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Game Seven - Battle for the Golden Horseshoe

No. 10/16 UC Davis Aggies (5-1, 3-0 Big Sky)
at
Cal Poly Mustangs (2-4, 1-2 Big Sky)

Saturday, Oct. 20 – 4:05 p.m.
Alex G. Spanos Stadium (11,075) – San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Video Stream
Pluto TV Channel: 244 (Download the app from iTunes App Store or Appstore for Android)
Radio: KHTK 1140 AM – Scott Marsh (PBP), Doug Kelly (Analyst)
Audio – UC Davis' TuneIn Channel
Live Stats
In-game Twitter Updates
 
Game Tickets  |  Directions to Alex G. Spanos Stadium 

Game Notes: UC Davis  |  Cal Poly  |  Big Sky


UC Davis football fans making the trip to Cal Poly are invited to enjoy special events taking place on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.
 
Friday's no-host gathering at SLO Brew
6-8 p.m.
SLO Brew's Address: 736 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo
 
Saturday's pregame reception at Milestone Tavern
1-3:30 p.m.
Milestone Tavern's Address: 927 Foothill Blvd., San Luis Obispo
 
Click to purchase tickets for Saturday's game and/or reception

 
DAVIS, Calif. – Coming off last weekend's thrilling Homecoming victory vs. Idaho State, UC Davis will hit the road for its next two games, starting with Saturday's Battle for the Golden Horseshoe at Cal Poly. Kickoff for this league matchup in San Luis Obispo is set for 4:05 p.m.
 
Next weekend, the Aggies will head to Montana before hosting Northern Arizona in its next home game (Nov. 3, 1 p.m.).
 
In addition to competing on its home turf in this rivalry battle, Cal Poly will enjoy another subtle advantage against the visiting Aggies. As was the case with Idaho in its Big Sky opener, UC Davis will face a well-rested team coming off its bye week. 
 
Even though they faced a team that did not compete the previous week, the Aggies owned all three facets of their game against Idaho to record the first of three straight wins. The 2010 season was the last time football won three in a row as it ended that year with victories at North Dakota, at Cal Poly and vs. Sacramento State.
 
Another victory will allow UC Davis to maintain sole possession of first place atop the Big Sky standings, give the team its first four-game win streak since 2008, and allow the program to enjoy its best start to a season as a Division I program.
 
Even though the standings may say otherwise, Saturday's test is going to be a tough one for the Aggies. In addition to facing a unique offense — the Mustangs employ a spread triple option attack on a consistent basis — these teams split the last 10 head-to-head games.
 
Expect a highly competitive contest between the league's No. 1 rushing (Cal Poly) and passing (UC Davis) offenses, as indicated by recent and all-time results. The home team has only won five of the last 10 games; last year's victory inside Aggie Stadium also split a true tie in the all-time series.
 
Entering last year's Battle for the Golden Horseshoe, the all-time series stood at 20-20-2.

With a one-game head-to-head series lead, an Aggie victory will allow the Golden Horseshoe trophy to remain at its current home for another season, help football extend its series advantage, give this year's team another opportunity to climb the national polls, and build momentum for the following week's league tilt at Montana.

 
QUICK HITS
• The 2018 season is the 100th in UC Davis football's history
• As was the case last season, senior sociology major Keelan Doss leads all FBS and FCS teams with his 10.5 receptions per game average
• UC Davis football will enter Saturday's Big Sky contest at Cal Poly with sole possession of first place and its inaugural top 10 ranking in program history 
• In the FCS STATS Top 25 Poll, the Aggies climbed to No. 10 
• UC Davis is enjoying the best start to a season since 2004 when it opened that year at 5-1
• UC Davis is averaging 40.8 points per game, the seventh-highest average in the country
• Before Dan Hawkins took the helm of the program, the Aggies only scored 40 or more points against Division I teams in five games throughout a five-year timespan
• UC Davis redshirt freshman running back Ulonzo Gilliam is the first Aggie named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List, an honor bestowed to the FCS' national freshman of the year
• Last weekend's 44-37 victory vs. Idaho State was the first overtime game since Oct. 10, 2009, which took place at South Dakota (the Aggies won that game)
• For the first time this season, and the third time in his career, Jake Maier earned ROOT Sports Offensive Player of the Week honors for leading his team's comeback vs. Idaho State
 
