Sept. 29, 2009
Complete UC Davis Game Notes in PDF Format 
Complete Boise State Game Notes in PDF Format
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GAME4
UC Davis (1-2) at No. 5 Boise State (4-0)
Oct. 3, 2009 • 5 p.m. (PT) • Bronco Stadium (33,500) • Boise, ID
KHTK (1140 AM) • Comcast SportsNet Plus • ESPN 360.com
OPENING KICKOFF
• News, notes and headline items to get things started... Many will be expanded later on in these notes.
• UC Davis plays the highest-ranked Div. I FCS football team in the program's history when it faces Boise State for the first time since 1985... It should also be noted the Aggies are playing on blue artificial turf for the first time.
• The No. 5 (AP, USA Today Coaches) Broncos are coached by former Aggie QB CHRIS PETERSEN who still ranks No. 8 all-time at UC Davis with 5,555 career yards... Petersen was also the starting QB during the last Aggies-Broncos' last meeting, throwing for 238 yards and rushing for 63 during Boise State's 13-9 win on Sept. 14, 1985.
• The Broncos are the second Western Athletic Conference opponent for UC Davis this season and the sixth FBS foe since the start of the 2005 season... The Aggies are 1-4 in the previous matchups with the notable win coming 20-17 at Stanford in 2005.
• Boise State is the second top-25 FBS opponent during UC Davis' recent run of playing "up"... TCU, coached by former Aggie assistant coach GARY PATTERSON, was ranked No. 22 by the coaches and No. 23 by the Associated Press prior to the Horned Frogs' 46-13 win in 2006.
• Other Aggie connections to Boise State include Broncos Director of Football Operations Viliami Tuivai who was a standout linebacker for UC Davis during the 2000 and `01 seasons... Current Aggie defensive coordinator Mark Johnson was defensive line coach with the Broncos in 1998 and `99.
• UC Davis' win over Western Oregon on Saturday snapped a five-game losing streak going back to last season and helped it avoid an 0-3 start for the first time since 1965... The Aggies are also trying in 2009 for their first winning season since `07, the last in a string of 37 consecutive winning campaigns.
• The Aggies' passing attack is ranked 22nd among NCAA FCS teams at 258.3 ypg... It is also No. 6 in sacks allowed at 0.67 per game.
• CB Kenneth Brown was named the Great West Conference Defensive Player of the Week after forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass which both led to Aggie scores against the Wolves... He also had a pair of pass breakups and blocked a PAT attempt. • RB Joe Trombetta rumbled in from two yards in the second quarter, ending a string of nearly five games of playing action for UC Davis without a rushing TD. • K Sean Kelley had a career-best three field goals in the Aggies' inaugural `09 win, starting off with a career-best 46-yarder in the first quarter... He made one from 39 yards in the fourth quarter before later tying his previous best from 36 yards. • WR Chris Carter continued his hot start to his senior season, collecting 11 catches to give him 33 so far... It is the second time in three games he has hit double-digits in reception (18 vs. Montana) and is his first Aggie season with more than one such game... He is ranked No. 1 among FCS receivers at 11.0 pg. • UC Davis head coach Bob Biggs collected his 125th career win with Saturday's victory over Western Oregon... He is second in wins on the Aggies' all-time coaching list.
• UC Davis is 0-4 vs. Idaho teams (0-3 vs. BSU, 0-1 vs. Idaho).
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. THE BRONCOS
• Boise State holds a 3-0 advantage over UC Davis with the last meeting coming in 1985 (BSU, 13-9)... The Broncos also won 41-20 in Boise in 1974 and 32-31 at UC Davis in 1973.
• The first two games occurred during the Broncos' affiliation in Division II while the final came after Boise State moved to the I-AA level (now FCS).
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 125-63-1 (.664) overall record and is 54-42 (.563) against Div. I teams (FBS and FCS)... Biggs is also 50-16-1 (.758) in the month of October... He has not faced Boise State as head coach.
• 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... Coach Sochor is expected to be at Saturday's game at Boise State.
• 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 PETERSEN (UC Davis `88) is 39-4 and in his fourth year as the head coach of the Broncos after serving as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach with the program from 2001-05.
• Petersen, who led Boise State to a 13-0 record and a memorable Tostitos Fiesta Bowl win in 2007, was the 2006 winner of the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year honor.
