STANFORD, Calif. – 20 years ago on Sept. 17, UC Davis football made a trip to the Farm that to this day people in Northern California still talk about. The Aggies, having just made the move into Division I, entered uncharted territory with a visit to Stanford Stadium but when they left, they had very much made themselves comfortable on their new stage.
 
Remembered as one of the greatest wins in program history, 20 years later the legacy and impact of that win is felt everyday around the football offices. There are photos from the game, coach Bob Biggs around the practices and current head coach Tim Plough having been a member of that team.
 
Now, 20 years later UC Davis athletics will look back with a retelling of one of the greatest nights in Aggie history. The night Aggie Pride won the Farm.
 
UC Davis athletics reached out to Biggs, Jon Grant (QB), Ryan (Blaise) Smith (WR), Tony Kays (WR), Luis Armal (DB) and James Amos (DL) to help with the retelling of this moment of Aggie history with the players who made it.
 
THE LEAD IN – UC Davis entered its third game of the 2005 season sitting at 0-2 having lost two close games to New Hampshire (13-17) and Portland State (12-14). Both were winnable games so coming into the game against Stanford they felt the record did not reflect who they were.
 
Historically the Aggies had only just recently made the jump up to Division I in 2003 and head been in the Great West Conference for just one season at that point. And it wasn't until 2007 that the Aggies become a full Division I member.
 
So, when making the trip to the Farm, the Aggies were in this middle ground of a program in transition.
 
BIGGS (HC) – "That New Hampshire game we opened with was interesting because that was Chip Kelly's first opportunity as an offensive coordinator in his career. So, he was implementing his new offense which now everybody runs and we had to face that wrinkle. Even with the two losses we knew that we had a good football team, particularly on defense and it helped us feel good entering the game at Stanford."
 
JON GRANT (QB) – "Entering that game at Stanford we had just lost a heartbreaker to Portland State, and it meant we were 0-2. But we felt like our team was much better than that, and we even felt like we had won that game against Portland State. We knew that because of our record we had to make something happen, it didn't matter who we were playing."
 
The meeting was also the first time the two sides had met on the gridiron since 1932, but they had met for a scrimmage just a few years prior. A scrimmage that meant much more for the Ags then it did for the Cardinal.
 
LUIS ARMAL (DB) – "We probably took our scrimmage a year or so prior to the game bit more serious than Stanford did. But it was a big confidence builder for us. It let us know we can play with these guys and we used that going into the actual game. Because of how well we did in the scrimmage there was no intimidation factor when we took the field, we had seen and beaten these guys before."
 
GAMEDAY – The Aggies made the trip on the morning of the game, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. there was plenty of time to get the few hours from Davis to the Bay. Or so they thought, even that part of the day had its Davis moments.
 
BIGGS – "We went down morning of the game and had breakfast at a hotel on the way. On the way our bus driver got lost, this was before the days of GPS, so I found myself outside directing traffic as we finally figured out how to get into the stadium. It was a perfect example of what UC Davis is, no ego, no bells and whistles, no police escort. We just rolled up and played.
 
"I told the guys that regardless of the outcome, we are the luckiest football team in Davis history because of this opportunity to play Stanford. And at the end of the day let's just be proud of the effort we put out on the field and the respect we can pay the guys who came before us."
 
TONY KAYS (WR) – "We knew that the game was going to have its ups and downs, it was something that coach Biggs had talked about. He said we needed to stick to the plan and focus on the next play. That's exactly how we entered the game."
 
FIRST QUARTER – Things started normally enough, with Stanford converting on a 48-yard field goal on its opening drive. UC Davis even moved the ball on offense, going 67 yards on 15 plays at one point attempting a field goal from 33 yards out that went wide left.
 
GRANT – "It was fast football, but I remember thinking with every completed pass that we can hang with these guys."
 
