Score:Â No. 11 UC Davis 28, Idaho 14
Location:Â Moscow, Idaho (P1FCU Kibbie Dome)
Records: UC Davis 7-2 (4-1), Idaho 4-6 (2-4)
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The short story: No. 11 UC Davis football started fast, scoring 14 points in the first two possessions and with the pedal down the Aggies did not look back in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome, coming away with an important Big Sky Conference road win at Idaho.
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FIRST DOWN
- For the fourth-straight game Samuel Gbatu Jr., finished with over 100 yards receiving, ending the day with seven catches for 110 yards and one touchdown
- As a team, the Aggies held the Vandals to under 300 yards of offense and racked up just over 400 yards of their own offensive yards
- UC Davis ran for 200 yards as a team, it's the third-straight game the Aggies have reached at least 200 yards on the ground as a team
- Jordan Fisher racked up over 100 yards on the ground, finishing with 103 yards on 21 touches
- Ian Simpson had a career day, finishing just shy of his career-high ending with 63 yards receiving on five catches on snagging one touchdown
- Caden Pinnick went 21-for-27, throwing three passing touchdowns for 248 yards
- Khalani Riddick led the defense with seven total tackles and one pass breakup
- Jacob Psyk added three tackles and 0.5 sacks
WHAT HEAD COACH TIM PLOUGH HAD TO SAY:
"In my time here, that was one of the best wins we've had. I'm super proud of this team for bouncing back after a gut-wrenching loss last weekend. We said on Monday that this game would show if the culture and things we believe in here at Davis would work. And for us to perform the way we did tonight says a lot about this staff, the players and the program. I'm thankful for those guys and tonight was a real Aggie Pride moment."
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
- UC Davis did not waste time getting ahead of the Vandals, and after Psyk and Trent Carrade ended Idaho's opening drive with a sack the Ags went to work
- Using five plays to go 66 yards, the Aggies marched down the field and once inside the Idaho 15-yard line Pinnick found Simpson on a tight end screen across the middle
- As the Aggie tight end rumbled towards the endzone he was met at the goal line by a Vandal defender, and without hesitation hit and landed a front flip over the Vandal and the goal line for an Aggie touchdown and a 7-0 lead
- Idaho drove to the Aggie 37, but the Davis defense shut things down to get the ball back to the explosive Aggie offense
- Nine plays and 70 yards later UC Davis again found pay dirt, this time behind a short pass to Samuel Gbatu Jr., who found the edge and the endzone to make it 14-0
- Idaho hit a big play of 68 yards to get on the board at the start of the second quarter, making the score 14-7
- But later in the period another Aggie drive resulted in six points and a multi-touchdown lead
- Going 94 yards in 10 plays, the Aggies put some real distance between themselves and Idaho. A 32-yard pass to Fisher and a 15-yard completion to Gbatu Jr., got the Aggies into position to take the commanding lead
- And with the Aggies on the 22-yard line, head coach Tim Plough called a Pinnick's number with a quarterback draw. The Aggie redshirt freshman took the space and went right up the middle for a touchdown making it 21-7 heading into the break
- On its second possession of the second half, UC Davis again scored to continue to build on its lead
- Starting at the 44-yard line after forcing an Idaho three-and-out on their first touch of the half, the Aggies did not waste time with Pinnick hitting Simpson for 25 yards on the first play to get the Aggies down inside the 20
- Three rushing plays got UC Davis down inside the three and set things up
- On first and goal from the three, Pinnick shovel passed to Dobbins who took the edge and the endzone for another Aggie touchdown making it 28-7 midway through the third quarter
- The remainder of the period saw both teams trading possessions, including the Aggies recovering a fumble on Idaho's kickoff return following the Dobbins touchdown along with Pinnick throwing an interception
- Idaho would get one final score in the fourth quarter, with the Aggies leading 28-7 Pinnick threw an interception that gave the Vandals a shot at getting on the board
- They did on a five-play 94-yard drive, making it 28-14 with 9:46 left in the game
- After a Davis three-and-out, the Vandals began their final drive of the game with just under eight minutes left
- Twice they would convert on fourth down to get to the Aggie 10-yard line with a first and goal situation
- On three-straight plays the Aggies denied the Vandals the endzone setting up a final play on fourth down
- Going back to pass, Idaho's Joshua Wood looked for a Vandal receiver but instead found Jayden Stanley who hauled in the game sealing interception with 2:29 remaining
- Fisher ran the ball three times to get the final first down needed and after Pinnick took three knees, UC Davis secured its 28-14 road victory at Idaho
GAME NOTES
- This was the fourth-straight game that Samuel Gbatu Jr., has finished with at least 100 yards receiving
- The game was Gbtau Jr.'s seventh career 100-yard receiving game and his fifth of the season
- Fisher has run for at least 100 yards in two straight games
- This was Fisher's fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season and for his career
- UC Davis has rushed for at least 200 yards as a team for three-straight games
- The Aggies remain in contention of the Big Sky Championship with the win, remaining just one game back of No. 2 Montana and No. 3 Montana State
- The 94-yard scoring drive was only the second 90-yard scoring drive of the season for the Aggies
- UC Davis converted a fake punt in the second quarter when Gbatu Jr., rushed for 14 yards on a direct snap, it was the second time this season the Aggies have converted a fake punt (at Washington)
- The Aggies have now won six straight against Idaho
- UC Davis remains undefeated on the road in conference