DAVIS, Calif. - The UC Davis football team (6-4, 5-2), winners of five straight, will make the short trek to face rival and No. 2 ranked Sacramento State (10-0, 7-0) on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Hornet Stadium. The Causeway Classic will kick off at 2 p.m., with plenty of implications for both squads. The regular season finale can be streamed on ESPN+, while Scott Marsh and Doug Kelly will call the action on Sactown Sports and the Varsity Network. The Aggies raced past No. 15 Idaho, 44-26 on the road this past weekend to post their fifth straight game with 40 or more points. The Hornets downed Portland State on the road Friday, 45-17. A rivalry that started in 1954 will continue for the 69th time as the Aggies hold a 46-22 all-time advantage.

WHAT: #24 UC Davis at #2 Sacramento State
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022
TIME: 2 p.m. PT
WHERE: Sacramento, Calif.
STADIUM: Hornet Stadium
WATCH: ESPN+
LISTEN: Varsity Network
STATS

SERIES HISTORY
The Causeway Classic will be played for the 68^th time, and the two rivals will collide for the 69th time overall, as UC Davis leads rival Sacramento State in the series, 46-22. The Hornets have won the last two meetings overall and the last two played in Sacramento. Last season in Davis, the Aggies fell, 27-7. In 2019, the Hornets downed the Ags, 27-17. The last UC Davis victory in the series came in 2018 when the Aggies raced past the Hornets, 56-13, in a game that clinched the first Big Sky Championship and playoff berth in program history. Jake Maier completed 37 passes for 478 yards while running mate Keelan Doss hauled in 16 passes for 205 yards en route to a then-program record 691 yards of total offense in a game played at Mackay Stadium in Reno.
 
BACK IN THE RANKINGS
The Aggies are back in the rankings after a big win over No. 15 Idaho. UC Davis entered the season ranked No. 25 in the Stats Perform poll. This week the Ags check in at No. 24 in the Stats Perform Poll and are receiving votes in the Coaches Poll.
 
RECORD BREAKER
Senior running back Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr. has shattered nearly every record associated with rushing. Here is a list of his records and milestones.

CAREER RUSHING YARDS: 4,567 – Previous: 3,589 (G.P. Muhammad)
ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: 5,965 – Previous: 4,629 (G.P. Muhammad)
CAREER RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS: 43 – Previous: 40 (Preston Jackson)
CAREER TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS (NON-QUARTERBACK): 50 – Previous: 40 (Preston Jackson & Matt Brown)
CAREER SCORING: 302 points – Previous: 274 (Brady Stuart)
1,000-YARD RUSHING SEASONS: 2X – Joins G.P. Muhammad and Preston Jackson
 
MR. 4,000
Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr., became just the 12th player in Big Sky history to rush for over 4,000 career yards. The Merced native raced past the milestone when he broke free for a 77-yard run against NAU. The last Big Sky rusher to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark was Joe Protheroe of Cal Poly (2014-18). Only four players in conference history have run for over 5,000 yards. Gilliam, Jr. enters the game with 4,567 career rushing yards which ranks sixth all-time in the Big Sky record book.
 
THE 1,000 YARD DUO
Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr. is no stranger to amassing 1,000 all-purpose yards in a single season. Neither is running-mate Lan Larison. Gilliam, Jr. enters the Causeway Classic with 5,965 all-purpose yards and 1,485 this season. His 5,965 all-purpose yards rank ninth in conference history as only eight players have eclipsed 6,000 yards. He eclipsed 1,000 yards against Cal Poly, marking his fourth season in an Aggie uniform to do so. Larison, who paced UC Davis in 2021 with 1,184 all-purpose yards, enters Week 11 with 1,117 yards this season. 
 
THE OVER 40 CLUB
The UC Davis offense has been lighting up the scoreboard over its winning streak. The Aggies have eclipsed the 50-point threshold in three of the first three games of the winning streak and have scored over 40 points in all six of their victories this season, including five in a row. The last time UC Davis scored over 40 points in five straight games was in 2018. The Ags scored over 40 points nine times in that championship season, including six games in a row.
 