On the next drive things started to get interesting on The Farm. Future National Football League quarterback T.C. Ostrander threw an interception, the first of four Aggie takeaways, to give UC Davis the ball under the shadow of their own goal posts near the end of the period.
 
But the joy was short lived.
 
On the first play of the preceding Aggie drive, Grant was sacked in the endzone, fumbling the ball which Stanford recovered for its first touchdown of the game. It gave the Cardinal a 10-0 lead after 15 minutes.
 
At this point everything was going according to the script.
 
SECOND QUARTER – It didn't take long, but five minutes into the quarter Stanford scored again. But like the first score, this one was again not on the defense.
 
Dropping back to pass, during the second drive of the period, Grant was again pressured, taking a sack and fumbling. Stanford scooped the ball and went 54 yards for a touchdown to make it 17-0 midway through the second quarter.
 
GRANT – "The defense needs all the credit for this win, what they did to pick up the offense as we made mistakes is nothing short of amazing."
 
The defense would keep the Aggies in the game during the early stuttering of the offense. A testament to then defensive coordinator and Cal Aggie Hall of Famer coach Lou Bronzan and the game plan he had called.
 
ARMAL – "Coach Bronzan is a master motivator. And he kept our focus on just doing our job and trusting the rest will work itself out. But in the back of our minds as a defensive unit, we had seen our offense stutter at the start before but they always ended up moving the ball."
 
BIGGS – "The defense was taking pride in knowing that they had only given up a field goal and despite the score they knew they were playing well."
 
The Aggie offense finally got on the board later in the period, needing one play to punch it in from three yards out after Stanford muffed a punt. The muffed punt gave the Aggies a short field and Nelson Doris cashed in six points.
 
BIGGS – "After that score the optimism on our sideline was palpable. You could tell the guys believed that hey we might win this thing. And they carried that into the locker room."
 
It meant the Aggies were on the board and entering the break down 17-7 but feeling good about where they were on both sides of the ball.
 
HALFTIME – Despite the score, the Aggies still felt like they were in the game. Nothing about what they had faced or seen during the previous 30 minutes made them feel like they were outmatched.
 
JAMES AMOS (DL) – "There were a series of plays in the first half that I remember we were consistently getting pressure on the quarterback. And as the half went along we started to get that feeling as a defensive unit that we're making it uncomfortable and challenging for those guys. In the locker room at halftime we didn't want to say it out loud, but we all had the same feeling of this is something we can do but we came out of the break aligned as a unit and went from there."
 
SMITH – "Our defense had been absolutely phenomenal throughout the entire half and despite the turnovers our confidence level was as high as it could be. We had been moving the ball in the first half, and I even had a chance to score when I slipped and fell on a fourth and two inside the five. So the score didn't reflect how we felt about the situation after the first half."
 
ARMAL – "That first half we felt that Stanford had been vanilla on how they were calling plays. It told us they thought they would just run right over us, which they hadn't. Coach Bronzan and the staff put together a great scheme that kept us in the game and made it a dogfight all day for Stanford."
 
GRANT – "We felt like we can hang with them, and with how our defense was playing our offense knew it was only a matter of time before we scored points. We knew we belonged and that sense got stronger as the game went along."
 
A confident bunch of Aggies left that locker room feeling like they would shock the world.
 
And shock them they would.
 
THIRD QUARTER – After shutting down the Stanford offense on the second half's opening drive, UC Davis made it known to the 31,250 people at Stanford Stadium that they should buckle up because the Aggies were going for the win.
 
They did that by going 41 yards in nine plays, all on the ground except for two completions by Grant. It was a physical drive that saw Doris touch the ball seven times, including a drive-long run of 10 yards to set up the Aggies at the three-yard line. It put the score at 17-14 and the momentum squarely on the Aggie sideline.
 
SMITH – "That drive out of the locker room was proof that the moment was not too big for our team. It was the momentum we needed to set the tone that we were going to execute our game plan, and if we did we were going to win. We trusted each other, the coaches and believed the dream coach Biggs talked about during pregame could come to reality."
 
