QUICK HITS
• UC Davis will kick-off the
100th season in program history when it heads to San José State for the team's 2018 season opener
• There is no live stream of this game, this is the only UC Davis matchup this season without a live video option. Football fans can access other Aggie home and league games on Pluto TV, WatchBigSky.com
• Football recorded two victories against FBS-level teams in its history, and will face both opponents throughout the 2018 season: San José State (Aug. 30) and Stanford (Sept. 15)
• Senior wide receiver, and Alameda native Keelan Doss, last year's Walter Payton Award national finalist, consensus All-American, Big Sky Offensive Player and consensus preseason All-American will kick-off his senior season in front of a local audience.
• Both Doss and junior quarterback
Jake Maier, last season's Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, were named to the 2018 Walter Payton Award Watch List — the FCS' version of the Heisman Trophy — bestowed to the most outstanding offensive player in the nation
• Junior tight end
Wesley Preece also earned preseason All-American honors
• This game is the fifth season opener to take place in August and matches the earliest start to a season in the program's recorded history
• The other four season openers that took place in August include matchups at Stanford (8/30/14), at South Dakota (8/31/13), vs. Azusa Pacific (8/30/12) and at San José State (8/30/08)
• In season openers, UC Davis holds the following records: 1-5 Big Sky era and 40-54-5 all-time
SERIES HISTORY
• SJSU leads the all-time series, 5-4-2. This is the first head-to-head meeting since 2012. The Aggies last win against the Spartans took place inside CEFCU Stadium on Oct. 2, 2010, when they recorded a 14-13 result
• This is the fifth head-to-head game since the 2007 season. Before that matchup, the Aggies and Spartans last competed against one another in 1934
WITNESS THE PROGRAM'S #AGSCENSION FIRSTHAND
• Mini plans, premium game tickets, tailgate passes and single-game tickets are available for purchase online at UCDavisAggies.com, over the phone by calling (530) 752-AGS1 (2471), or in person at the Athletic Ticket Office, located at Aggie Stadium, Monday-Friday between the hours of 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• The Athletic Ticket Office will open four hours before kickoff on home game days
THE UC DAVIS COACHES SHOW IS BACK!
• Throughout the season, UC Davis head coach
Dan Hawkins and various guests will join host Scott Marsh on the UC Davis Coaches Show
• Sports 1140 KHTK will broadcast each show live for football fans unable to attend in person
TRUE UNIVERSITY AMBASSADORS
• Excelling on the field and in the classroom, UC Davis student-athletes compete in 25 intercollegiate sports (16 women's and nine men's) and are enrolled in 93 different undergraduate majors
• Ten UC Davis athletic teams posted the highest NCAA Graduation Success Rates in their respective conferences, while seven programs were honored with Public Recognition Awards by the NCAA after their Academic Progress Rate — all posted a perfect 1,000 — stood among the top 10 percent of their respective sports
• Football has now led the Big Sky in each of their six seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference with its multi-year APR — the second-longest active streak in the nation
• Three more teams recorded the second-highest APR score in the conference; an additional three programs finished with a top-three figure
• Ranked No. 6 among all public schools in the nation by the
Wall Street Journal, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 undergraduate majors across four colleges and six professional schools, including the world's top-ranked veterinary science and agriculture programs
WALTER PAYTON WATCH LIST FEATURES FAMILIAR NAMES
• Senior wide receiver
Keelan Doss and junior quarterback
Jake Maier are among the top 25 FCS players in the nation to earn a spot on the 2018 Walter Payton Award Watch List
• STATS LLC will reveal this year's award winner, presented to the most outstanding offensive player in the nation, as part of the festivities leading up to the national championship game, which will take place in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 5
• This is the second time in as many seasons that Doss and Maier were named to the Walter Payton Watch List
• Doss attended last year's award banquet as the first Aggie in program history named national finalist for this top honor, which is the FCS' version of the Heisman Trophy
• Doss, a 2017 consensus All-American, ended his junior season with 1,499 receiving yards, league-high averages of 136.3 receiving yards and 10.5 receptions per game
• These figures were No. 1 in the nation among all FCS and FBS players when the Aggies' 2017 season concluded
