UC Davis and North Dakota to face each other for conference football title at 1 p.m. at Aggie Stadium

	Tight end Dean Rogers has 21 catches for 268 yards. (Wayne Tilcock, Davis Enterprise)

Nov. 11, 2009

Complete UC Davis game notes in PDF Format

Complete North Dakota game notes in PDF Format

 

 

 

North Dakota (5-4, 2-1)

at 

UC Davis (5-4, 2-1)

Saturday, November 14, 2009

1 p.m.  • Davis, Calif.

Aggie Stadium (10,849) • Artificial grass (Sportexe) 

KHTK (1140 AM) • KDV (90.3 FM) • www.ucdavisaggies.com

OPENING KICKOFF

• News, notes and headline items to get things started... Many will be expanded later on in these notes.

• UC Davis’ home finale for the 2009 season will be the biggest in the brief history of Aggie Stadium with UC Davis and North Dakota battling for the Great West Conference championship.

• The road to declaring a conference championship looked to have many forks last week with several teams looking for at least a share... However, the road to the title has straightened and goes through Aggie Stadium on Saturday.

• A win would deliver UC Davis its second-ever Great West title (last in 2005), its first outright football banner since 1992, and its 30th championship overall... The Aggies won or shared 20 straight league titles from 1971-1990 when they were members of the Far Western Conference and Northern California Athletic Conference.

• LB Mike Morales was named the GWC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career after posting 13 tackles against Cal Poly... Morales is also T-2nd for career solo stops with 131, just five behind LB JASON HAIRSTON (1992-94).

• K Sean Kelley earned the league’s Special Teams Player of the Week accolades after making three field goals, including a school-record tying 52-yarder which gave UC Davis the lead for good... The Aggies have won the GWC special teams award four of the past five weeks.

• Kelley’s long field goal was the Aggies’ longest since 1988 and tied for the eighth-longest in the NCAA Div. I FCS this year.

• WR Chris Carter moved into the No. 2 all-time spot for career receptions, with 195 picking up three against the Mustangs to pass CHARLEY ENOS (1998-2001)... WR Bakari Grant had four more grabs on Saturday and is No. 8 with 147.

• UC Davis barely missed surpassing rushing for at least 100 yards for the third straight game, finishing with 99 against Cal Poly... RB Josh Reese had five rushes for 40 yards, pushing his season average to a team-high 6.1 yards per carry.

• The Aggies’ defense held an opponent scoreless for an entire half for the fourth time this season (Montana, W. Oregon, Winston-Salem) but just the first time after halftime.

• UC Davis has averaged 32.2 points over its last five games, going 4-1 during that span and holding two opponents to two touchdowns or less.

• The Aggies trail in the takeaway-giveaway battle for the first time this year after turning the ball over one time on Saturday (Cal Poly had none)... UC Davis was as high as +5 after beating Winston-Salem State but have seven turnovers over its last three games while gaining just one.

• Saturday’s game marks the final home game for 19 UC Davis seniors.

• UC Davis is converting third downs at 41.7 percent but has especially effective in the first quarter when it is 60.6 percent (20 for 33).

• After winning one game during its inaugural season at Aggie Stadium in 2007, UC Davis has gone 8-2 since including a 3-1 mark this season.

• UC Davis is also looking to attract 10,000 fans on Saturday for the fourth time in five home games.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NORTH DAKOTA

• UC Davis and North Dakota are meeting for just the third time but for the second time with either championship or playoff implications.

• The teams have split their first two meetings with North Dakota beating the Aggies 14-2 during the NCAA Div. II Semifinals in 2001 in Grand Forks, and UC Davis picking up its win 34-21 at Aggie Stadium last year.

• QB Greg Denham threw for 320 yards while the defense held UND to just 68 rushing yards... TE DEAM ROGERS rushed for a pair of one-yard TD’s for UC Davis... The Aggies led 24-14 at halftime.