ARMAL – "Nelson was running like crazy all second half, and for us with how we were moving the ball that really kicked open the door. Stanford started to play tight and we had the momentum on our side."
 
That momentum was nearly lost when Grant was stripped for a third time in the game, losing the ball just two plays into the Aggies final drive of the quarter.
 
The Aggie defense made sure they kept that momentum.
 
During the next Stanford drive, with the Cardinal at midfield, the Aggie defense dug in and after allowing just one first down they ended the drive on a sack. Coming off the edge was Michael Ng and Thomas Blake with the two holding a meeting of "Club Fred" in the Stanford backfield with Ostrander as a special guest.
 
That play ended the third quarter and with the game turning its page to the fourth quarter, the Aggies knew what they had a chance to do. Now it was about going out and getting it done.
 
BIGGS – "We were getting pressure on them all game, thanks to the play of our great defensive line and the schemes called by coach Bronzan. We were quicker up front with our smaller guys and that played out and unfolded in our favor through the game."
 
FOURTH QUARTER – UC Davis felt good entering the fourth quarter, the pressure was squarely on the shoulders of the Cardinal. And that was evident when they muffed another punt to give UC Davis the ball right back.
 
That drive would lead to the first of two missed field goals in the quarter, chances for the Aggies to take the lead. But not misses that effected the team's confidence.
 
It also showed that UC Davis could move the ball, something they already knew they could. But the strong drives reaffirmed that fact.
 
GRANT – "Even with the missed kicks, we had driven down twice so we felt good about things. Each drive we as a unit collectively felt better and better, confident that we belonged on the field."
 
After the second missed field goal, there was 5:47 on the clock and Stanford had the ball with its 17-14 lead intact. It meant the defense needed to make a stop to get the offense back on the field.
 
AMOS – "Certain plays stand out for me during that game, but the final drive just felt like a culmination for us. Where we put the finishing touches on a game where we had dug as deep as we could on every single play."
 
BIGGS – "Once again our defensive line showed up on the final drive. They were particularly good that year and this moment showcased that."
 
During the drive, Stanford converted one first down but it was a gift, drawing a pass interference call on third and 10 to secure the first down. After a first down rush for one yard, the Aggies had Stanford at second and nine.
 
Enter James Amos.
 
Using his smaller size and quicker hands, Amos' motor was on full display late in the game as he beat his man to find Ostrander in the backfield for a sack and a three-yard loss. It meant that it was now third and 12, much harder to convert. And after only getting six yards on the ground, the Aggie defense had forced the Stanford punt.
 
Cue Jon Grant and the Aggie offense.
 
GRANT – "When we rewatched the film on Monday, I remembered every play from that game except for that final drive. In the moment I was so dialed into my teammates and together we knew what we had to do. But when I watched that film on Monday I was seeing the drive for what felt like the first time."
 
SMITH – "Jon got in the huddle before we took the field for the final drive, and he just looked at all of us and confidently and calmly said that we were going to go down the field and score. And we all felt that same thing, that we were about to do just that."
 
Grant connected on a pair of big throws during the drive, hitting Brandon Rice for 12 yards and Smith for 17. But it was a third and four pitch and catch to Kays that put the Aggies in position to win the game.
 
With the ball sitting on the Stanford 25 and the Aggies needing four yards to move the sticks, Grant delivered a ball to Kays that the Aggie receiver athletically brought in for 19 yards and a first down.
 
It put the Aggies in a goal to go situation on the six-yard line.
 
KAYS – "That play was a favorite play between me and Jon, called 95H. It's an option route where I had the option to curl, hit the seam/post or cut in to find the open hole. Jon and I must've practiced this one route thousands of times in the summer. We wanted to practice anticipating each other so that we knew exactly what the other was going to do 100% of the time. In the game the throw was a bit behind me because I think Jon thought I would sit rather than cut in but it was just within reach to snag it. One of my most memorable catches and grateful to be in the position to make the play when my number was called."
 