• In his first season representing the No. 6 public school in the nation, Maier ranked among the nation's top quarterbacks in the following categories: Completion Percentage (No. 2, .686), Completions per Game (No. 3, 27.82), Passing Yards per Game (No. 5, 333.5), Passing Yards (No. 6, 3,669) and Total Offense (No. 7, 331.6)
• Maier also led the league in passing efficiency (152.5) and ranked second in passing yards per game and total offense per game
UC DAVIS VS. SAN JOSE STATE
• Thursday's 2018 season opener at San José State is the 12 meeting between the teams
• San José State leads the all-time series, 5-4-2
• Thursday's game is the fifth head-to-head game since 2007 — all took place in San Jose
• Before this series resumed, the last games between the Aggies and Spartans took place in 1934
• Thursday's game marks the third time these teams opened the season against one another; the first game took place in 1929 (the year the Great Depression started), the other was held during the 2008 season
9/08/12: A, L, 13-45
10/02/10: A, W, 14-13
8/30/08: A, L, 10-13
9/29/07: A, L, 14-34
11/20/34: H, T, 0-0
11/11/33: A, L, 0-20
11/19/32: A, L, 7-19
11/14/31: H, W, 13-0
10/04/30: H, T, 0-0
10/12/29: A, W, 13-0
11/11/22: H, W, 58-0
• As is the case with UC Davis head coach
Dan Hawkins, San José State head coach Brent Brennan is in his second year at the helm of the football program
• Brennan ended his first season at SJSU with a 2-11 overall and tied for fifth in the Mountain West Conference's West Division with a 1-7 league mark
JOIN COACH HAWKINS AT THE UC DAVIS COACHES SHOW
• UC Davis football fans are invited to become part of a new tradition when Head Football Coach
Dan Hawkins breaks down his team's previous game, and offers commentary on the Aggies' upcoming contest from 7-8 p.m. during the UC Davis Coaches Show
• Sports 1140 KHTK will also provide a live broadcast of each show, hosted by Scott Marsh
• Visit UCDavisAggies.com to find out where you can attend the Coaches Show in person
STRONG START TO THE DAN HAWKINS ERA
• UC Davis enjoyed its most successful season as a Big Sky school in 2017, the first under head coach
Dan Hawkins
• Senior wide receiver
Keelan Doss became the program's first consensus All-American
• Doss also became the program's first finalist for the Walter Payton Award — the FCS' version of the Heisman Trophy awarded to the most outstanding offensive player in the nation
• Doss and junior quarterback
Jake Maier collected two of the league's top individual awards when officials named them Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year
• UC Davis ended the 2017 season as the Big Sky's top offense for the first time in program history
• The Aggies ended the year with a combined 46 new program records during their Big Sky era, Division I era or all-time
• Football faced more ranked teams, or teams receiving votes in 2017 since joining the conference
• The team's five wins against Division I opponents equaled the total from the previous three years combined
• Its five Big Sky Player of the Week awards match the total from the previous four seasons
AGGIES FEATURED IN PRESEASON POLLS
• Thanks to last season's success, and the talent featured on this year's roster, HERO Sports included UC Davis when it revealed its Preseason Top 25 Poll
• The outlet ranked the Aggies No. 22, its highest national preseason ranking since they joined the Big West Conference
• STATS FCS voters are keenly aware of UC Davis' #AGScension since they received votes in this national preseason poll
• Of the nine teams featured by STATS FCS in this preseason poll, the Aggies will face five throughout the upcoming season: Eastern Washington (#9), Montana (#24), Northern Arizona, Idaho and Sacramento State (RV)
TALENTED INCOMING NLI CLASS PREPS FOR DEBUT SEASON
• UC Davis will look to build off a successful 2017 season with its incoming class of 18 NLI signees. All are incoming freshmen, unless otherwise noted.
John Aloma - So, LS: Originally signed with Utah after graduating from Simi Valley High School in 2016. He competed at Moorpark College last season and earned junior college All-Star accolades. His snap-to-kick times are consistently clocked at 1.0 seconds; the average D-I time is 2.1.
Lance Babb II - WR: Babb II, a three-star recruit as ranked by Scout, earned All-Area Player of the Year, All-Area first team, Almont League Offensive Player of the Year and All-League first team honors as a senior. That year, he finished with 1,393 receiving yards, 14 solo and 18 total tackles to lead Schurr High School to its first Almont League title since 2010.
Malik Banks - OL: Named Crestview League Offensive Lineman of the Year and competed in the 2017 Orange County All-Star Football Game as a member of the North team as a senior. With Banks shining on his team's offensive line, the Spartans won consecutive league titles in his final two years at Villa Park High School.