• In North Dakota’s win in 2001, UND took a late safety, preserving the Aggies’ streak of not being shut out, a consecutive games run which eventually reached 212 games.

THE NAME GAME (no hyphens please)

• With a growing 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”... There was a “U-C David” used on a luggage tag once.

• The Aggies thank you for helping them make a new name for themselves on the field only.

HEAD COACHES

• Bob Biggs (UC Davis ‘73) is in his 17th season at the helm of the Aggies and his 32nd with the program overall.

• He owns a 129-65-1 (.664) overall record and is 58-44-0 (.568) against NCAA Div. I teams... Biggs is also 39-17 (.696) in the month of November... He is 1-1 against the University of North Dakota and 4-4 against teams from the state of North Dakota (3-3 vs. N.D. State).

• 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.

• Four of Biggs’ QB’s have gone on to play professional football, including current Cincinnati QB J.T. O’SULLIVAN (1998-2001) and former San Jose SaberCats (AFL) starter MARK GRIEB (1994-96)... Others include KHARI JONES (1991-93) who had a standout career in the Canadian Football League and Kevin Daft (1995-98) who was a reserve on the Tennessee Titans when they went to the Super Bowl XXXIV.

• CHRIS MUSSMAN (Iowa State ‘90) is 11-8 (.579) and in his second year at North Dakota.

• He guided his squad to a 6-4 record last year, including a 2-3 record against Div. I competition... UND finished 1-2 in the Great West Conference last year.

• Mussman was an assistant for nine seasons at North Dakota before taking over the head coaching role... He’s also coached at Minnesota State, Mankato.

BRIEF NORTH DAKOTA SCOUTING REPORT

 • The Fighting Sioux are looking for their third straight win after dropping two straight games to fall below .500 at 3-4.

• Due to its reclassification status, North Dakota is not eligible to be officially ranked in the NCAA FCS stats but would be 57th in passing yardage (193.1), 68th in rushing (129.7) and 68th for total yards (322.8).

• RB MITCH SUTTON has team-best averages for yards per game (68.6), per carry (4.8) and has scored more than half of his team’s rushing touchdowns (11) with six scores.

• QB JAKE LANDRY has completed a shade under 60 percent of his passes. throwing 9 TD’s but being picked off eight times... His favorite targets have been SE ISMAEL BAMBA (46 rec., 769 yards) and WR RYAN KONRATH (34 rec., 354 yards) who have combined for seven of the nine touchdown receptions.

• North Dakota had 427 total yards during its 31-17 win over Cal Poly on Oct. 31, rushing for 238 yards on 52 carries... It was its second-highest yardage total following 454 yards versus South Dakota.

• UND has only held the ball longer than its opponents twice this season including just once since its season-opener... The Fighting Sioux were just 2 of 12 (.167) on third down against Southern Oregon on Saturday.

• The defense has struggled for most of this season but has been increasingly effective the past two games... After allowing an average of 449.4 yards during its first seven games - including 643 against Stephen F. Austin - North Dakota has allowed an average of just 261.5 over its past two... It held Cal Poly to just 62 rushing yards.

• SS JOEL SCHWENZFEIER has been a leader for the defense, posting a season-high 50 tackles, including a team-best 8.0 TFL’s... He also has five interceptions for 52 yards for UND which has 12 overall... His total picks would tie him for 15th in the FCS if ranked.

• If ranked, North Dakota would be 53rd against the rush (135.7) but 116th versus the pass (271.9) and 106th overall (407.6).

• K BRANDON HELLEVANG has provided a strong kicking game for the Fighting Sioux, making 12 of 15 including 4 for 4 from 40-49 yards and a long of 52 yards... He’s made 8 of his last 9.

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE CAL POLY GAME

• QB Greg Denham threw for 278 yards, 178 of them in the second half, a total fueled by completions of 33 and 45 yards to WR Sean Creadick in the fourth quarter... Creadick had 88 receiving yards on just three catches.

