Score:  No. 6 UC Davis 36, Idaho State 38
Location: Davis, Calif. (UC Davis Health Stadium)
Records: UC Davis 6-2 (4-1), Idaho State 3-6 (2-3)
 
The short story: No. 6 UC Davis football dropped a close game at home, with Idaho State needing a late field goal from 50-yards out to pull away down the stretch to give the Aggies their first Big Sky loss of the season.
 
FIRST DOWN

• As a team, the Aggies racked up 567 yards on 79 plays, rushing for 242 yards while passing for 325
• Caden Pinnick threw for 325 yards and one touchdown, returning to the starting role going 23-for-32 with a long pass of 36 yards
• Samuel Gbatu Jr., finished with 112 yards receiving on six catches to lead the Aggies
• On the ground, Jordan Fisher led the Aggies with 108 yards on 22 carries
• Carter Vargas led the Aggies with two rushing touchdowns, and 43 yards on the ground
• Defensively the Aggies had a pair of interceptions and were led by Cole Batson, who finished with eight solo tackles and one tackle for loss

WHAT HEAD COACH TIM PLOUGH HAD TO SAY
"It's disappointing, obliviously you don't want to lose at home. It's a big goal of ours at the beginning of the season to win all of our home games and we didn't get that done. I think we all have our hands in the loss, from the players to the coaching staff. When we lose a football game it starts and ends with me, and I must do a lot better. I feel I made a lot of mistakes today. Idaho State played well, and they deserved to win the game today."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both sides traded scores to open and from the start things seemed like they were destined for an historic day of scoring, and it started with Idaho State going 75 yards in four plays to make it 7-0
• The Aggies responded with eight plays for 77 yards capping off a long drive with Vargas punching it in from two yards, but a blocked extra point meant the Ags remained behind Idaho State at 7-6
• Idaho State scored again on its next possession, scoring on a two-yard pass to make it 14-6
• But in true back-and-forth fashion the Aggies responded and did so quickly.
• Rushes from Pinnick and Fisher got the Aggies down inside the Idaho State 10 and after a handful of plays in the red zone Pinnick hit Laviel Pickett in the endzone for a four-yard touchdown reception, putting the score at 14-13
• The Bengals had another response, opening the second quarter by capping off a drive that started in the previous period, scoring on a 15-yard rush to put the score at 21-13
• UC Davis had its own response, keeping the back-and-forth vibes going with its own scoring drive that was capped off by Vargas' second rushing touchdown of the game to again bring it within one point at 21-20
• Finally both teams were held off the scoreboard over the next few drives but Idaho State would get on the board again when they scored a touchdown on a blocked punt that pushed their lead to 28-20
• The Aggies responded on the next drive, going 75 yards on seven plays capping things off on an end around to Zach Jones who came scored from 11 yards out getting the Aggies again within one point at 28-27
• Coming out of the break, the Aggies took the lead five minutes into the third quarter when Hunter Ridley nailed a 23-yard field goal after the Aggies went 70 yards in 10 plays
• The Ridley field goal gave UC Davis its first lead of the game at 30-28
• But Idaho State had another touchdown drive in it, going seven plays in 75 yards to score six, pushing their lead to 35-30
• Ridley would nail two more field goals down the stretch, hitting from 26 yards out and he tied a career-high with a 46-yard kick
• The final kick, from 46 yards out, put the Aggies in front by one point at 36-35 and put them in position to hold off Idaho State
• But the Bengals used their ace, kicker Trajan Sinatra, to retake the lead with under one minute to play when he nailed a 50-yard field goal to put Idaho State up 38-36
• In the final drive, Idaho State picked the Aggies off to end the game and the final drive attempts by UC Davis. And with a final whistle the Bengals had finished off a 38-36 shootout victory

GAME NOTES

• Gbatu Jr.'s 100-yard reception game was his fourth of the season, and the third-straight game he has breached the century mark. It also marked the sixth time in his career he has broken 100 yards receiving
• The Aggies had a season-high in total offensive yards
• Ridley's 46-yarder tied a career-high
• Fisher now has four 100-yard rushing games this season and in his career
• Idaho State's Dason Brooks became the first opponent to rush for at least 200 yards in a single game since Montana State's Sean Chambers hit the mark in 2022

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