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Twice this season the Aggies have been recognized nationally by Stats Perform. Rex Connors was named FedEx Ground FCS Freshman Player of the Week after his stellar performance in Week 2. The redshirt freshman registered 17 total tackles, including 10 solo stops at No. 2 South Dakota State. After the road win at No. 15 Idaho, Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr. was named the FedEx Ground FCS Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 164 yards and three scores.
 
WE ARE GOING STREAKING
The Aggies have been racing past their opponents over the course of the five-game winning streak. Over the streak, the Ags have outscored the opposition, 260-83. UC Davis has eclipsed over 400 yards of total offense in each game, including nearly hitting the 700-yard mark against NAU (688) and Cal Poly (682). The Aggies have also rushed over 200 yards in each win, eclipsing 250 yards on the ground in three of the wins.
 
BIG SKY HONORS
It is no surprise that with the five-game winning streak, the Aggies have been recognized by the conference. For two straight weeks (UNC & CP), there was an Aggie student-athlete represented on the Big Sky Weekly honor roll. After the UNC game, Rex Connors was named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. After the big game against Cal Poly, Miles Hastings was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week and Teddye Buchanan got the nod on the defensive side. This past week after the win at No. 15 Idaho, Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr. was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
 
AGGIES IN THE BIG SKY
UC Davis has continued its trend as one of the most disciplined teams in the Big Sky. After 10 games, the Aggies are the least penalized team in the conference with 43 and are 11th in the country at 4.30 penalties per game. On top of the penalties, UCD has been great at keeping Miles Hastings upright, coming into the Causeway Classic game second in the league in the least sacks allowed with just 11. The Aggie passing attack remains one of the top units in the conference as UCD ranks second with only six interceptions thrown, second in completions with 254, first with a completion percentage of 70.75 and second in passing offense with 293.80 yards per contest, which ranks ninth nationally. The Ags are second in the conference and are fifth in the nation in total offense with 493.10 yards per game after their explosive output of 688 yards against NAU and 682 against Cal Poly. The Aggies are also second in the conference in yards per play at 6.79 and total offensive yards with 4,931 on the season. Defensively the Ags are second in the league in red zone defense (77.78) and on opponent fourth down tries at 35.29 and lead the league in turnover margin of 1.20 per game. The 1.20 turnover margin is third in all of FCS.
 
INDIVIDUALLY IN THE BIG SKY
Several Aggies find their names near the top of the conference in numerous categories. Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr. ranks second in the Big Sky with 113.20 rushing yards per game and is also second with 148.50 all-purpose yards per contest. Cameron Skattebo of Sacramento State and Gilliam, Jr. will battle it out for the rushing title as Skatteno leads the Davis captain by 22 yards with 1,154. Teammate Lan Larison checks in at fifth in the league with 111.70 all-purpose yards per game. Miles Hastings leads the conference with 275.50 passing yards per game and 2,755 passing yards overall. The signal-caller is also atop the league, averaging 271.50 yards of total offense per game. Defensively, Rex Connors is second with four interceptions and third with 9.00 tackles per contest. Isaiah Gomez, who is 13-for-13 on field goals and 33-for-33 on extra points in the last six games, leads the Big Sky with 16 made field goals.
 
REX CONNORS RECOGNITION
Redshirt freshman Rex Connors was named Big Sky Co-Defensive Player of the Week and the FedEx Ground FCS Freshman Player of the Week after his stellar performance in Week 2. Connors put together one of the finest defensive performances in recent memory for the Aggies. Against No. 2 ranked South Dakota State on the road, Connors registered 17 total tackles, including 10 solo stops in the defensive slugfest. On top of his 17 tackles, the Pleasant Grove, Utah native added two interceptions as the initial takeaway was the first of his Aggie career. The 17 total tackles are the most in a game in program history since at least 2007. In Week 7, Connors was recognized once again by the conference, garnering Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second time after his 10-tackle, one interception performance against UNC. Leading up to that game, Connors was named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List. The safety now has four interceptions on the season, which is the most by an Aggie defender since 2006 and currently leads the team with 81 total tackles.
 
