ABOUT THE GAME
Following a pivotal 17-14 Big Sky Conference win at No. 14/15 Weber State, No. 8/8 UC Davis looks to improve to 5-0 for the since time since the 2004 Aggies opened their season on the same run... UC Davis hosts former FBS member Idaho for just the fourth meeting in program history, and the second at home... Saturday's contest is presented by UC Davis Health, while the "Running of the First Years" pregame activity is sponsored by Sol at West Village student housing.
Who: Idaho
When: Saturday, Oct. 2 • 7 p.m. PDT
Where: Davis, Calif.
Venue: UC Davis Health Stadium (10,743)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (http://statb.us/b/353630)
Listen: Sports 1140 on Varsity Network app (https://thevarsitynetwork.com/audioapplink/source/university-of-california,-davis:oas-1487)
Watch: ESPN+ (https://plus.espn.com/)
NEW COVID POLICIES
Starting with Saturday's game with Idaho, a new COVID policy takes effect at 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
Entering the game tied as the national FCS leader in turnover margin, UC Davis continued that trend as three takeaways offset Weber State's advantage in total offense (411-314) in a 17-14 win... Senior DT Bryce Rodgers forced a fumble of QB Kylan Weisser on a strip sack midway through the first quarter, then pressured Weisser into an interception to Jordan Perryman in the second... Senior S Erron Duncan then clinched the game with a pick with 0:14 left, erasing the Wildcats' hope for a last-minute drive.
Junior QB Hunter Rodrigues left the game due to injury in the fourth, giving way to backup Miles Hastings... The redshirt freshman from San Marcos completed 7 of 8 passes for 50 yards in a 13-play, 56-yard drive that culminated with Trent Tompkins' 1-yard touchdown run... Tompkins now has two last-minute, game-winning touchdowns in the 2021 calendar year: he scored with 0:08 left in the March 27 win over Idaho State last spring... The previous time the Aggies had won on a TD in the final minute dated all the way back to Nov. 13, 2010, when Randy Wright fired a 5-yard score to Sean Creadick in a 22-21 upset of then-No. 19/18 Cal Poly.
TO BEAT THE BEST
Saturday's win marks the fourth time in the program's Division I era that the Aggies have beaten a team ranked in the top 25, and the first time with UC Davis doing so as the higher-ranked squad... Previous wins over ranked opponents are 27-17 at No. 19 Idaho last spring (3/6/21), the aforementioned 22-21 thriller at No. 19/18 Cal Poly (11/13/10), and a 26-17 win against coach Jerry Glanville at Portland State (9/8/07)... During the D-I reclassification, then No. 21 UC Davis blanked No. 20 Montana State, 45-0 (9/16/06); while the Aggies also knocked off No. 10 Cal Poly, 20-13, during the previous season (10/29/05)... In 2004, UC Davis stunned then-No. 5 Cal Poly on Halloween night thanks to a 14-yard TD pass from Jon Grant to Tony Kays with 13 seconds left.
GIVE AND TAKE, REDUX
With three more takeaways and no turnovers committed at Weber State, UC Davis increased its turnover margin to a plus-11: 10 interceptions and three fumbles gained compared to two turnovers lost... This +2.78 per game margin leads all FCS teams, although a glitch in the NCAA statistics website lists UC Davis second behind Campbell (+8 in three games)... See Page 18 of the official game notes for a summary of all giveaways and takeaways of the 2021 season...
For that matter, the 10 total interceptions also tops all 117 FCS teams, ahead of Villanova (9) and Stephen F. Austin (8)... Half of those took place in the home opener against Dixie State... Safety Chris Venable, cornerback Jaylin White and linebacker Teddye Buchanan each have two picks thus far this fall, while Perryman, Duncan, Cole Hansen and Algery McGuire have one apiece... Only eight teams in UC Davis history have recorded 20 or more in a season, with only one team (1997) doing so since 1972.
