a 21-7 halftime lead.

AGGIES TRY TO KEEP STREAK ALIVE
• UC Davis currently has the second-longest active streak of consecutive winning seasons which is also the longest among non-Division III schools. • The streak began in 1970 under legendary coach JIM SOCHOR (1970-88), continued with BOB FOSTER (1989-92) and has continued under Bob Biggs (1993-present). • The streak has been in jeopardy heading into the final game of the season six times, including last year... 2006 was the second consecutive year (and second time ever) UC Davis has entered the last game with a .500 record and needed a win to finish with a winning season. • Linfield (Ore.) is the current leader at 51 years... It has a 4-2 record with three games left... Ithaca (N.Y.) is gunning for its 37th straight this season and owns a 5-2 mark with three games left... Seven of the top 16 teams have already secured winning seasons in 2007. • Other notables in include No. 4 Florida State (30 years), T-No. 10 Michigan (22 years) and No. 16 Texas (14 years). • UC Davis is 303-105-7 (.739) during the streak.

Brandon Rice PUTTING IT TOGETHER
• WR Brandon Rice entered the season with 22 catches for 250 yards and one touchdown but has more than doubled those totals through the first eight games of the year. • Rice has 48 grabs for 710 yards and 6 TD's, posting highs of 8 catches against Northeastern, and 140 yards and 2 TD's against Cal Poly... He also had 114 yards against Northeastern for his other 100-yard effort. • He has two long touchdown catches - 70 yards versus Cal Poly and 55 in the opener against Western Washington. • Rice's 20-yard score late in the second quarter at Southern Utah after a blocked punt helped stake the Aggies to a 21-7 lead at halftime.

GRANT COMING ON STRONG LAST FIVE GAMES
• With injuries to WR CHRIS CARTER and WR Chris Miller, opportunities have presented themselves to other Aggie receivers... One of those has been WR Bakari Grant, who redshirted in 2005 and catch one pass (for 12 yards) last season. • His start to 2007 was not fast either with just a 5-yard catch through the first four five games... Grant, though, has been a major contributor the last five games, totaling 26 catches for 309 yards and 3 TD's. • He's highlighted that surge with 7 receptions for 118 yards, including a 34-yard TD grab, against Cal Poly... Combined with WR Brandon Rice's 140 yards, UC Davis had their first double-century receiving efforts since WR Jesse Oliva (129) and WR Tony Kays (116) in 2004 against Cal Poly. • Grant added a 46-yard run on a reverse up the left sideline at Southern Utah last week.

BENJAMIN MOVES UP CAREER FIELD GOAL CHART
• PK Emmanuel Benjamin made a 35-yard field at North Dakota State on Oct. 6, the 30th of his career. • That successful attempt moved him past former great ROLF BENIRSCHKE (1974-76) for No. 4 on the program's all-time list and just one behind RAY SULLIVAN (1981-84). • Benjamin is currently No. 2 in attempts (53), is fifth in PAT's made with 111, and is fifth in PAT's attempted (124). • EDDIE LORETTO (1985-88) made 47 career field goals to set the Aggie standard in that department while ERIC FRIEND (1997-2000) had 171 conversions for No. 1 in that one. • Benjamin has also added punting duties to his plate for the first time in his Aggie career... He is averaging 42.8 yards per kick with a long of 72... He punted in high school. • His 72-yard kick was the program's first punt of at least 70 yards since GREG ALLEY's 70-yarder against Texas A&M-Commerce in 1998. • CHRIS HUMES had a 76-yard punt against Angelo State in the 1989 NCAA Div. II Playoffs - still a Div. II playoff record.

TOP 10 SINGLE-GAME OR SINGLE-PLAY SHOWINGS
• UC Davis has several game or single-play performances that rank among the best in NCAA FCS this season. • Included in that group are: - No. 5: QB Tim Plough's 38 completions against Eastern Washington. - No. 5 (tied): RB Joe Trombetta's 90-yard touchdown run against Western Washington. - No. 4: RB Brandon Tucker's nine kickoff returns against Cal Poly. - No. 8 (tied): Plough's 58 attempts against Eastern Washington. - No. 9: WR Kale Turner's 88-yard touchdown run on a reverse at Eastern Washington

