ABOUT THE GAME
This will be the 11th all-time meeting between the Aggies and Bears. The Aggies come into the contest having surrendered their first loss of the 2021 season in surprising fashion to previously winless Idaho State 17-27. Despite the loss, the Aggies enter Saturday's contest among the Big Sky Conference leaders ranking third in scoring offense and third in scoring defense. With a win, UC Davis will match 2018 for the best start to aseason since 2001.
WHO: Idaho
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 16, 5 p.m. PDT
WHERE: Davis, Calif.
VENUE: UC Davis Health Stadium
Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/353631
Listen: https://thevarsitynetwork.com/audioapplink/source/university-of-california,-davis:oas-1487
Watch: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eventCalendarId/401328081?gameId=401328081&sourceLang=en
CONTINUING COVID POLICIES
New COVID policies which went into effect on Oct. 2 remain in place for Saturday's game...
All guests aged 12 and up must show proof of vaccination or results of a negative test administered within 72 hours prior to kickoff... Proof of vaccination can include a completed CDC vaccination card, or a State of California digital COVID-19 record (e.g. SMART Health Card)... The policy includes game staff and media members... Face coverings will still be required for all indoor spaces, including restrooms, and will be encouraged for all patrons when social distancing is not possible... Anyone in close contact to coaches and student-athletes – including sideline personnel and media on the field – must be masked at all times... Additionally, the field will be closed to fans during and after the game... A full summary of all gameday policies and procedures can be found at
https://ucdavisaggies.com/feature/footballgameday.
UC DAVIS LAST WEEK
The Aggies ran into a road block in the 0-4 Idaho State Bengals. The Bengals built a 24-3 lead in the first half and didn't need much more breathing room although UC Davis threatened in the fourth quarter. A 64-yard completion from
Hunter Rodrigues to Kris Vaughn at the end of the third set up a four-yard touchdown run by
Lan Larison. After an Idaho State field goal, Rodrigues engineered another scoring drive and capped it with a 17 yard scramble for a touchdown but the Aggies got no closer, enduring their first loss of the season 17-27.
MAKING HISTORY
With a 14-yard rush against Idaho State last week, Ulonzo Gilliam Jr. became just the third Aggie in school history to rush for 3000 career yards, taking a delayed handoff and showcasing the elusiveness and open field running ability that has made him one of the most accomplished running backs in the country. Gilliam Jr. now sits behind only the other two members of the 3000 yard club, G.P. Muhammad and Preston Jackson, on UC Davis' all-time list. With 3056 yards in his career, Gilliam Jr. needs 269 more yards to surpass Jackson for second on the list. Muhammad rushed for 3589 yards from 1995-98.
MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU
The Aggies have now outscored six opponents by a combined 79-3 margin in the fourth quarter... Helping this cause is a 10- for-18 (55.6 percent) third-down conversion rate, while opponents
have managed to succeed on just 5 of 19 (26.3)... However, the most dramatic statistical difference has been in turnovers: six of the Aggies' 14 takeaways have come in the fourth quarter... Three have effectively clinched the game:
Chris Venable's forced fumble at Tulsa,
Erron Duncan's interception (tipped by Venable) at Weber State, and
Devon King's pick against Idaho last Saturday. Helping the Aggies is a redzone defense that ranks tied for ninth in the FCS.
SCOREBOARD FLEX
UC Davis is 7-3 all-time against Northern Colorado, but the two teams have no met since the 2018 season when UC Davis won 49-36 in Greeley. Throughout the series history, the Aggies have scored at least 30 points six times in the 10 games the two teams have played.
GIVE AND TAKE, REDUX
UC Davis shares third place in the FCS in turnovers gained with 14 (11 interceptions and three fumbles), although the NCAA Statistics website still leaves out the Venable-forced fumble in the fourth at Tulsa due to a glitch in the new software... The Aggies share the spot with Delaware State, Montana, and Southern Illinois... Only eight teams in UC Davis history have recorded 20 or more in a season, with only one team (1997) doing so since 1972.
CHASING HISTORY
Gilliam also has 135 career receptions, needing just two to catch Josh Weinstock (1989-92) for the No. 10 spot. WR
Jared Harrell added another six receptions to his team-lead-ing total, bringing his career sum to 144... He ranks ninth at UC Davis, nine away from CAAHOF receiver and Massachusetts General physician Tay Thompson (1970-72)... Harrell also has 1,955 receiving yards – in striking range of becoming the ninth Aggie to break the 2K plateau... He will also become just the second to do so in the program's Division I era: Keelan Doss totaled 4,069 from 2014-18... Chris Carter had 2,434 career rec yards, with 703 in the D-I reclassification period and the remaining 1,731 in the full-fledged D-I era.
For more information, roster, depth charts and stats, consult the full set of game notes here.
