DAVIS, Calif. -- True freshman Lan Larison represented No. 11/15 UC Davis on the Big Sky Conference's weekly awards, claiming ROOT Sports Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in Saturday's win over Idaho State. Idaho linebacker Fa'avae Fa'avae captured the Defensive Player award, while Weber State's two-time All-American Rashid Shaheed won Specialist of the Week distinction.
This is now the third week in the 2021 spring season that the Aggies have had at least one honoree on the Big West awards slate. Linebacker Connor Airey won Defensive Player of the Week plaudits after the win at Idaho, while Cole Hansen (Defensive), Hunter Rodrigues (Offensive) and Isaiah Thomas (Specialist) swept the honors on March 21.
Larison, a managerial economics major from Caldwell, Idaho, made his first collegiate start at running back in Saturday's thriller against the Bengals. He amassed 100 combined yards from scrimmage – 95 in rushing, five in the air – while scoring the third and fourth touchdowns of his young career. Larison's 40-yard scamper late in the second quarter marked a career long and put UC Davis up by a 14-10 margin. Impressively, the run came on a 4th-and-1 conversion with 3:50 remaining. Fullback Christian Skeptaris provided protection in the backfield, Jordan Ford and Connor Pettek opened a hole at the line of scrimmage, and the former high school rodeo champion used his speed to go upfield for the score.
Then with 6:26 in the third, Larison took advantage of the field position afforded by a Nick Eaton sack on the Bengals' previous possession. On 1st-and-10 on the Idaho State 33, Larison eluded a tackle in the backfield, enjoyed the room provided by key blocks from Nick Amoah and McCallan Castles, then split two more defenders on his path to the end zone, erasing what had become a 20-14 deficit. He later had three rushes as part of the Aggies' game-winning drive that culminated in Trent Tompkins' four-yard go-ahead touchdown with eight seconds remaining.
UC Davis concludes its three-game homestand with a Big Sky Conference matchup with Eastern Washington. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. This will be the first athletics event of the 2020-21 school year to allow limited fan attendance. Visit ucdavisaggies.com for more details on tickets for this contest.
ABOUT UC DAVIS:
With the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, more than 700 student-athletes represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation on one of 25 intercollegiate athletics teams.
UC Davis, a national leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, is centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley; and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
Ranked annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.
