Davis, Calif. - One of the most storied rivalries in the FCS and certainly in the Big Sky Conference, UC Davis and Sacramento State renew the annual Causeway Cup rivalry for the 68th time on Saturday. As has become customary in recent years, this year's Causeway holds plenty of playoff and conference championship implications with Sacramento State vying for a conference title and UC Davis for the right to secure a spot in this year's FCS playoffs and potentially host. 

Who: Sacramento State
When: Saturday, Nov. 20 • 1 p.m. PDT
Where: Davis, Calif.
Venue: UC Davis Health Stadium (10, 743)
Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/353633
Listen: https://thevarsitynetwork.com/audioapplink/source/university-of-california,-davis:oas-1487
Watch: https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/eventCalendarId/401328097

NEW COVID POLICIES
Starting with October 2's game against Idaho, a new COVID policy took effect for all remaining home football games... 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
In a game that will be remembered as much for the conditions it ended under as the result on the field, the Aggies suffered a 20-38 defeat to Big Sky Conference rival Eastern Washington at home. 

The Ags scored first, a one-yard touchdown from Miles Hastings to Jared Harrell giving UC Davis a 7-0 lead with 9:34 left in the first quarter. Eastern Washington responded with two 80-plus yard drives in the second quarter to go up 7-14 but a 29-yard field goal by Isaiah Gomez kept UC Davis well within striking distance at 10-14 at the half. 

Then the Aggies received a jolt of energy with Lan Larison returning the opening kickoff of the half 97 yards for a touchdown, the first return for a touchdown by an Aggie since 2019. 

Shortly after Larison's run though, conditions changed. Heavy fog rolled into UC Davis Health Stadium that limited visibility to less than the opposing sideline. Both teams were forced to adapt but it was Eastern Washington that wound up outscoring UC Davis 24-3 over the rest of the game. 

All five of Eastern Washington's touchdown drives were 70 yards or more and the Eagle also became just the second team of the season to score a touchdown on the Aggies in the fourth quarter.

IN THE POLLS
UC Davis remains highly ranked nationally despite last Saturday's defeat. 

The Aggies are ranked No. 10 in the Stats Perform and No. 11 in the AFCA FCS Coaches' poll. UC Davis has not been lower than 13 in either poll since Oct. 11. 

RUNAWAYS
The Aggies are running at a clip of 185.2 yards per game, a Division 1-era high and the most since the 2002 Aggies finished with 2,143 yards and 178.6 per game. Averaging 41.2 rushing attempts per game and at 412 on the season, the Aggies are on pace to run more than any team in the Dan Hawkins era at UC Davis. 

UC Davis have done it via a balanced attack despite the presence of Ulonzo Gilliam Jr., one of the top running backs in college football over his career. Four Aggies have gained over 200 yards on the ground this season with the fourth, quarterback Hunter Rodrigues, only having his net yardage hurt by sacks. That group consisting of Gilliam Jr,, Trent Tompkins, Lan Larison and Rodrigues have accounted for 17 touchdowns.

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU
The Aggies have now outscored eight opponents by a combined 99-27 margin in the fourth quarter... In fact, Northern Arizona's score with 6:37 to go on Nov. 6 was the first touchdown the Aggies allowed in the fourth quarter all season. Helping this cause is a 14-for-34 (41.2 percent) third-down conversion rate, while opponents have managed to succeed on just 11-33 (33.3 percent) in the fourth quarter, including Cal Poly being held to 1-5 in the fourth quarter on Oct. 23... However, the most dramatic statistical difference has been in turnovers: seven of the Aggies' 16 takeaways have come in the fourth quarter... Four have effectively clinched the game: Chris Venable's forced fumble at Tulsa, Erron Duncan's interception (tipped by Venable) at Weber State, Devon King's pick against Idaho, and Jaylin White's last second interception against Cal Poly. 

AMONG THE LEADERS
The Aggies rank tied for 12th in the FCS in first down offense having gained 229 on the season. Speaking to how difficult the Big Sky Conference is to compete in annually, three Big Sky teams rank in the top seven nationally in first down offense. 

UC Davis also rank third in kick off return yardage, averaging 29.04 per return.

Overall, the Aggies are the 30th best offense in the nation averaging 414.5 yards per game. At 185.2 yards per game, the UC Davis rushing attack is also 22nd in the nation. 

Behind the leg of Daniel Whelan, the Aggie punting unit ranks second nationally, averaging 42.94 yards per kick. Whelan's average currently ranks as the best in shool history. 

Among the Aggies' notable national ranks: 

Turnover Margin: T-18th (.60)
Scoring Defense: 18th (19.0)
Team Passing Efficiency Defense: 16th (111.64)
Red Zone Defense: T-22nd (.727)
Passes Intercepted: 9th (13)

GOING FOR TWO
Through 11 games, UC Davis has attempted six two-point conversions, with QB Trent Tompkins involved in five of them... He has sucessfully run for three and passed for one (to Garren O'Keefe), most recently a rush after UC Davis' first score against Northern Colorado on Oct. 16... While an official school record for such plays does not exist, records dating back to 1964 show the following program highs: the 1967 (3-for-8), 1991 (4-for-8) and 1993 (6-for-8) teams had the most attempted conversions, with that 1993 squad owning the benchmark for most successful tries... Shaun Ayers scored three in 1991 for the individual best... However, UC Davis archives are incomplete, with the number of attempts missing from final reports throughout the 1970s and 1980s; and no individual info prior to 1964. 

For the 2021 season, Tompkins (and UC Davis) are 4-5 with the lone incompletion a Tompkins pass attempt against San Diego. 

CHASING HISTORY
Gilliam also has 148 career receptions,putting him at No. 10 on the all-time career receptions list. 

With his performance against Eastern Washington, Gilliam Jr. moved past 'the other 34' Preston Jackson for second on UC Davis' all-time rushing list. He trails only G.P. Muhammad by 244 yards. 

Gilliam Jr. is the only Aggie to appear in the top 10 on both the career rushing and receptions lists.

WR Jared Harrell brought his career reception sum to 164... He ranks eighth at UC Davis, ahead of Massachusetts General physician Tay Thompson (1970-72)... Against Cal Poly, Harrell became just the ninth Aggie ever to reach 2000 career receiving yards... He also became 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.

ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE
The Hornets are enjoying an undefeated 7-0 season under second-year head coach Troy Taylor.

Sacramento State has also seen multiple quarterbacks see field time this season with junior Jake Dunniway completing 143 of 226 passes for 2,051 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions while junior Asher O'Hara has completed 77 of 128 passes for 805 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. 

Junior Pierre Williams is the Hornets' leading receiver with 43 catches for 664 yards and two touchdowns in nine games. The Hornets have dialed up their rushing attack in conference play, averaging 199.2 yards per game behind O'Hara's 593 yards and eight touchdowns. Freshman Cameron Skattebo is averaging 8.9 yards per rush through nine games with 48 for 428 and five touchdowns. 

Sac State has also beaten Northern Arizona (44-40), Northern Colorado (27-24), and Cal Poly (41-9). 

UC Davis leads the all-time series between the teams 46-21 but they've been split in recent years with the teams alternating wins since the Aggies won in 2016. UC Davis lead the rivalry 7-4 over the last 10 years.