Nick Eaton - LB: The
Sacramento Bee All-Metro 2017 selection was an All-Capital Valley Conference selection and team captain as a senior. In addition to catching 34 passes for 394 yards as a senior, he recorded 143 total tackles, including 44 solo, 16.5 sacks for a combined 107 yards lost, 57 hurries, forced or caused three fumbles throughout his three-year career at Whitney High School.
Jordan Ford - OL:
Sacramento Bee All-Metro 2017 selection earned All-Capitol Valley Conference first team, CVC Lineman of the Year and MVP awards as a senior. Led Del Campo High School to the Sac-Joaquin Section semifinals last season after his team won a Capital Valley Conference championship, thanks to its undefeated 7-0 league and 12-1 overall record.
Da'Von Frazier - DB: The
Sacramento Bee All-Metro 2017 selection intercepted seven passes and collected 47 tackles throughout his junior season, one that saw the Thundering Herd win a championships. Played three positions for Elk Grove High School in his final year with the program: defensive back, wide receiver and running back. Ended his senior season with all-conference honors for the second consecutive year.
Matthew Hyman - Jr., TE: Played two seasons at Santa Rosa Junior College; the Bear Cubs finished 9-2 and advanced to the Gridiron Classic Bowl in 2016, the program's fourth bowl game in as many seasons.
Justin Kraft - WR: The
Sacramento Bee All-Metro 2017 selection collected All-Capital Valley Conference first team, All-Section and All-Metro accolades during his sophomore through senior seasons. The two-time Cal-Hi Sports All-State Nominee and CVC Offensive Player of the Year's awards haul also includes Whitney High School Offensive Rookie of the Year, Outstanding Athlete and Offensive Playmaker.
Jake Parks - OL: Veteran starter was an All-Trinity League first team and All-County second team selection as a senior. Three-star talent recorded 18 sacks throughout his senior season competing in one of the toughest leagues in California.
Cade Peacock - DL: Earned a top-35 ranking by 247SportsComposite in its list of Washington's top 2018 players. He ended the '17 season with 59 tackles (31 solo), 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two hurries and fumble recoveries, which led to All-Metro Mountain Division first team honors.
Hunter Rodrigues - So., QB: In his first season leading American River College as its quarterback, Rodrigues posted 2,191 passing yards, threw 23 touchdowns and rushed for another 14. Rodrigues played a key role in the team's successful 2017 season, one that saw them record a 10-2 overall and perfect 5-0 conference record, win a title and finish their year as runner-ups in Northern California Football Conference championship game.
Tyler Saikhon - DB: Recorded 1,683 yards on 215 carries, averaged 7.8 yards per carry and 112.2 rushing yards per game last year. Ran for 100 or more yards in 10 of his team's 15 games; 25 of his 38 touchdowns were earned on the ground. Also caught 37 passes for 713 yards, 10 TDs, 3,131 all-purpose yards and 52 tackles (32 solo). Saikhon intercepted three passes, broke up another three and returned 10 punts for a total of 368 yards.
Ari Sallus - OL: Named Western League Offensive Lineman of the Year, All-City Offensive Lineman of the Year and Team Offensive MVP as a senior. He recorded 46 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks throughout his junior and senior seasons and led Palisades Charter High School to consecutive Western League titles.
Nico Sarale - OL: The MaxPreps All Sac-Joaquin Section First Team Offense and Modesto Bee All-District honoree as a junior and senior received nine offers, the most in Oakdale High School's history. In addition to anchoring an offensive line that produced two 1,000-yard running backs last year, Sarale helped his team finish 12-2 overall, 7-0 in league play and win a Valley Oak League crown. He was the No. 1-rated offensive lineman on the
Sacramento Bee's list of top returning football players before the start of the 2017 season.
Jack Shippy - DB: Seventy-eight of 126 tackles recorded throughout his last two seasons were solo. Shippy also intercepted nine passes and forced two fumbles throughout that same timespan. Two weeks after San Clemente High School won its first Southern Section championship, a Shippy-led defense defeated Del Oro to capture a state title in 2016. He averaged 5.3 tackles per game as a junior, and increased that mark to 6.6 tackles per game as a senior.
Robert Simkins - WR: Led Terra Linda High School to a Marin County Athletic League title and North Coast Section playoff run throughout his three years with the program. Earned MVP, Most Valuable Offensive Player, and three all-league awards, and played three positions: quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back.