OFFENSIVE GAINING EXPERIENCE AS A UNIT
• A key to the Aggies' 397.9 ypg. of total offense has been the offensive line which returned two starters in G Jonathan Compas and G Mario Gonzalez to this year's squad. • It's also a unit that has started every game this season while other areas of the team have been beset by injury. • Compas, a junior, is a returning All-GWFC first-team pick who has started each of his 25 career games, including the last 19 Aggie games... (He missed the last five of `05 with injury). • Gonzalez, also a junior, has a string of 24 straight starts, the first five coming in 2005 when graduated senior Kyle Skierski moved to left tackle. • Gonzalez is a team captain... He made his first career start during the Aggies' win at North Dakota State in 2005. • The remaining trio of starters - C Tommy Hernandez, OT Steve Gatena and OT Mark Tos - have started each game this year, the first starts of their careers. • Gatena is a junior, Hernandez is a sophomore while Tos is a redshirt freshman.

FIVE ALL-GWFC RETURNERS FOR AGGIES IN `07
• UC Davis returns five players who earned All-GWFC honors in 2006, including three on defense. • Defensively, DE James Amos, DL John Faletoese and LB Chris Buck each earned first-team accolades while OL Jonathan Compas was a first-team pick on the offense. • WR CHRIS CARTER was selected to the second team as well as being named the conference's Rookie of the Year.

WELCOME TO NEW AGGIE STADIUM
• The Sept. 1 game marked the first-ever football contest at new Aggie Stadium, a $31 million facility whose primary funding (approx. $19 million) is coming from undergraduate students who approved the Facilities And Campus Enhancement (F.A.C.E) Inititiative in 1999. • Construction began in 2005 with hopes of playing a part or all of the 2006 home season in the stadium... However, bad weather helped slow construction and force a delay until 2007. • The stadium, also the home for Aggie women's lacrosse, saw its first action in April when UC Davis hosted Saint Mary's in lacrosse action... The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships were held at Aggie Stadium at the end of the season. • Aggie Stadium features nearly 9,000 permanent seats and almost 2,000 grass berm seats for a total capacity of 10,743... More than 2,500 season tickets have been sold, nearly quadrupling the previous high of 750. • Also featured is a Daktronics scoreboard with 19'2" by 24' video display. • The field is a Sportexe Synthetic Field... Wall-to-wall 104,000 square feet, if you're curious. • The team building features three locker rooms and 160 total lockers, a team meeting room and large equipment/training room. • 32 points of sale for concession and the Aggie Pride Outlet for souvenir merchandise are also available. • The pressbox features two radio booths, a TV booth and seating for nearly 20 writers, in addition to coaches booths and two more booths for operations. • There are 5,000 parking spaces within a 10-minute walk highlight transportation accomodations.

STREAKS OF NOTE
• UC Davis has scored in 197 consecutive games... The last shutout was a 19-0 defeat to Cal Poly in 1990... The closest time in recent years the streak was jeopardy was in the 2001 NCAA Div. II Playoffs when North Dakota took a late safety in a 14-2 win. • The Aggies are believed to have not had less than 200 yards in total offense since a 30-12 loss to Nevada in 1969, a span that now stands at 418 games... UC Davis had 130 in that game. • UC Davis has scored at least 13 points in 20 consecutive games.

ALL FIVE OPPONENTS HAVE HOVERED NEAR POLLS
• UC Davis has faced tough NCAA FCS competion this season with three of the five FCS opponents ranked in the national polls at the time of the game, and the other two either ranked or receiving votes at some point this year. • Portland State was ranked No. 18 when the Aggies won an exciting 26-17 game on the road, North Dakota State was No. 2 when it hosted UC Davis in a 35-16 win, and Cal Poly entered as No. 22 when it spoiled the Aggies' stadium dedication day last week. • Eastern Washington is currently 4-2 and ranked No. 22 while Northeastern received votes in the polls earlier this season. • The one FBS team - San Jose State - won the New Mexico Bowl last year.

KEANE MOVES FROM CAPTAIN TO COACH
• TIM KEANE is in his first season as assistant coach with UC Davis, helping offensive coordinator Mike Moroski with the line. • Keane is no stranger to the line having started the final 22 games of his career and earning the program's "unsung hero" award both years. • He was part of an offensive line in 2006 that allowed just 13 sacks in 419 passing plays.

PRESEASON AND IN-SEASON HONORS PARADE
• DL John Faletoese was named a preseason All-American by Street & Smith's College Football Yearbook, The Sports Network (1st team) and by the College Sporting News. • OL Jonathan Compas was selected to the College Sporting News All-America third team. • Both were also named to Phil Steele's College Football Preview magazine's All-GWFC teams: Faletoese (1st team) & Compas (2nd). • DE James Amos, LB Chris Buck and DB Adam Cook were also named to Phil Steele's first team while Compas and CHRIS CARTER were second-team picks on the offensive side of the ball. • Amos was named the GWFC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 9 after gaining two sacks at Portland State.

