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DAVIS, Calif. - Gabe Manzanares rushed for 161 yards while Ben Scott threw three touchdowns for UC Davis but visiting Sacramento State scored two touchdowns on three fourth-quarter turnovers for a come-from-behind 41-30 Big Sky win in the 61st annual Causeway Classic played before 7,047 fans at Aggie Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The loss ends the Aggies' season with a 2-9 overall record and a 1-7 mark in the Big Sky. The Hornets, led by 288 passing yards and four touchdowns by Garrett Safron, finished their year with a 7-5 overall mark and a 4-4 record in the league. Sacramento State won the Causeway Classic for the first time since 2009.

UC Davis trailed 27-23 early in the fourth quarter after senior Colton Silveria scored from 34 yards out on a short pass from Scott with 11:34 left that gave the Aggies a three-point lead. But three Aggie turnovers and a fourth-down stop by the Hornets defense stopped UC Davis the rest of the way and turned the game into Sacramento State's favor.

The Aggies held the 30-27 lead with 9:53 to go after the defense forced a punt after stopping the Hornets on a three-and-out. However, Manzanares, who posted his 11th career 100-yard game and finished seventh all-time at UC Davis with 2,136 yards, was stripped of the ball near midfield and it was recovered by the Hornets' Nick Cowger.

Jordan Robinson's leaping 21-yard touchdown catch near the right pylon with seven minutes to go put Sacramento State back in the lead, 34-30. Scott was then intercepted on the Aggies' next play from scrimmage after his pass downfield bounced off a receiver and into the hands of Nick Crouch who returned it 15 yards. De'Jon Coleman capped that short drive with a 22-yard TD run that made it 41-30.

A fourth-down stop by Brandon Tuliaupupu against Manzanares gave the Hornets the ball back while Cowger's interception of Scott at the line of scrimmage with 1:30 to go sealed the win.

Overall, UC Davis had three interceptions and two fumbles.

"Hats off to Sacramento State and coach Sears," said UC Davis head coach Ron Gould. "They played better than we did today. I'm very disappointed in the outcome, obviously. They converted fourth downs, we were unable to convert on third down and we turned the ball over five times. Anytime you're playing a good football team and you turn the ball over five times, you don't give yourself an opportunity to win those games."

The game was close the entire way with neither team able to forge more than a seven-point lead until the final score. UC Davis and Sacramento State traded touchdowns throughout the first half with Robinson hauling in a 22-yard pass from Safron with 6:40 left in the first quarter and the Aggies responding on their next drive when tight end Mark Martindale was good down the middle from Scott on 34-yard pass two minutes later.

DeAndre Carter's 37-yard touchdown reception down the right sideline with 2:37 to go in the opening quarter put the Hornets - who missed the extra point on their first touchdown - back in front, 13-7. UC Davis tied it after sophomore Manusamoa Luuga bounced off of tackle and raced in from 34 yards early in the second quarter. UC Davis missed its extra-point attempt to make it 13-13.

A pair of touchdown passes - the first a 26-yarder from Safron to Nnamdi Agude followed by Scott's short eight-yard toss to Manzanares late in the half - sent the teams into halftime with a 20-20 tie. Coleman's one-yard touchdown run wide right of the offensive line after the Aggies had stopped the Hornets from the 1 on the two previous plays - reminiscent of UC Davis' goal-line stand against Cal Poly last week - put Sacramento State up 27-20 in the third quarter.

Brady Stuart's 32-yard field goal late in the period made it 27-23 heading into the fourth and preceded the Hornets' comeback.

Manzanares carried 23 times for his 164 yards, putting in a long run of 25 yards, while also gaining 44 yards on six pass receptions. Scott was 22 for 31 with three interceptions, finishing with 240 yards and three TD passes. Fullback Dalton Turay caught five passes for 45 yards while Luuga rushed for 60 yards.

Safety Zach Jones led the Aggies' defense with 14 total tackles, including nine solo, while linebacker Artice Nelson had nine stops. Linebacker Travon Brooks added eight and defensive tackle Kyle DeVaughn had the game's only sack.

"I'm proud how the guys competed, overall," Gould said. "I'm very, very pleased with the effort but execution was poor, especially in the fourth quarter. Because of that we came up short today."

Safron completed 25 of 33 passes for 288 yards while Carter caught nine passes for 121 yards. Agude had six catches for 67 yards while Robinson caught five for 63 yards. Linebacker Russell Fernandez had a game-high 15 tackles while linebacker Russell Smith had 12.

UC Davis outgained Sacramento State 463-448 in total yardage, including a 223-160 on the ground.

The game brings to a close the Aggies' second season under head coach Ron Gould. The Aggies played their most difficult schedule in school history, facing four teams (Eastern Washington, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona) ranked in the NCAA Div. I FBS top 25 at the time of the game, and another (Cal Poly) that was ranked at another point in the year. UC Davis also faced Stanford, ranked No. 11 in the preseason Associated Press poll, and Colorado State which is currently ranked 22nd.

The Aggies highlighted their season with a 48-35 win at Cal Poly last night, winning The Battle for the Golden Horseshoe against their longtime rivals.