Sept. 11, 2007
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Matchup Central
OPENING KICKOFF
News, notes and headline items to get things started... Many will be expanded on later in these notes. UC Davis plays Eastern Washington for just the second time ever when the Aggies travel to Cheney for a nonconference game on Saturday... They also traveled to EWU in 2005, losing 24-7 on the same day the Eagles clinched the Big Sky Conference championship. The Aggies are looking for their second straight road win after ending a three-game losing streak away from Davis with Saturday's 26-17 victory over No. 18 Portland State. UC Davis' last two road wins have now come against ranked teams after last season's 45-0 victory at No. 20 Monana State on Sept. 16. The Aggies are the top team among "others receiving votes" in The FCS Coaches poll thanks to Saturday's win but are unranked in The Sports Network poll. EWU is the second of three Big Sky Conference teams on the schedule, a list which also includes Portland State and rival Sacramento State. UC Davis is 16-4 all-time against teams from Washington (EWU, 0-1; Cen. Washington, 7-1; W. Washington, 7-1; Puget Sound, 2-1)... All but those against Puget Sound have come with Bob Biggs as head coach (14-3 vs. Wash. teams). The Aggies' last win in Washington came with a 24-6 victory at Central Washington in the first round of the 2002 NCAA Div. II Playoffs, the last of three straight games they played in the state... They lost at CWU two weeks earlier before winning at Western Washington in the regular-season finale. UC Davis has allowed just 51 net rushing yards in its first two games... The Aggies are currently No. 5 in the NCAA FCS rankings in rushing defense (25.5 ypg). Thanks to nine sacks against Portland State, UC Davis is No. 2 nationally in sacks (5.5 pg) and tied No. 1 in tackles-for-losses (13.0 pg). UC Davis scored 23 unanswered points against Portland State... The last time the Aggies scored at least that many in a row was against North Dakota State last season when they tallied 24 in the first half... The Bison eventually won 28-24... The last time they did it in a win was against Southern Utah - also last year - when UC Davis led 24-0 in a 27-7 victory. The Aggies beat the Vikings for the first time in six games in Portland and for just the second time in eight games overall. RB Joe Trombetta, a redshirt freshman, continued his hot collegiate start by picking up 154 all-purpose yards (93 rush, 61 receiving) to go with 275 (189 rush, 86 receiving) he posted against Western Washington. Trombetta ranks nationally in six categories, including being No. 7 in all-purpose yards (214.5 pg) and tied for No. 10 in rushing (141.0 pg). UC Davis had a memorable goal-line stand against Portland State in which it turned away the Vikings on five straight plays in the fourth quarter from the two-yard line or closer... PSU had eight tries from the 11 or closer. The Aggies began 2007 with 37 consecutive winning seasons, a mark believed to be the longest of any NCAA school that is not Division III. The season is also the first in Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) for UC Davis which is also in its fourth year in the Great West Football Conference.
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
The Eagles won the only previous matchup between the teams, a 24-7 decision on a cold and foggy Nov. 19, 2005 matchup at Cheney. Former EWU QB Erik Meyer threw for 135 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the Eagles led 24-0 at the break. RB Nelson Doris rushed for 100 yards on 18 carries for UC Davis while LB NOLAN DE GRAAF had a 50-yard interception return for a TD. The loss evened UC Davis' record at 5-5, forcing it to win its season finale the following week to extend its streak of consecutive winning seasons to 36.
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 115-49-1 (.700) overall record and is 53-31-0 (.631) on the road, 34-18-1 in September (.651) and enters 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. PAUL WULFF (Washington State `90) is 45-36 and in his eighth season as head coach at Eastern Washington... Wulff is in his 15th year at the school overall... He's been named Big Sky Coach of the Year three times in seven years. Wulff led EWU to the NCAA FCS Playoffs in 2004 and 2005 as well as consecutive conference championships. His 2004 team finished 9-4, advancing to the national quarterfinals, a run that included a win over No. 1 Southern Illinois in the first round.
BRIEF EAGLES SCOUTING REPORT
Eastern Washington has not played since beating Montana-Western 52-13 on Aug. 31... The Eagles had 567 total yards in the rout, including 307 on the ground but scored all seven touchdowns through the air. EWU averaged 6.1 yards per carry and 7.2 yards per play overall... The Eagles scored seven times in their first eight possessions (7 TD's, 1 FG). QB Matt Nichols threw for 229 yards and six touchdowns while only playing into the third quarter... Nichols threw for four touchdowns in the first half as the Eagles went up 31-13 at the half. RB Dale Morris had 148 yards rushing, averaging 9.2 yards a touch.. He had a long run of 38 yards. WR Aaron Boyce and WR Tony Davis each had six catches, including a pair of touchdowns, with Boyce finishing with 89 yards and Davis collecting 71... Five different receivers caught touchdown passes. Nichols finished 20 of 26 passing, throwing no interceptions and not getting sacked. EWU had no turnovers. Defensively, Montana-Western was held to just 71 yards rushing and 244 total yards. DL Shawn Powell had six total tackles (3 solo), including a TFL... DB Kevin Hatch and LB J.C. Sherritt each had five stops with all of Hatch's comng on solo tackles. Hatch also had two interceptions, which he returned a combined 11 yards, and broke up a pass... The Eagles had five pass breakups overall. EWU had 5.0 TFL's but no sacks. The Eagles had an average starting spot of their own 41 while Montana-Western was held to its own 23. EWU returns 10 starters and 47 letterwinners from last year's team which finished 3-8 overall.