• Among his many coaching distinctions was being named the WAC Coach of the Year in 2008 after leading the Broncos to a 12-1 record... Petersen has also coached at Oregon (1995-2000), Portland State (1993-94), Pitt (1992) and UC Davis (1987-91).
BRIEF BOISE STATE SCOUTING REPORT
• Boise State features one of the most potent offensive and defensive teams in college football and is one 13 FBS programs that have not lost yet this season.
• The Broncos are currently No. 7 among FBS teams in scoring (41.8 ppg.), 18th in rushing offense (214.3 ypg) and No. 17 in total offense (452.8).
• QB KELLEN MOORE, who threw for 247 yards and two scores against Bowling Green on Saturday, is second nationally in passing efficiency (177.5)... He's completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 932 yards and 10 touchdowns with just one interception so far.
• WR TITUS YOUNG (20-247, 3 TD's) and WR AUSTIN PETTIS (18-249, 4 TD's) are Moore's two top receivers with each of them having caught passes covering at least 54 yards.
• RB JEREMY AVERY (371 yds, 6.5 avg.) and RB DJ HARPER (284 yds, 6.5 avg.) help anchor the rushing attack which also has RB DOUG MARTIN (151 yds, 6.9 avg.) above the century mark in yards... Boise State is averaging 5.6 yards per carry so far.
• Boise State racked up 529 yards of total offense in its 49-14 win at Bowling Green on Saturday, almost split evenly between rushing (267 yds) and passing (262 yds).
• Martin had 116 rushing yards while Avery added 92, each of them also scoring touchdowns.
• WR TYLE SHOEMAKER caught four passes for a game-high 105 yards while Young had six snags for 58 yards.
• The offensive line has helped Boise State lead the country in sacks allowed (0.50 pg.)
• Defensively, the Broncos feature a strong defense that is No. 5 in pass efficiency defense (83.7), No. 16 in scoring defense (14.0 ppg) and 22nd in total defense (283.8 ypg).
• Boise State allowed just 282 yards of offense to Bowling Green, including just 93 on the ground via 33 attempts.
• The Broncos have already picked off nine passes over their first four games, including two each from S JERON JOHNSON and WLB AARON TEVIS.
• DT BILLY WINN has a team-best 18 tackles including 5.5 TFL's for 20 yards... DE RYAN WINTERSWYK has a pair of sacks and S GEORGE ILOKA has a team-high 12 solo stops.
• Boise State is also winning the turnover game, with a 1.50 turnover margin that ties it for 11th nationally.
• Special teams play is highlighted by Young who is 21st nationally in kickoff returns (29.3 avg.) and by P KYLE BROTZMAN who is averaging 45.4 yards per kick and helping the Broncos rank No. 9 in net punting average (40.73).
NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE W. OREGON GAME
• UC Davis had just four penalties (for 55 yards), its fewest number of penalties since picking up four against North Dakota State in the sixth game of the 2007 season.
• CB Kenneth Brown's interception was the first of his career... He returned the second-quarter pick to the Wolves' 2 and setting up the Aggies' first touchdown... His forced fumble led to another score, giving the Aggies 13 points off turnovers. • UC Davis was held below 100 rushing yards for the fifth consecutive game, gaining just 60 yards on 30 carries... It was the 10th time since the start of the `08 season the Aggies have been held below the century mark.
• UC Davis had three sacks, its first ones of the year.
• Sophomore K Sean Kelley's string of 44 straight PAT's to start his Aggie career came to an end in the second quarter... His three field goals broke his previous best of two which he did three times last year. • WR Sean Creadick had six catches, giving him 16 over his past two games. • QB GREG DENHAN attempted 50 passes, marking the third time in his career - and the second conescutive game - he has reached the half-century mark.
• The Aggies held the ball for 10 minutes, 20 seconds of the fourth quarter.
• UC Davis didn't try a fourth-down conversion for just the second time since the start of last season... The other time came at Cal Poly last Nov. 15.
• The Aggies were 4 of 6 on third down in the first quarter and 4 of 12 after that... They also only had one drive of at least 10 plays (10 for 44 yds, 1st quarter).
BROWN EARNS FIRST GREAT WEST HONOR
• CB Kenneth Brown was named the Great West Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Sunday after a standout effort in the Aggies' win over Western Oregon. • Brown had his hand in two turnovers that led to Aggie touchdowns in the second quarter... The first was an interception which he returned 25 yards to the Wolves' 2, while the second was a forced fumble which UC Davis recovered at the WOU 11.