UNBEATEN
A total of 14 FCS teams are undefeated through four weeks of the 2021 season, with only three sporting 4-0 marks: UC Davis, Eastern Washington and East Tennessee State... ETSU hosts six-time SoCon champion Wofford this Saturday, while EWU hosts 3-0 Montana for a key Big Sky matchup... As stated above, the Aggies are off to the best start since the 2004 team won its first five games... The 2000 UC Davis team started 12-0 before losing a heartbreaker in the NCAA Division II semifinal with Bloomsburg... That matched the 1982 team – head coach Dan Hawkins' senior season – which went 12-0 before losing in the national final... The 1983 (10) and 1986 (11) teams also had double-digit win streaks to start the year before suffering their first losses in the NCAA postseason.
MOVING ON UP
With a rushing TD at Weber State last weekend, RB Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr. broke loose from the three-way tie in the school record book and now ranks third outright in career rushing scores with 29... Only Matt Brown (38, 1998-2000) and Preston Jackson (40, 1991-93) rank higher... Gilliam also enters the school's top 10 career scorers list... With 36 total touchdowns and a two-point conversion, he has 218 total points... Another Hall of Famer, WR Michael Oliva, is next on the list at 222 (37 TDs from 1999-2002).
WR Jared Harrell caught four passes against the Wildcats to boost his career total to 138, moving him past Brandon Rice and Josh Weinstock for 9th on the Aggies' career receptions leaderboard... CAAHOF receiver and Massachusetts General physician Tay Thompson is now the next target with 153 (1970-72)
GOOD WORKS
A day prior to the Weber State game, QB Hunter Rodrigues was announced as one of 22 members of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which honors those who serve the community with volunteer service and charitable work... Rodrigues volunteers with a church-related group Greater Sacramento Capernaum (kah-PER-num), a chapter of the larger Young Life organization... He also led a group of Aggies to serve as "dates" at the Shining Stars prom for teens and young adults with special needs in 2020... With the new Name, Image, Likeness regulations in place, this marks the first year that the AFCA Good Works Team members will officially represent the title sponsor Allstate... One of the 22 student-athlete honorees will be selected as Team Captain, with fan voting now taking place at ESPN.com/Allstate.0
CAL AGGIE ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Saturday's home game against Idaho will follow the 37th Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame inductions ceremony, held at the University Credit Union Center Friday night... Both the 2020 and 2021 induction classes will be honored during Saturday's contest, while the honorees in attendance will be special guests in the Touchdown Club on the north end of the facility... The 2020 inductees had no inductions ceremony nor did they have a football game at which to be recognized in public... That class comprises water polo player Carmen Eggert, golfer Matt Hansen, gymnast Michelle Kulovitz Alencar, golfer Demi Runas and the late distance runner Sarah Sumpter... The 2021 CAAHOF class consists of swimmer Cookie Arrighi, basketball player Sydnee Fipps, basketball player Corey Hawkins, lacrosse player Katie McMahon and late football player Marc Manfredda... Also honored will be the 2020 recipients of the Special Recognition Award for volunteer service, Casey and Jennifer Chel; plus two recipients of the Aggie Legacy Award for former UC Davis student-athletes who enjoy outstanding athletics-related achievement after their departures from the university... The 2020 Legacy winner was Emmy-winning stunt performer/coordinator Shauna Duggins, while the 2021 recipient is Davis Enterprise sports editor/writer/columnist Bob Dunning... Dunning will make his return to the broadcast booth as an analyst for the ESPN+ live stream.
LIVING IN THE RED
With two touchdowns on two red-zone opportunities at Weber State, UC Davis improved its success rate to 17-for-19 (.895) when advancing inside their opponents' 20-yard lines... Meanwhile, opponents have only reached the Aggie red zone 10 times, resulting in six TDs and no field goals through four games.
For more information, roster, depth chart or stats, consult the full set of game notes here.
ABOUT UC DAVIS:
Centrally located between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, over 700 student-athletes across 25 teams enjoy an unrivaled undergraduate experience at the fifth-ranked public school in the country.
Ranked annually in the nation's top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis and its innovative Aggie EVO system helps student-athletes develop passions, connect with a comprehensive network of alums and industry leaders, gain real-world experience and thrive as a young professional following a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school.