GRANT – "The lights were bright but we were hitting our plays and then came the catch by Kays. He had big plays for us all game but on this one I hit him on a seam route across the middle. The ball I threw was a bit behind for the window, but somehow Tony made an amazing catch by reaching behind him. It's one of the greatest catches I've been apart of."
 
Two plays later and the Aggies were third and goal from the three-yard line. It was time for another big moment. But this one had a bit of a twist.
 
Coach Biggs dialed up the final play and sent in Smith with the game winner. Only thing was Smith changed the directions ever so slightly.
 
BIGGS – "I sent Blaise in with the intent to have Tony [Kays] moved to the outside receiver spot, meaning the two would flip spots and Tony would be the intended receiver. But Blaise went in and said hell no, that's my ball. And so when he told the play to Jon in the huddle, he left out the swap and took his position as the primary receiver on the outside."
 
SMITH – "I had been catching balls up and down the field all game, so in that moment I wanted the ball."
 
GRANT – "You run something 1,000 times in practice with the hope that you have an opportunity to win a game with that play. And in that situation we were ready."
 
KAY – "Our receiver group was so close. We had a motto "playmakers" and that effectively meant when the team needed us most, we would make the play. We knew wherever the ball was going to go that we would make the play because that was our role on the team. Blaise was our top red zone target and man did he deliver."
 
The play was West 60 Blazer X Fade Stop and it had Smith running a fade stop in the corner of the endzone. On this particular play Smith ran a perfect route, and Grant delivered a great ball to the far-right corner of the Stanford Stadium endzone.
 
SMITH – "What I remember from that play was running my route and getting a prefect ball from Jon. After catching the ball, it was bedlam as we ran off the field celebrating as a team."
 
BIGGS – "It was a stutter stop and Jon made a great throw and Blaise made a great catch. When he taps in on the sideline for our six the place went nuts. It almost sounded like we were playing the game in Davis."
 
The touchdown put the Aggies up 20-17 with eight seconds left. Stanford had one final play left, and after an incomplete pass by Ostrander the final whistle blew.
 
FINAL SCORE – UC Davis 20, Stanford 17
 
AMOS – "It was the best feeling I probably have felt in my entire football career, before that and since. Running down that sideline with my teammates and heading over to the large section of Aggie fans is not something I'll forget anytime soon."
 
GRANT – "I remember us instinctively running over and climbing the fence they had put in place around the crowd so that we could celebrate with our fans. It was a really cool moment to be a part of."
 
KAYS – "Jason Yaklich said it best when he walked into the locker room after it was over, "we shocked 'em."
 
Shocked was one way to describe it, because nobody thought that UC Davis would come away victorious that day. Nobody outside of the Davis locker room at least.
 
BIGGS – "The beauty of this win was it was a rallying cry for all the players that had been part of UC Davis football since Jim Sochar took over. It was an affirmation of the principles of Aggie Pride and the fact that we might be able to make this Division I transition work without having to change who we are.
 
"I had addressed the tailgate with a bunch of former players before the game, and there had to be at least 500 guys out there. This win and even the chance to play this game meant something to all of those guys, our team that year gave those guys a chance to live out that dream. So see UC Davis take the field against a program like Stanford's and win."
 
KAYS – "The aftermath was crazy, the fans, the former players, the support we got was the absolute best feeling. You could feel the crowd continue to get louder and louder as they game closer to the end and it almost felt like we were at a home game by the end. Everybody was standing, everybody believed, we were all one big Aggie team that all of us will remember forever."
 
AMOS – "Even today, in board rooms across Northern California when it comes up I played football at UC Davis the next question is were you on that 2005 team that beat Stanford? It puts a smile on my face to be able to sit back and say, yes I was."
 
For one night in 2005 UC Davis owned the Farm.