UC DAVIS VS. THE BIG SKY
The Aggies are facing a Big Sky team (besides rival Sacramento State) for the fourth straight year with a record of 4-3 record during the that time. Mix in Sacramento State and the Aggies move to 7-3. Other breakdowns: vs. Montana State (1-0); s. Northern Colorado (1-0); vs. Weber State (1-0), vs. Eastern Washington (0-1); Portland St. (1-2). UC Davis is 17-9 vs. the Big Sky during the Bob Biggs era.
UC DAVIS-PORTLAND STATE REVIEW
The Aggies rushed for 33 net yards on 30 carries but minus-54 yards of that total came on a pair of balls snapped over the head of punter Emmanuel Benjamin and into the end zone... UC Davis gained 122 yards before subtracting the high snaps and other negative yardage. Both special teams miscues led to touchdowns by Portland State on the ensuing possessions. DE James Amos, DL John Faletoese and DE Patrick Michelier each had two sacks against the Vikings, part of the Aggies' nine total sacks of QB Brian White. CB Kenneth Brown (1.0), LB Chris Buck (1.0), DL Ricky Owen (0.5) and LB Tyler Pringle (0.5) also joined in the sack parade... The sacks resulted in 70 yards in losses. The Aggies finished the game with 13.0 TFL's for the second straight game. Trombetta had a 41-yard gain off a screen pass, his third reception of at least 33 yards in the first two games. K Emmanuel Benjamin punted for the second game in a row (and just the second game of his career), averaging 41.0 yards and putting three inside the 20. TE Luke McDonough's score - a 31-yard catch in which he stretched near the end zone sideline to haul in QB Tim Plough's pass - was his third career TD. UC Davis was just 2 of 12 on third down... The Aggies were 3 of 3 inside the red-zone. The Aggies scored 17 points in the third quarter despite holding the ball for just 4:42... It helped that their average starting position in the third was midfield. CB Adam Cook averaged 14.0 yards on five punt returns including a 33-yarder in the third quarter that was immediately followed by a 31-yard TD pass from QB Tim Plough to TE Luke McDonough. UC Davis was whistled 11 times for 111 yards in penalties including two each for pass interference and personal fouls and another for unsportsmanlike conduct.
AMOS EARNS GWFC ACCOLADES
DE James Amos was named the Great West Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Sunday, the Aggies' first honoree of the season. Amos earned the award after picking up eight tackles (five solo) against Portland State, including two sacks for 14 yards in losses. Amos is a two-time All-GWFC first-team honoree... The GWFC weekly award is the first of his career... He is the Aggies' third defensive winner since the beginning of last season (DE Mike Ng & FS Jonathan Barsi in 2006). It was also the second time in his career he's picked up two sacks in a game... Amos has 12 sacks in his career, including six as a sophomore in 2005.
GOAL-LINE STAND FOR THE AGES
Leading 26-17 midway through the fourth quarter, UC Davis had a decisive goal-line stand in which the Aggies turned away Portland State five straight plays from the 2-yard line and closer. PSU had driven from its own 13 with just under 11 minutes left, gaining a first down just outside the Aggies' 10-yard line. A pass and two rushes made it fourth-and-one at the 2... We pick up the action there: - 4th and 1 (2-yd line): QB Brian White stopped short of goal line on a sneak but gains first down with ball placed inside the 1. - 1st and G (1-yd line): RB Olaniyi Sobomehin tries up the middle but can't get through. - 2nd and G (1-yd line): White's quarterback sneak is also turned back by the Aggie front. - 3rd and G (1-yd line): Sobomehin takes pitch left but is met one-on-one by SS Anthony Sampson who brings him down at the 1. - 4th and G (1-yd line): Sobomehin tries to leap over the middle but jumps right into the heart of the Aggies' defense. PSU was held without a score on eight plays from inside the 11 in the series, including seven straight from the five. The drive ate up 7:16 of the clock with UC Davis taking over at the 3:37 mark with a nine-point lead.
SPEAKING OF DEFENSE
UC Davis had 13 tackles-for-losses and nine sacks against Portland State which has helped it rank No. 1 (tied) and No.2, respectively, nationally in those two categories. The last time the Aggies had nine sacks in a game was in 2000 at Central Washington in 2001... They had eight against Humboldt State in 2002. There is not an established school record for most sacks in a game.