• He added a pair of pass breakups and was credited with three solo tackles... For good measure, Brown contributed on special teams by blocking a PAT.
• It is his first GWC honor and the third by an Aggie this season... WR Chris Carter and P Colton Schmidt were honored after the Montana game for offensive and special teams achievements, respectively.
SCHMIDT OFF TO GREAT PUNTING START
• To play as a true freshman at UC Davis is a rarity, to achieve early on is even more noteworthy.
• Through three games, Schmidt is averaging 37.6 yards per kick, has put nine of his 17 boots inside the 20 and has a long of 49 yards.
• He was named the GWC Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 13 after pinning Montana three times inside its 12-yard line including once at its 3.
• Schmidt had a pair inside the 20 against Western Oregon including punts to the Wolves' 7-yard line and 5-yard line.
AGGIES IN NCAA STATS
• QB Greg Denham: Completions (1st, 30.0 pg), passing yds. (12th, 258.33 pg). • WR Chris Carter: Receptions (1st, 11.0 pg), rec. yds. (9th, 102.7 pg). • FS Danny Hart: Fumble recoveries: (T-1st, 1.0 pg)
DENHAM 300-YARD LIST GROWS TO SEVEN
• QB Greg Denham threw for 362 yards against Montana, marking his seventh career 300-yard game and sixth over his past eight outings... It was his second-highest yardage total, trailing only his 434-yard effort in last season's finale at San Diego. • He ranks fourth all-time in 300-yard games at UC Davis, trailing J.T. O'SULLIVAN (17; 1998-2001), Kevin Daft (11; 1995-98) and 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)
DEFENSE HOLDS ANOTHER BELOW 100
• UC Davis has allowed less than 100 rushing yards in two of its three games so far, including just 86 vs. Montana and 48 against Western Oregon.
• Saturday's game marked the eighth time since the beginning of the 2008 season that the Aggies have held an opponent below 93 yards.
• Efforts during that span (in order):
- 42 yds (24 att.) at San Jose State (8/30/08)
- 19 yds (8 att.) vs. Portland State (9/13/08)
- 66 yds (26 att.) at Montana (9/20/08)
- 13 yds (14 att.) vs. Southern Utah (10/11/08)
- 34 yds (22 att.) vs. Iona (10/18/08)
- 68 yds (27 att.) vs. North Dakota (10/25/08)
- 86 yds (20 att.) vs. Montana (9/12/09)
- 48 yds (24 att.) vs. Western Oregon (9/26/09)
CARTER RACING UP RECORD CHARTS
• 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. • 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, bringing his season average to 11.0 pg, best among NCAA FCS receivers... It also puts him in pace for a school-record 122 receptions. (current record: WR Tony Kays, 93, 2005).
• He 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 also had his fourth 100-yard receiving day three weeks ago, also reaching the plateau with 189 at Central Arkansas last season, 104 against Sacramento State (2008), 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.
• Carter's career catches total 161, making him sixth all-time at UC Davis and just 46 away from tying Kays for the all-time lead... Next up is RANDY WILLIAMS (1982-85) who is fifth with 169... Carter has 1,853 career yards and needs 31 to tie TE HOWARD GRAVELLE (1967-69) for 10th place on that list.
ELEVEN FROM ALL-GREAT WEST SQUAD RETURN
• UC Davis welcomes back nearly a dozen players who earned recognition from the Great West Conference last year.
AGGIE PRESEASON HONORS
• UC Davis received significant mention in Phil Steele's College Football Preview Magazine, landing team and individual honors.
• On the team side, the Aggies are the publication's pick to win the Great West title with Cal Poly, South Dakota, Southern Utah and North Dakota following.
• UC Davis is also No. 3 on the magazine's "Top 16 Most Improved FCS Teams" for programs that had losing records last year but are expected to have winning ledgers in 2009... For the record, Hofstra (4-8) and Gardner-Webb (5-6) are Nos. 1 and 2.
• C Tommy Hernandez was selected a preseason second-team All-America and one of 13 Aggies picked for preseason All-GWC honors.
FIVE OF TOP SIX TACKLERS ARE BACK
• The Aggies were stingy against the rushing attack last year, allowing just 107.5 ypg, to rank 21st nationally.
• Five of the top six tacklers from that squad, including the top two, return to the squad in 2009.