• UC Davis beat the Mustangs for the first time since 2005 (20-13 at Toomey Field) and took a 17-16-2 series lead.

• P Colton Schmidt stuck all three of his punts inside the 20, including a picture-perfect 48-yarder in the first quarter that hit on the fly at the Mustangs’ 1 then gently rolled back to the 2.

• UC Davis scored on four straight drives (3 FG, TD) over a span of the third and fourth quarters, picking up their lone TD during that time after a 13-play, 91-yard drive... It was the Aggies’ second-longest TD drive (in terms of yards) this season behind a 92-yarder at Southern Utah on Oct. 31.

• The Aggies held the ball for 11 minutes, 39 seconds of the fourth quarter and 31:12 for the game, the fifth straight game they’ve had a time advantage and seventh overall.

•  UC Davis had just 99 rushing yards, but its quartet of running backs had just one negative rushing yard.

• TE BRAD BISPO’s 22-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter marked his third straight reception for a TD.

• CB Kenneth Brown blocked a field goal attempt by Cal Poly’s CHRIS PINTO in the fourth quarter, Brown’s second block of the season.

• The Mustangs’ 120 passing yards were a season-low for an opponent... UC Davis has held three of its past four foes to less than 160.

• The Aggies’ 22 return yards, both on kickoffs, were low for UC Davis this season... Its had just two games with less than 100.

• The 2-hour, 36-minute time of game was fastest of the year.

• RB JOSH REESE’s 23-yard run marked his third straight game with at least an 18-yard scamper.

REESE HELPS LIVEN UP RUSHING ATTACK

• RB Josh Reese has helped spark the Aggies’ ground game by averaging 75.0 ypg over the last three contests while averaging a whopping 9.0 yards per carry.

• Reese has been helped by runs of 38 and 31 yards at Portland State, 18 yards at Southern Utah and 23 yards against Cal Poly.

• For the year, he’s averaging 6.1 yards a carry with his 38-yard scamper the longest on the team in 2009.

SCHMIDT HELPS SOLIDIFY PUNT GAME

• UC Davis struggled with its punting in 2008 with five kicks blocked during the season... Freshman P Colton Schmidt has helped turn that special team into one of the Aggies’ best.

• He’s averaging 39.9 yards per kick but so far has landed 16 of 40 (.400) inside the 20  - UC Davis had eight last season - and has three boots beyond 50 yards.

• He landed a 53-yarder at South Dakota at the 1-yard line and then had an impressive 48-yarder settle at the 2 agains Cal Poly.

• Schmidt has a long of 67 yards against Winston-Salem State, averaging 48.8 yards on four punts that game. 

GRANT INTO TOP 10 RECEIVING CHARTS

• Like teammate WR Chris Carter, WR Bakari Grant is also making his way up the list of UC Davis’ greatest wide receivers.

• With 38 catches for 466 yards, Grant is now eighth on the all-time receptions list with 147, just six behind No. 7 TAY THOMPSON (1970-72).

• Grant (1,819 yds) needs just 72 more receiving yards to move into that top 10 list and, with 17 career touchdowns, is one score away from cracking that list.

WILDCAT CLAWING INTO OFFENSIVE ATTACK

• Throwing a wrinkle into their offensive attack, UC Davis has utilized its version of the Wildcat formation during the last two games against Southern Utah and Cal Poly.

• FS Nick Aprile, who played quarterback at Escalon HS, has effectively directed the attack, rushing 17 times for 94 yards (5.5 avg.) and a pair ot touchdowns.

• He also completed his lone pass, a six-yard TD toss to TE Dean Rogers against Southern Utah... Both of his rushing TD’s - one each game - have been from four yards.

• His high school resumè prepped him well... The Aggies’ redshirt freshman rushed for 975 yards and passed for 540 during his senior year at Escalon, a year after amassing totals of 879 and 427, respectively.