AGGIES PICKED THIRD IN GWFC
• Despite finishing fourth last season and despite three other GWFC teams being ranked in various top 25 polls, UC Davis was picked by the league's coaches to finish third this season. • Defending champ North Dakota State was first, followed by Cal Poly, UC Davis, South Dakota State and Southern Utah.

JUST TWO PERMANENT CAPTAINS
• For the first time since 1988, UC Davis will have just two team captains... Others will rotate for each game. • OL Mario Gonzalez and LB Chris Buck are the only two captains since Jack Wildermuth and Cameron Boyer in 1988. • UC Davis did have three in 1990 and 1996 but have had four every other year since 1988.

CONTINUITY LEADS TO SUCCESS
• A key to any successful football program is a continuity in the coaching staff. • Five members of the staff enter the season with a combined 129 "coaching years" after having been together as a quintet the past 18 years. • Bob Biggs (29 years total, 14 as head coach); Assistant head coach Fred Arp (40 years); defensive coordinator LOU BRONZAN (23 years); offensive coordinator Mike Moroski (19 years) and running backs/special teams coach Greg Chapla (18 years). • For good measure, they're all graduates of UC Davis.

ARP DECIDES TO CLOSE CLUB FRED
• Assistant Head Coach Fred Arp will call it a career at UC Davis after the 2007 season, ending more than 40 years with the program. • Arp, who played for the Aggies, coach JV and then with the varsity, will have amassed 44 years between all three. • He joined the varsity in 1968 and has seen 303 wins, both ends of the current streak of 37 straight winning seasons, 20 straight league titles (1971-80) and 17 playoff appearances. • Arp has coached with the varsity for 38 seasons (he was a grad asst. at Northern Colorado in 1972). • His laid-back coaching style led his position players to label their group "Club Fred". • Arp, who handles number distribution and locker assignments, will still provide those duties upon his retirement, while also helping with scheduling. • Four of his players were been drafted into the NFL while five are in the Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame.

AGGIES IN THE PROS
• OT Cory Lekkerkerker (2003-04) was a backup with the San Diego Chargers but was released on Saturday... He was picked up on waivers by the Miami Dolphins. • TE Daniel Fells (2002-05) was with the Atlanta Falcons but was released... He was later signed to the Oakland Raiders practice squad. • He and Lekkerkerker were free agent signees out of UC Davis a year apart. • QB J.T. O'SULLIVAN (1998-2001), the all-time passing leader at UC Davis, is currently with the Detroit Lions as a backup signal-caller... He was signed by the Lions after earning Offensive MVP honors with Frankfurt of NFL Europe this past spring. • O'Sullivan was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round in 2002, the last NFL draftee for UC Davis. • Former MARK GRIEB (1994-96) led the San Jose Sabercats to the Arena Bowl title this summer and was named the game's MVP... He has played in two Arena Bowls and is one of the league's all-time best QB's. • OT Elliot Vallejo (2003-06) is a rookie free agent signee with the Arizona Cardinals... He is currently on the practice squad. • WR Tony Kays (2003-06) was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals to a rookie free agent contract but was waived on Aug. 28.

AGGIE COACHING TREE INCLUDES BIG NAMES
• Besides becoming the all-time winningest coach at UC Davis, former mentor JIM SOCHOR has several former players and assistants who have gone to college or pro coaching careers, including: • MIKE BELLOTTI (Oregon, head coach), who played for Sochor in 1969-72 and was a subsequent assistant coach. • BOB FOSTER (California, LB coach) was an assistant coach under Sochor before taking over as head coach from 1989-92. • He coached with DAN HAWKINS at Willamette (Ore.) and is now with Cal. • DAN HAWKINS (Colorado, head coach), who played for the Aggies in 1981-82 and was later an assistant. • He went to Colorado from Boise State last year. • PAUL HACKETT (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, QB coach), who played from 1966-68, and was an assistant at UC Davis as well a head coach at USC, Pittsburgh and an assistant with the New York Jets. • CHRIS PETERSEN (Boise State, head coach), who played for UC Davis in 1985-86 and was also an assistant... He led Boise State to an unbeaten season and a Fiesta Bowl win last season.