DAVIS, Calif. -- UC Davis redshirt freshman linebacker Nick Eaton captured his second Big Sky ROOT SPORTS Defensive Player of the Year award, this time for his contributions in last weekend's 45-28 win at Portland State.

This is the third overall Big Sky weekly award for the Aggies: Devon King won the honor on September 9, then Eaton claimed his first such nod on October 14.

An alumnus of Whitney High School in nearby Rocklin, Eaton led the Aggies in solo tackles (6) and total tackles (8) in the victory over the Vikings. Furthermore, he managed two sacks despite facing an excellent scrambler in Davis Alexander, while adding two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. Eaton's two forced fumbles raised his season total to five, putting in a tie atop the national FCS leaderboard. 

Eaton's previous honor came after his performance against Cal Poly, a game that also earned College Sports Madness Big Sky Player of the Week and STATS FCS Freshman of the Week accolades. He ranks fourth on the team with 54 total tackles, while pacing all UC Davis players in TFLs (11.5) and sacks (6.5).

UC Davis returns to action for its final regular-season home game against Montana State. Kickoff is 4 p.m. Tickets are available here.

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 among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis 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.

AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, 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: Tickets for UC Davis football are on sale by contacting the Athletics Ticket Office at (530) 752-AGS1 or by visiting us online at tickets.ucdavis.edu.