GREAT WEST & CONFERENCE HISTORY

• The Aggies, one of three original members of the Great West Conference still competing in the league, are in their sixth year in the league, looking for their first title since 2005 when they tied with Cal Poly.

• UC Davis is 14-11 (.640) all-time in the GWC, having also finished second in 2004 and 2008 in addition to their lone title.

• The Aggies are no strangers to conference success, having won outright or shared 20 consecutive titles from 1971-1990 in the Far Western Conference and Northern California Athletic Conference.

• UC Davis also tied for the title in its only year of membership in the American West Conference.

• UC Davis has won or shared 29 all-time league titles... Its first came in 1929 when it went 5-0 in the Far Western Conference.

ATTENDANCE MARKS COULD FALL IN 2009

• UC Davis is on pace to setting attendance records for home games, road games and all games, thanks to spacious Aggie Stadium and high-profile opponents such as Fresno State and Boise State.

• UC Davis is averaging 10,076 fans through its first four home games, and with a shade over 10,000 fans this week, will eclipse the previous best average of 10,071 set in 1982.

• A new record for road games is assured... The Aggies are averaging 17,573 fans for its first five road games and - regardless of what happens in its last game at Sacramento State - will beat the previous best of 13,878 in 2006.

• UC Davis is averaging  14,240 fans overall in 2009 and will finish above the record 10,766 fans it averaged over 11 games in 2006.

• In addition, the 37,267 fans at Fresno State represented the largest ever to watch the Aggies play while the 32,497 at Boise State are second.

• UC Davis has three times surpassed 10,000 spectators at Aggie Stadium (Western Oregon, Winston-Salem State, Cal Poly)... The Aggies have gone over that barrier six times in the stadium’s three-season history. 

LONGEST PLAYS/SINGLE-GAME HIGHS UPDATE

• WR Joseph Gray had an 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Winston-Salem State... It is the eighth-longest return in Aggie history and the fifth-longest returned for a score.

• PK SEAN KELLEY’s 52-yard field goal against Cal Poly tied a school record achieved three other times.

• QB GREG DENHAM’s 380 passing yards at South Dakota are 22nd-most in an Aggie game.

• WR CHRIS CARTER’s 190 receiving yards against Montana are seventh-most for a single game.

CARTER, DENHAM MARKS ARE TOPS IN NCAA

• QB Greg Denham and WR Chris Carter vaulted to the top of the NCAA FCS single-charts after big games against Montana on Sept. 12.

• Denham’s 67 attempts is tops for an FCS player this year while his 43 completions are second... The completions also tied a school-record held by Kevin Daft (1997 vs. New Haven) while the attempts broke Daft’s mark of 64 from that same game.

• Carter’s 18 receptions against the Grizzlies are the most by an FCS receiver in 2009... And, yes, they are also a school record, breaking the previous mark of 15 established by WR Tony Kays in 2005.

MORALES CHARTING TACKLES IN TOP 10

• LB Mike Morales leads UC Davis in solo (40), assisted (28) and total (68) tackles, three areas where he is moving up among the Aggies’ all-time leaders.

• He currently ranks tied for second in career solo tackles (131), seventh in assisted stops (115) and fourth in total tackles (235)... Morales is also fifth in TFL’s since 2001 with 21.0... He needs five solo stops to tie LB JASON HAIRSTON (1992-94) for the top spot.

• Morales has nine career games with at least 10 tackles, including two this year when he posted 13 at Boise State and 12 at South Dakota a week later.

• He’s added two picks this year and has five for his career.

NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP FOR KELLEY

• PK Sean Kelley was an All-Great West second-team pick last season after making 10 (of 13) field goals and all 42 PATs... He had a long FG of 36 yards.

• His sophomore season has been even more productive having already made 10 field goals and 24 of 26 PAT’s... After entering the year with a long FG of 36 yards, he has already made three from 40-49 yards (46 vs. Western Oregon, 48 at Boise State, 44 vs. Winston-Salem State) and has a school-record tying 52-yarder against Cal Poly.

