DAVIS, Calif. -- Months before UC Davis football hoisted its 2018 Big Sky Conference trophy, that championship quest took what seemed to be an unrecoverable hit when center Will Martin went down with an injury during the season opener.
"We thought, 'we can't lose this guy or we're up a creek.' Sure enough, at San Jose State, we lose him," recalls offensive line coach Tim Keane, a 2006 UC Davis alumus now in his eighth season on the Aggie staff. After all, heading into the year, Martin was considered as important to the team's success as more heralded stars like quarterback Jake Maier and receiver Keelan Doss.
Instead, this opened the door to an unlikely candidate: then freshman Connor Pettek, who converted to the position as a backup option early in camp. Pettek went on to start the remaining 12 games, earning Freshman All-America status from both HERO Sports and Phil Steele. "It was a good lesson to all of us as coaches that you can't just put people in boxes or be afraid of moving them around," Keane said.
Not quite a year later, Keane finds himself with no shortage of possibilities. He returns four starters from last year's front line, which helped UC Davis rank among the top 10 nationally in total offense (488.9 yards per game), passing offense (322.9 ypg), scoring offense (39.7 ppg) and first downs (315). Jake Parks started all 13 games joined Pettek on both Freshman All-America rolls last year. Kooper Richardson also started every game, garnering the team's Tony Kays Award as the most improved offensive player plus the strength staff's Iron Aggie Award for the best combined performance on the field and in the weight room. Colton Lamson started all 11 games he played.
On top of that, Martin received another year of eligibility after suffering the medical hardship in 2018. Majid Firoozi, who enjoyed his breakthrough appearance against Sacramento State in 2017, returns after sitting out last season due to injury. Firoozi's story was similar to Pettek's: he was summoned to replace injured center Ramsey Hufford, despite never having played that position before. Joe Albrecht, a transfer from Cornell, provides another example of a player stepping up at opportune moments.
"Coach Hawk does a great job where if a guy does something well consistently, he'll make sure that guy has a role on Saturdays," said Keane. "Joe could block. So we made this role for him, and he essentially changed the outcome of the Idaho State game when he blocked that kick."
Additionally, local product Nick Amoah found himself rotating onto the field for about 20 plays per game during his redshirt freshman season in 2018, providing another source of experience. That crew, combined with the influx of talent in redshirt freshmen Malik Banks, Ari Sallus, Jordan Ford and Nico Sarale gives Keane even more with which to work during the upcoming year. This also enables the Aggies to work in a rotation of players who can maintain fresher legs in the team's high-tempo offense.
"We always say that a hungry dog runs faster. Our guys are hungry," said Keane. "We had some success last year, but that's in the past. These guys are on a different journey this year. They're going to get out there and work extremely hard. They will stay in the moment to make the most out of this season."
Even the aforementioned Martin injury seems to be an odd blessing, and not simply because it allowed an outstanding center to return for the 2019 season. According to Keane, that moment put front and center how precious the experience is to each player: "They make the most of every walkthrough, every film session, every workout and every practice. It makes it so great to work with them because they have such a great attitude about what we're doing right now."
The Aggies kick off their 2019 season at California on August 31.
Note: this Part 4 in a series previewing each UC Davis position group, leading up to the week of the August 31 opener at Cal.
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: Season and single-game tickets for UC Davis football are now on sale by contacting the Athletics Ticket Office at (530) 752-AGS1 or by visiting us online at tickets.ucdavis.edu.