TROMBETTA OFF TO A GREAT START
Redshirt freshman RB Joe Trombetta has enjoyed two strong games to open his collegiate career, accounting for 275 all-purpose yards in the opener and 154 at Portland State. Through two games, he ranks nationally in six categories: - All-purpose yards: 7th (214.5 ypg) - Rushing: T-10th (141.0 ypg) - Receiving yards: T-53rd (73.5 ypg) - Receptions: T-78th (4.5 pg) - Total offense: T-86th (141.0 ypg) - Scoring: T-96th (6.0 ppg) His 90-yard TD run vs. W. Washington ranks T-2nd for longest in school history and T-2nd for the longest in the FCS so far this year. His 189 rushing yards vs. W. Washington are T14th for most in a game at UC Davis and are 9th in the FCS... They are also most for a freshman in FCS so far. Trombetta's 275 all-purpose on Sept. 1 is third-best in FCS this season. His 9.9 yard average on Sept. 1 was third-best among single-game rushers in the UC Davis top 14... (Shola Adeyemo, 12.3 avg. vs. Sonoma St., 1988 -- 196 yds/16 carries). Trombetta is no stranger to rushing yards, having gained 5,447 at Casa Grande HS in Petaluma.
RECEIVING CORPS LOSES THREE
Saturday's win was a costly one for the Aggies who lost three receivers to injuries. None will play this week. WR Chris Miller went down early in the game with an abdominal injury. WR CHRIS CARTER, the 2006 GWFC Rookie of the Year, later left the game with a knee injury. TE Brad Bispo was sidelined with an ankle injury.
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.
FALETOESE AND BUCK LEAD DEFENSE
UC Davis allowed just 104.0 rushing ypg (9th in I-AA) last season and two big reasons were DL John Faletoese and LB Chris Buck. Faletoese, a three-time preseason All-America for 2007, had 9.5 tackles for losses, 35 tackles overall and was named to the All-GWFC first team. He was also selected the team's top sophomore after garnering top freshman honors in 2005. Buck was also named to the league's top team, posting 55 tackles, the most among the linebackers and second-most on the team. Buck added 7.0 TFL's for 47 yards in losses and three sacks. He had sacks in three straight games, earning them at Montana State, Youngstown State and rival Cal Poly.
WELCOME TO NEW AGGIE STADIUM
Saturday's game marks 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. 5,000 parking spaces within a 10-minute walk highlight transportation accomodations.
IN WITH THE NEW, OUT WITH THE OLD
Aggie Stadium replaces venerable Toomey Field, which will remain as key competition venue for UC Davis track and field. UC Davis played its final game at Toomey Field against San Diego last November, a game which closed the facility that was opened in 1949 and secured the program's 37th straight winning season. UC Davis compiled a 192-86-8 record at Toomey Field. The Aggies enjoyed 14 undefeated home seasons, most recently in 2002 when it went 4-0. UC Davis posted a 10-11 record in NCAA Division II playoff games at Toomey Field. Toomey Field is named after Irving F. "Crip" Toomey, a coach, athletic adminstrator and teacher from 1928-61.
A LITTLE BIT OF TOOMEY AT AGGIE
The Tavernetti Bell didn't want to be lonely at Toomey Field so it has made its way to Aggie Stadium. The bell, named in memory of former Assistant Dean Thomas Frederick Tavernetti (1889-1834), gets rung by the Aggie Band-uh! once for every point UC Davis scores in a home victory. The bell sat inconspicuously outside of Toomey Field but now sits prominently in the main plaza outside the main gates at Aggie Stadium. And, yes, look for the bell to make noise again after every Aggie win.
37-YEAR WINNING STREAK
The Aggies enters the season with 37 consecutive winning seasons, believed to be the longest active streak of any non-Division III school in the country. UC Davis has not had a losing record since a 3-7 mark in 1969. The streak has been in jeopardy heading into the final game of the season six times, including last year... 2007 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. Former coach JIM SOCHOR (1970-88) started the streak, it was continued by BOB FOSTER (1989-92) and has been extended by Bob Biggs (1993-present). UC Davis is 301-101-7 (.745) during the streak.
OTHER STREAKS OF NOTE
UC Davis has scored in 191 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 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 412 games... UC Davis had 130 in that game.
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.
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.
SPEAKING OF THE GWFC...
North Dakota State and South Dakota State are leaving the GWFC after 2007 and will become members of the Gateway Football Conference beginning next year. The GWFC won't have to make too many adjustments on its letterhead though, welcoming North Dakota and South Dakota to the fold beginning in 2008. Both schools are beginning reclassifications to Div. I FCS.
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. UC Davis has that one nailed. 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 on Saturday... 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.
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.
DIVISION I-AA GETS NEW NAME
NCAA Div. I-AA underwent a name change to help forge a more distinct identity in collegiate football. Beginning last December, I-AA became known as the Football Championship Subdivision. Division I-A is now known as Football Bowl Subdivision.
HOME WEBCASTS AVAILABLE VIA INTERNET
With its newly redesigned website (ucdavisaggies.com), UC Davis is offering video webcasts of all home games during the 2007 season. Webcasts will include a 50-yard camera shot of the game, and live audio from the radio broadcast on KHTK. Single-game costs are $7.95 while a season package is $19.95... Details on the website.
