Follow UC Davis: Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Instagram
 
Click to Purchase Your Football Mini Packs or Single-Game Tickets
 
First Half Highlights  |  Second Half Highlights  |  Coach Hawkins Postgame Interview  |  M. Moe Postgame Interview
 
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Trailing 10-0 after the first quarter of Saturday's Battle for the Golden Horseshoe, No. 10 UC Davis showed a crowd of 8,503 at Alex G. Spanos Stadium why it possesses one of the most efficient offenses and suffocating defenses in the nation by scoring 31 unanswered points in the second quarter to take the lead for good.
 
With that scoring outburst, in addition to scoring another 21 straight throughout the second half, the Aggies will keep the Golden Horseshoe trophy in Davis for another season, thanks to its 52-10 victory versus Cal Poly, and enter next week's game at Montana with a 6-1 overall and 4-0 Big Sky record.
 
"We love to start fast, but we finished strong tonight," said head coach Dan Hawkins. "These guys were just unflappable, and the staff was too."
 
This is the second time the Aggies scored 50 or more points this season, the first occasion took place in their home opener vs. San Diego (54 pts). Not only were the Mustangs' 10 points the fewest allowed by the Aggies this season, they never came close to building a dangerous scoring drive at any point throughout the final three quarters.
 
"Our defense did a great job, that team was tough to handle. They are leading the conference in rushing, and they had a few plays on us, but not many. Most took place on that one [scoring] drive. I thought (defensive coordinator) Robert Tucker came up with a great game plan and the guys were focused on executing it," said Hawkins.
 
UC Davis' six wins is a new Big Sky era record for the most in a season; its 6-1 start also doubles as the best in the program's Division I era. Saturday's result also marked the first time in the program's Big Sky era that it won four games in a row; this accomplishment last took place in 2008.
 
Cal Poly enjoyed a strong start to this rivalry game by forcing three UC Davis three-and-outs, and scoring the game's first 10 points.
 
And then the second quarter started.
 
What started with the first of junior managerial economics major Wesley Preece's two touchdowns, on the first UC Davis scoring drive of the day, was followed by a 19-yard TD pass to sophomore human development major Jared Harrell, followed by redshirt freshman biochemistry & molecular biology major Ulonzo Gilliam's team-high 11th touchdown and another six points for the Aggies when Maier found Doss in the end zone with less than two minutes remaining in the half.
 
Here is the scary part about the Aggies' scoring deluge: The amount of time it took for them to score on those respective drives were 2:08 (which covered 61 yards), 1:17 (54 yds.), 1:12 (20 yds.) and 1:42 (64 yds.).
 
While UC Davis found the end zone with ease, Cal Poly struggled for every yard gained, thanks to the Aggies' defense.
 
In addition to senior American studies major Mason Moe's sack, the only one recorded by either team throughout the game, senior aerospace science and engineering major Ryan Parenteau's forced fumble, recovered by Moe, each led to Aggie touchdowns on back-to-back drives in the second quarter.
 
Within one 15-minute quarter, the entire game flipped, and the Aggies cruised to their second straight win against the Mustangs, and posted the most points against their Central Coast rivals since 2000 when they hung 63 points on the scoreboard that day.
 
So how dangerous is this Aggie roster?
 
Led by redshirt freshman managerial economics major Cam Trimble and his game-high eight tackles, 10 different student-athletes finished with five or more tackles. That group earned seven of the team's season-high 11 tackles for loss.
 
Of junior communication major Jake Maier's 17 completions, five were for touchdowns, matching a Big Sky era single-game record. Of Maier's 21 touchdowns thrown this season, 10 took place throughout the last two weeks thanks to his back-to-back five-TD performances vs. Idaho State and at Cal Poly.
 
"Jake and Coach Plough really know this offense and think as one. He knows where to throw the ball, and it helps that there are numerous guys who can catch the ball well. Combined with our offensive line, which did a great job protecting Jake and allowing us to run the ball well, we played a solid game," said Hawkins.
 
Maier also connected with freshman Justin Kraft throughout their team's 52-point scoring surge, his second touchdown in as many games.
 
Led by sophomore sociology major Tehran Thomas and his second 100-yard game of the season, UC Davis' offense finished with more rushing than passing yards. Thomas led all Aggies with 101 yards, followed by Gilliam and his 95.
 
 
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.