Sept. 1, 2007
Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
DAVIS, Calif. - Junior quarterback Adam Perry completed 31 of 46 for 362 yards and two touchdowns to lead Western Washington to a 28-21 win over UC Davis in a non-conference collegiate football game at Aggie Stadium in front of 9,690 fans Saturday. The contest was the first-ever football game held at the university's new multi-use facility.
The Aggies open their season at 0-1. The Vikings move to 1-0 overall.
For UC Davis, freshman running back Joe Trombetta made his collegiate debut with 189 rushing yards on just 19 carries. He scored on a 90-yard scamper early in the fourth, while hauling in five catches for 86 yards. Seniors Tim Plough and Matt Engle split up duties at quarterback, posting totals of 201 and 82 yards, respectively. Plough fired two touchdown passes, hitting Brandon Rice and Chris Carter for scores during the second quarter.
Perry connected with sophomore wideout Rick Copsey for an 85-yard strike late in the second quarter, then hit tight end Zach Hekker for a 22-yarder midway through the third. Perry's second touchdown score proved to be the game-winner, giving WWU a 22-21 lead. Sophomore Josh Lider hit two of his three field goals in the fourth to help seal the win.
The Vikings were particularly effective on third-down situation, converting 12 of 21 for the game and three out of five in the third quarter. Perry had touchdown passes of 16, 20 and 32 yards on such situations to highlight the period.
"I give credit to Western Washington," said UC Davis head coach Bob Biggs. "They had a great game plan. I thought they played a great game. They took some things away from us offensively. Defensively, they just nickel and dimed their way down the field. They were effective."
WWU had its first scoring opportunity of the game on a 20-yard field goal chance midway in the first quarter, but Aggie defensive tackle John Faletoese blocked the try. UC Davis was unable to capitalize on the effort as James Day sacked Plough for a sack and fumble on the Aggie 26-yard line. On the next possession, the Vikings broke the scoreless tie when the first of two Aggie pass interference penalties set up a two-yard run by sophomore Craig Garner.
Rice and Carter scored their back-to-back touchdown receptions to put UC Davis up by a 14-7 margin, then Copsey scored on his 85-yard bomb to trim the lead to a single point. Ace Younggren's point-after attempt drifted wide left of the uprights, holding the Aggies' lead. Lider ended the first half with a 22-yard field goal, sending the Vikings to a 16-14 at the break.
Early in the third quarter, WWU punter Corbin Anderson pinned the Aggies at their own 10-yard line. On the first play of the ensuing possession, Trombetta scurried 90 yards to put UC Davis up by a 21-16 edge. That lead was short-lived, however, as Perry hit Hekker for a 23-yard game-winner at the 8:33 mark. The VIkings attempted to extend the lead to three with a two-point conversion, but Brady McClendon knocked down Copsey's pass to tight end Logan Cullen.
Lider hit field goals of 18 and 32 yards to account for the remainder of the WWU scoring. The Aggies took possession with five ticks remaining in the game. With no time remaining, Plough fired a 41-yard desperation pass to Kale Turner near the goal line, but cornerback Anthony Rosso led a swarm of Viking defenders in breaking up the play.
UC Daivs held a 450-to-387 edge in total offense but the Vikings had nearly 39 minutes of possession time. A total of 10 Vikings totalled the 31 receptions thrown by Perry. Senior Casey Dell led the way with nine catches for 96 yards, while junior Travis McKee collected seven more for 69 yards.
UC Davis returns to action at Portland State on September 8.