• For his career, he has 22 field goals (T-6th all-time), 25 FG attempts (7th) and 68 PATs (7th)... He is 66 of 68 in PATs overall.

• Kelley has made his last eight field goal attempts.

AGGIES EARN NINE GREAT WEST AWARDS 

• UC Davis has enjoyed seven Great West Conference Players of the Week so far in 2009, three each for offense and special teams, and one for defense.

• WR Chris Carter was honored with offensive accolades after picking up 11 catches for 190 yards against then No. 5 Montana on Sept. 12... QB Greg Denham added similar honors on Oct. 11 after passing for 380 yards at South Dakota... Backup QB Austin Heyworth, relieving an injured Denham at Portland State, threw a pair of key TD passes for the award on Oct. 25.

• P Colton Schmidt earned special teams honors the same week after pinning the Grizzlies inside their own 12-yard line three times... DT Jacob Maxson picked up the same accolades after blocking a pivotal PAT attempt in the overtime win on Oct. 10th... WR Joseph Gray had an 81-yard kickoff return to earn honors on Oct. 18 while K Sean Kelley had two FG’s - including a game-winner - at Portland State to give the Aggies’ three straight winners of the award... Kelley’s three FG’s - including one from 52 yards that gave UC Davis the lead for good against Cal Poly - also earned him the award on Nov. 9.

• CB Kenneth Brown picked up the defensive award after an interception, forced fumble  and two pass breakups on Sept. 26 against Western Oregon... He also blocked a PAT.

• Additionally, Carter was named the GWC Male Student-Athlete of the Month for September, an award covering athletes from all conference sports... He had 33 catches for 308 yards to help highlight his month.

ALL-TIME RECORD

• UC Davis owns an all-time record of 477-355-33 (.571) as it plays its 91st season of football... The Aggies started playing in 1915 and have played continuously except for 1918, and 1943-45.

• A total of 15 head coaches, beginning with R.E. HARMON (1915-16) have directed the Aggies’ program.

CARTER MAKING MOVE ON SCHOOL RECORD

• WR Chris Carter, despite missing most of his sophomore season with a knee injury, has entrenched himself as one of the most accomplished receivers in school history.

• Carter’s career catches total 195, putting him second all-time at UC Davis and just 13 away from breaking the record of 207 held by WR Tony Kays (2003-2006)... With three catches against Cal Poly, he passed WR CHARLEY ENOS (195)... Carter has 2,254 career yards and is sixth on the all-time list.

• He set a school record with 18 catches against Montana on Sept. 12 and had a career-best 190 receiving yards... He followed that with 11 more catches against Western Oregon.

• Carter has four double-digit receiving games in his career, after also gaining 13 at Central Arkansas last year and 10 at Sacramento State in 2006... He had his fourth 100-yard receiving game last month, also reaching the plateau with 189 at Central Arkansas and 104 against Sacramento State (2008) last season, and 127 vs. Central Arkansas (2006).

• Besides his catches against Montana setting a school standard, his yards were the seventh-most in an Aggie game and made him just the third Aggie to ever have at least 175 yards twice... WR MICHAEL OLIVA (twice in 2001) and WR TONY KAYS (twice in 2005) are the others.

  

DENHAM’S 300-YARD GAMES NOW AT EIGHT

• QB Greg Denham threw for 380 yards at South Dakota, marking his eighth career 300-yard game and second this season... It was his second-highest yardage total, trailing only his 434-yard effort in last season’s finale at San Diego.

• He ranks tied for fourth all-time in 300-yard games at UC Davis, trailing J.T. O’SULLIVAN (17; 1998-2001), Kevin Daft (11; 1995-98) while being tied with Jon Grant (8; 2003-06).