60-YARD STRIKES
In eight games this season, the Aggies have showcased some explosive plays with seven offensive touchdowns over 60 yards. In the opener at Cal, senior running back Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr. ripped off a 60-yard rushing score. The scamper was his longest since a 75-yard touchdown in 2019 against Portland State and the longest by an Aggies since an 86-yard score from Trent Tompkins in 2020. Sophomore running back Lan Larison hauled in a 68-yard touchdown pass from Miles Hastings in Week 2 at South Dakota State. At UNC, Larison ran for a 75-yard score. Against San Diego in Week 3, Josh Gale recorded his first career touchdown, racing past the Torero defense for a 62-yard receiving score. Gale bettered that with an 80-yard reception at Northern Colorado. Gilliam, Jr. posted a career-long run of 77 yards against NAU. The Ags were firing from long range against Cal Poly, scoring on plays from 59, 65, 52 and 67.
 
COMPLETE BACKS
All eyes have been on arguably the most prodigious rusher in UC Davis history and the rushing record. Diving in deeper on the all-time leader in rushing and all-purpose yards, Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr. has been an underrated receiver his whole career and is continuing the 2022 season in impressive fashion. The Merced native enters Week 11, leading the Aggies with 48 receptions and is second with 345 receiving yards. Also out of the Aggie backfield, Lan Larison enters the Causeway Classic game fourth on the team with 310 receiving yards, including a 68-yard score. Larison is averaging 111.70 all-purpose yards per game.
 
SPREAD THE WEALTH
In 10 games in 2022, the Aggies have started seven different wide receivers. In the first game of the season at Cal, Justin Kraft returned from an injury-plagued career to earn the start, while Chaz Davis caught his first career touchdown. In Week 2 at South Dakota State, Justin Poerio hauled in his second career touchdown reception on a nine-yard fourth quarter strike from Miles Hastings. In the big win against USD, three different receivers caught touchdowns, including career firsts from Matteo Perez and Josh Gale. C.J. Hutton caught 10 passes for 77 yards and a score against Weber State. Kraft posted a career-best effort at No. 4 Montana State with six receptions for 114 yards. Lance Babb II hauled in his first career score on a pass from Grant Harper at UNC. 16 different receivers have been credited with a catch, while nine different pass catchers have recorded 10 or more receptions and 11 different Aggies have caught touchdowns.
 
THE "MAGICAL" TRENT TOMPKINS
In his time in an Aggie uniform, Trent Tompkins has done a lot of everything for the Aggies. Listed as a wide receiver in 2022, the sophomore was all over the stat sheet in 2021. The All-Big Sky second team selection at the all-purpose spot tied for the team-lead with six rushing touchdowns and ranked second on the squad with 448 yards on the ground. The Fresno native caught 12 passes for 77 yards and threw 18 passes for 102 yards and one score. Tompkins also returned two punts for 86 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown. In 2022, Tompkins has returned 12 punts for 34 yards, three kickoffs for 80 yards, rushed for 67 yards on 18 carries and caught 26 passes for 214 yards. He has totaled five touchdowns on the year. In Week 3 against USD, Tompkins tallied 114 total yards and scored twice on two direct snaps. He found the endzone two more times and amassed 81 total yards.
 
HASTINGS SINCE CAL
Miles Hastings didn't take long to get comfortable as the Aggie's starting signal-caller. Since the Cal game, the sophomore has thrown for 18 touchdowns and 2,499 yards with only three interceptions. Against USD, Hastings completed the first 10 passes of the game and finished 16-for-21. The San Marcos native posted his first 300-yard passing game of the season when he completed 21-of-26 passes for 328 yards and two scores against NAU. He also hauled in a receiving touchdown against the Lumberjacks. He kept the hot hand at UNC, completing 18-of-21 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns. In his last five games over the winning streak, the sophomore signal-caller has completed 81 percent of his passes for 1,480 yards and 11 touchdowns with just one interception.
 
COACHING MATCHUP
Troy Taylor is in his fourth season at Sacramento State and holds a 28-7 record. Taylor has led the Hornets to two Big Sky Championships. UC Davis head coach Dan Hawkins has led the Aggies to their first two FCS Playoff appearances in school history and boasts a 37-26 mark in now his sixth season in Davis. Hawkins is 1-3 in the rivalry during his tenure at Davis.  
 
NEXT TIME OUT
The Aggies will await their postseason fate when the playoff bracket is announced on Sunday, Nov. 20, on ESPNU at 9:30 a.m. PT.