• LB Mike Morales led the team with 72 overall stops which also included a team-best 48 solo... DE Patrick Michelier, currently out with injury, had 51 tackles and a team-best 10.0 TFL's for second-best.... LB Dozie Amajoyi and LB Mike Healey each picked up 44 tackles to rank fourth and fifth, respectively, while CB Jeremy Scott rounds out the group after garnering 42 tackles. • The only player lost among the top six was graduated senior LB Tyler Pringle.
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 26 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.
COACHES PICK UC DAVIS 2ND IN PRESEASON
• Great West coaches selected the Aggies to finish second to defending champion Cal Poly during a preseason poll conducted in August.
• Cal Poly (24 pts) received four first-place votes, and UC Davis (20) picked up the other... They were followed by South Dakota (12), North Dakota (10) and Southern Utah (9).
MAKING MENTION ON A NATIONAL BASIS
• Despite a 5-7 record last season, UC Davis received votes in both of the major FCS preseason polls.
• The Aggies picked up 63 points in the Sports Network's (media/SID) poll for an overall ranking of No. 40.
• The FCS Coaches poll awarded UC Davis 19 points to rank it No. 42.
• The Sports Network votes were the first since Nov. 10 (T-46th) of last year and provided the Aggies' their highest ranking since peaking at No. 28 after nearly beating San Jose State in last year's season-opener.
• The FCS Coaches poll mentioned UC Davis for the first time since its Nov. 3. 2009 poll (T-39th)... It has its highest position since a 2008 season-best No. 29, also after the opener last year.
• UC Davis' last Top-25 appearance in either poll came Oct. 23, 2006 when it was No. 16 by the Sports Network and No. 17 by the FCS Coaches... It was 4-3 at the time.
HOME-GROWN ROSTER IN 2009
• UC Davis has always been dominated by players from the Golden State and 2009 is no different.
• The only out-of-state Aggie is QB Sean Maraz who hails from Phoenix, Ariz.
UC DAVIS GRABS LOCAL TALENT
• Eight players on this year's roster are a short drive for some home cooking, coming from within 45 miles of UC Davis.
JOHNSON RETURNS TO COACHING STAFF
• UC Davis welcomed back defensive coach Mark Johnson who returned this past spring to assume coordinating duties.
• Johnson, who played for the Aggies in 1985 and 1987-89, has coached with the program three other times including 1990-94 and two other brief stints in 1997 and 2002-04.
• He was most recently the defensive coordinator at Utah State (2005-08) and has also coached at WAC members Nevada (2000-01), Boise State (1998-99), San Jose State (1996) and Oregon (1995).
• Johnson assumed coordinating duties at UC Davis for longtime coach LOU BRONZAN who has assumed Assistant Director duties in the Physical Education Department after 25 years.
COACHING STAFF ROSTER RECEIVES UPDATE
• Besides Mark Johnson, UC Davis has two other coaches new to the staff.
• Jeff Copp, who coached the safeties at Utah State while on staff with Johnson, joined the Aggies at the start of camp in August to coach the safeties... He replaced former ASSISTANT COACH Keith Buckley who was named the head coach at Pacific (Ore.) in July... Pacific (Div. III) is bringing back football in 2010.
• Tim Plough, former quarterback at UC Davis, moved from an administrative role into a coaching position directing the quarterbacks... He replaced Rich Scangarello who is now on staff with the Oakland Raiders.
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 105 home games.
• 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 435 games... UC Davis had 130 in that game.
TEAM CAPTAINS
AGGIES IN THE PROS
• QB J.T. O'SULLIVAN (1998-2001), the all-time passing leader at UC Davis, is a backup signal-caller for the Cincinnati Bengals... He has played with several NFL teams as well as in the former NFL Europe after being drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round in 2002... O'Sullivan is the last NFL draftee for UC Davis.
• Former MARK GRIEB (1994-96) was a two-time Arena Bowl MVP for the San Jose Sabercats before the league ended operations this year.
• OL Jonathan Compas signed a free-agent contract with the Oakland Raiders this year, was waived earlier this season but signed last recently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. • OT Cory Lekkerkerker (2003-04) was on the roster of the Tennessee Titans before being released earlier this season.
• TE Daniel Fells (2002-05) is currently on roster with the St. Louis Rams... Fells had two touchdowns last weekend against Green Bay.
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 is playing in the 21st German Bowl on Saturday.
• Even current coach Bob Biggs played some professional football spending some time in the CFL and the World Football League.