Josiah Suani - DL: All-Bay Area News Group, All-West Alameda County Conference-Shoreline and Defensive Player of the Year selection as a senior. Of his 79 tackles recorded throughout the 2017 season, 56 were solo and a team-high 32 were for a loss. Also led his team in sacks (14.0), sacks per game (6.5), yards lost (61) and hurries (5)… Averaged 7.9 tackles per game, forced one fumble and blocked one field goal last season.
Chris Venable - DB: Earned Big VIII first team honors after leading Corona Centennial to an 11-2 overall record and conference championship after posting an undefeated league record. As one of his team's defensive backs and wide receivers, Venable finished the '17 season with 12 touchdowns, five interceptions, and 86 tackles. He also played both positions throughout his junior year, and finished with 13 TDs, five interceptions and 165 tackles, which led to MVP, all-league, All-CIF and all-area first team awards.
SUCCESSFUL '17 SEASON LEADS TO AGGIES' SUMMERTIME AWARDS HAUL
• Multiple Aggies earned individual preseason honors leading up to the 2018 season opener, a list of accolades that includes:
Senior WR Keelan Doss
2018 Walter Payton Award Watch List
Consensus preseason All-American
CFPA Performer of the Year Watch List
Big Sky Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team
Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Sky Team
Junior QB Jake Maier
2018 Walter Payton Award Watch List
CFPA Performer of the Year Watch List
Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Sky Third Team
Junior TE Wesley Preece
STATS FCS Preseason All-American
HERO Sports All-American
Phil Steele Preseason All-American
Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Sky Team
College Sports Madness All-American
Senior DL Terrell Cloud
Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Sky Team
Senior DB Vincent White
Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Sky Team
Senior KR Namane Modise
Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Sky Team
Sophomore PR Isaiah Thomas
Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Sky Team
NEW NCAA RULES FOR THE 2018 SEASON
• The NCAA is adopting a number of rules changes for the 2018 season, a list that includes:
Fair catch on kickoffs
Any kickoff fair caught inside the 25 will be placed at the 25. The rules committee had moved kickoffs from the 30 to 35 in 2012 and have fair catches on kickoffs go to the 25 to reduce the number of returned kickoffs to try to reduce injuries.
Blocking below the waist
Only players on the line of scrimmage within the tackle box may block low from the side. This means running backs may no longer block low if the force of the contact is from the side. Previously this was a legal block when the ball crossed the neutral zone. All blocks below the waist are illegal more than five yards down field from the line of
scrimmage.
Penalties on field goals
Under the old rule if the defense committed a foul on a field goal attempt the offense could decline the penalty and accept the outcome of the play or accept the penalty with ball moved the appropriate distance. Under the new rule the kicking team can accept the penalty and have the ball moved the appropriate distance (and maybe have a first down based on the distance or the first down could be part of the penalty) OR the kicking team can take the result of the play AND accept the penalty. If the field goal is made, the kicking team can leave the points on the board and have the penalty yardage enforced on the kickoff.
Pace of play
After touchdowns and field goals a forty second clock will start. The old rule provided for a 25 second clock starting on the referee's ready signal.
Ten-second run-off on replay
If there is less than one minute left in a half and the officials make a ruling that stops the clock when the clock should have continued running, if the ruling is over-turned by replay there will be a 10 second run-off.