UC DAVIS VS. CAL POLY
• Saturday's game is the 43rd all-time meeting between UC Davis and Cal Poly and the 20th to take place in San Luis Obispo
• UC Davis is 9-12 vs. the Mustangs in San Luis Obispo, and split the last four played on CP's turf
• This is an evenly played series since the first game that took place in 1939: By winning last year's Battle for the Golden Horseshoe at Aggie Stadium, UC Davis snapped a true tie in the all-time series
• The Aggies lead this series 21-20-2
• These teams split the last 10 games; the home team also won five of the last 10 games
• UC Davis will enter Alex G. Spanos Stadium with sole possession of first place, ranked No. 10 in the STATS FCS and No. 16 in the AFCA Coaches' Poll
 
Date          Location          Result, Score
10/28/17        H                     W, 31-28
10/22/16        A                     L, 21-16
11/13/15        H                     L, 55-38
11/15/14        A                     W, 48-35
11/02/13        H                     L, 34-16
09/22/12        A                     L, 28-20
11/05/11        H                     W, 24-17
11/13/10        A                     W, 22-21
11/06/09        H                     W, 23-10
11/15/08        A                     L, 51-28
10/13/07        H                     L, 63-28
10/07/06        A                     L,  23-17
10/29/05        H                     W, 20-13
10/30/04        A                     W, 36-33
11/08/03        H                     L, 18-14
10/26/02        A                     W, 28-14
10/20/01        H                     L, 31-28
10/21/00        A                     W, 63-28
10/23/99        H                     W, 34-21
10/03/98        A                     W, 34-24
09/06/97        H                     L, 20-19
11/12/96        A                     L, 17-13
11/11/95        H                     W, 34-31
10/15/94        A                     L, 32-31
09/11/93        H                     W, 37-26
10/10/92        H                     T, 31-31
09/14/91        A                     W, 31-28
10/06/90        H                     L, 19-0
10/28/89        A                     L, 28-21
10/29/88        H                     T, 21-21
10/03/87        A                     L, 41-0
09/20/86        H                     W, 32-21
09/28/85        A                     W, 34-21
09/29/84        H                     W, 10-6
10/08/83        A                     W, 24-14
10/09/82        H                     W, 24-0
10/17/81        A                     L, 30-0
09/28/80        H                     L, 28-25
09/29/79        A                     L, 31-10
11/11/78        H                     W, 29-22
11/20/76        A                     L, 26-14
1940              A                     L, 20-7
1939              H                     W,  28-0
 
• UC Davis enters San Luis Obispo riding a three-game win streak for the first time as a Big Sky program and the first since the 2010 season when it ended that year with wins at North Dakota, at Cal Poly and vs. Sacramento State
• That was football's penultimate season in the Great West Conference
• Cal Poly is the third opponent that will face UC Davis off a bye this season
• Other opponents competing against the Aggies with an extra week of rest include Idaho (9/22, UC Davis win) and Montana (10/27)
• In their last game, which took place on Oct. 6, the Mustangs tallied 462 yards on the ground and just 16 through the air in their 41-27 win at Sacramento State
• Senior fullback Joe Protheroe led CP with 128 rushing yards, on 32 carries and a TD; sophomore running back Drew Hernandez added another 113 rushing yards on 12 carries
• This Central Coast battle will feature two diametrically opposed offenses: Cal Poly and its spread triple option vs. UC Davis' quick-strike attack
• The Mustangs lead all Big Sky teams with an average of 323.7 rushing yards per game, led by Protheroe and his league-high 131.3 ypg
• UC Davis, led by junior quarterback Jake Maier and his league-high 326.7 passing yards per game clip — 47.5 ypg more than the next ranked passes (Tanner Gueller, Idaho State at 279.2), is ranked No. 2 in the nation with its passing offense, and No. 7 in scoring at 40.8 points per game (vs. Cal Poly and its 23.3 ppg scoring clip, No. 78 in the FCS)
• The Aggies' rushing defense, ranked No. 2 in the league by allowing only 128.3 ypg, will receive its stiffest test during league play  
• That is the same case for CP's pass defense, ranked No. 3 in the Big Sky by allowing 220.0 ypg
 

AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation.
 
Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
 
DON'T MISS OUT!
Secure the best possible seats at all home games throughout the 100th season of UC Davis football by purchasing mini packs or single-game tickets. Directly support the program by calling the Athletics Ticket Office at (530) 752-AGS1, or online at UCDavisAggies.com.
 
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley.
 
The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.