• Here are Denham’s 300-yard games (in order):

 - 26-41-2, 361 yds, 1 TD vs. Portland State (9/13/08)

 - 20-30-1, 326 yds, 5 TD’s vs. Iona (10/18/08)

 - 31-41-1, 320 yds, 2 TD’s vs. North Dakota (10/25/08)

 - 27-48-2, 307 yds, 1 TD vs. Sacramento State (11/8/08)

 - 22-42-2, 332 yds, 4 TD’s at Cal Poly (11/15/08)

 - 26-41-1, 434 yds, 2 TD’s at San Diego (11/22/08)

 - 43-67-2, 362 yds, 1 TD vs. Montana (9/12/09)

 - 27-41-1, 380 yds, 2 TD’s at South Dakota (10/10/09)

• Denham is currently eight for all-time yards (5,844), total offense (5,607) and touchdowns (41), fifth for attempts (824) and fourth for completions (519) with more movement up the charts this season within reach.

NOTABLE STREAKS ON THE LINE

• C Tommy Hernandez and OT Mark Tos have each strung together impressive streaks on the offensive line during their careers.

• Both have been in the trenches at the start of the last 32 Aggie games.

• Longevity on the line is not a stranger at UC Davis... OG Jonathan Compas, currently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, started all 40 of his career games before graduating last season, while OG Mario Gonzalez ended his career last year with 34 straight starts.

OTHER STREAKS OF NOTE

• UC Davis saw its streak of 212 games in which it had scored a point come to an end at Fresno State (L,51-0)... The last shutout prior to that was a 19-0 defeat to Cal Poly in 1990... The streak nearly ended in 2001 when the Aggies faced North Dakota in the postseaso but UND took a safety late in the game, helping the Aggies’ preserve the streak... North Dakota won 14-2.

• They have, however, not been shut out in 107 home games. (includes “home” games at Hughes Stadium during Causeway Classic).

• 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 441 games... UC Davis had 130 in that game.

TEAM CAPTAINS

• UC Davis has two team captains this season in C Tommy Hernandez and LB Mike Morales.

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 notable college or pro coaching careers, including:

• MIKE BELLOTTI (Oregon, former head coach), who played for Sochor in 1969-72 and was a subsequent assistant coach... He is currently the athletics director at Oregon.

• DAN HAWKINS (Colorado, head coach) played for UC Davis in 1981-82, was later an assistant with the Aggies and subsequently was head coach at Boise State .

• 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 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

• PAUL HACKETT (Oakland Raiders, asst. coach), who played from 1966-68, was an assistant at UC Davis as well a head coach at USC, Pittsburgh and an assistant with the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

UC DAVIS HAS ITS OWN QUARTERBACK “U”

• The Aggies’ coaching tree (see above) is just one trademark of the football program... The other is its ability to turn out prolific quarterbacks.

• Despite being a Div. II program until 2007, UC Davis had six signal-callers chosen in the NFL Draft since 1979: Mike Moroski (Falcons, ‘79), KEN O’BRIEN (Jets, ‘83), SCOTT BARRY (49ers, ‘85), JEFF BRIDEWELL (Cardinals, ‘91), Kevin Daft (Titans, ‘99) and J.T. O’SULLIVAN (Saints, ‘02).

• O’Sullivan has played with several teams and is currently a backup with Cincinnati, Moroski is in his 22nd year on the Aggies’ coaching staff and Daft is an assistant coach at Cal.

• O’Brien was a member of the famed NFL QB class of ‘83 that also included Dan Marino, John Elway, Todd Blackledge, Jim Kelly and Tony Eason being drafted in the first round.

• In addition to the draftees, QB KHARI JONES (1991-93) enjoyed a prolific career in the Canadian Football League and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player in ‘01.

• QB MARK GRIEB (1994-96) was an ArenaBowl MVP and champion with the San Jose Sabercats and holds several league passing records.

• QB Jon Grant (2003-06) is a member of the Berlin Adler whose team won the 21st German Bowl earlier this season.

• Even current coach BOB BIGGS played some professional football spending some time in the CFL and the WFL. 

UC Davis Aggies Football

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