FOOTBALL IS COACH HAWKINS' TICKET AROUND THE WORLD
• UC Davis alum ('84)
Dan Hawkins is respected nationwide for his football acumen, knowledge and experiences gained around the world
• In addition to his head coaching stints at Boise State and Colorado, Coach Hawkins has coached 13 teams around the world and held positions that include:
ESPN, Sirius XM - College Football Analyst
USA Football - Head Coach
Montreal Alouettes - Head Coach
Vienna Vikings - Offensive Coordinator
Willamette University - Head Coach
Sonoma State University - Defensive Coordinator
College of the Siskiyous - Offensive Coordinator
Christian Brothers High School - Head Coach
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
• UC Davis' 2018 team captains, as voted on by the student-athletes, are:
Nas Anesi - Jr., LB
Keelan Doss - Sr., WR
Jake Maier - Jr., QB
SCHMIDT CONTINUES TO KICK IT IN THE NFL
• After first signing with the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, and enjoying a brief stint with the Cleveland Browns, former Aggie punter Colton Schmidt now punts for the Buffalo Bills
• Schmidt first competed for the Bills in 2014 and has remained with the organization since
• In 2015, Schmidt set the Bills all-time single season record for net punting average with an outstanding 41.3 net yards per punt
HELLO AMERICA
• Starting with its Sept. 15 matchup at Stanford, broadcasted on the Pac-12 Networks, five televised games will feature UC Davis
• Both ELEVEN SPORTS broadcasts will originate from Aggie Stadium when Idaho (Sept. 22) and Sacramento State (Nov. 17) visit campus
• SWX, a regional channel that provides content throughout Eastern Washington state, the Idaho Panhandle and Montana will televise Aggie road games at Montana (Oct. 27) and Eastern Washington (Nov. 10)
UC DAVIS FOOTBALL IS BACK ON SPORTS 1140 KHTK
• As has been the case for more than two decades, Sports 1140 KHTK will continue to air Aggie football broadcasts through the 2020 season as the team's flagship station thanks to a new three-year agreement
• Calling all football games this season are Scott Marsh (PBP) and Doug Kelly (Analyst); their pregame show will begin 30 minutes before kickoff
NO LONGER A PLANET, NOW A BIG SKY PARTNER
• The Big Sky Conference is the first mid-major conference with its own 24/7 "Over The Top" channel
• OTT platforms have become a very popular way for consumers to view video, audio and other media content transmitted via the Internet, and not through traditional cable or satellite companies
• Pluto TV is the leading free "Over The Top" television service in America with more than 6 million active users per month, and growing
• Pluto TV is the leading free Internet-based TV service that is available on almost any device such as Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation, Xbox, and smart TVs like Sony, Samsung, Vizio and more
• Pluto TV is also available through a free app on mobile and table devices (i.e. iOS and Android), as well as traditional PCs
• All content on Pluto TV is free, including its Video on Demand is provided by Big Sky schools and available on the following channels:
245 - UC Davis
232 - Portland State
233 - Sacramento State
234 - Eastern Washington
235 - Weber State
236 - Southern Utah
237 - Montana
238 - Montana State
239 - Northern Arizona
240 - North Dakota
241 - Northern Colorado
242 - Idaho
243 - Idaho State
244 - Cal Poly
NOTE: UC Davis' home games will air on channel 245, access the visiting team's respective channel when the Aggies are on the road
FARM VS. FARM, FOOTBALL EDITION
• The fourth Farm vs. Farm football matchup, involving UC Davis and Stanford, will take place on Sept. 15, 2018, at Stanford Stadium
• This is the first head-to-head contest since the Aggies visited Stanford for their 2014 season opener
• Even though UC Davis and Stanford are separated by just over 100 miles, only three games between them have taken place since they first met in 1932
• Seventy-three years after that series opener, the Aggies recorded one of the most memorable victories in program history when the 2005 squad defeated the Cardinal, on their own turf, by a 20-17 score
FORMER DIVISION II FOES FACE ONE ANOTHER IN 2019
• UC Davis and North Dakota State (winners of five consecutive national championships) have finalized an agreement to play a non-conference game inside the Fargodome on Sept. 21, 2019
• This is the first matchup since the 2007 season
• Entering the 2018 season, UC Davis is responsible for NDSU's last non-conference home loss (9/13/03)
MAKE YOUR TRAVEL PLANS NOW!
• In addition to hosting Lehigh in 2019, UC Davis will open the season on Aug. 31 at Cal
• Additional road games against the Golden Bears are slated for Sept. 3, 2022 and Aug. 31, 2024
• The 2020 season includes the Aggies' season opener at Nevada, which will take place on Aug. 29
FROM THE PAST TO THE PRESENT
• The '18 season is the Aggies' 100th overall
• Due to World War II, UC Davis did not compete in 1943, 1944 and 1945; World War I prevented the Aggies from competing in 1918
• Winning records were posted for 37 consecutive seasons, from 1970 through 2006
• During part of that timespan, the Ags won 20 straight conference titles (1971-1990)
• This is UC Davis' seventh year in the Big Sky
• UC Davis' inaugural Big Sky season took place in 2012
• Prior to joining the Big Sky Conference in 2012, UC Davis' previous conference affiliations include:
Great West Conference
2004-11
Division II Independent
1994-2003
American West Conference
1993
Northern California Athletic Conference
1982-92
Far Western Conference
1925-81
