DAVIS, Calif. – Coming off its season opening win at Utah Tech, No. 8 UC Davis football wraps up its three-game road stretch to open the season with a trip to Seattle, Washington to take on the Big Ten's Washington Huskies.
 
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW
Alaska Airline Field at Husky Stadium (70,138) | Seattle, Washington
Sept. 6 – at Washington | BTN | Listen | Live Stats | @UCDavisfootball
 
REX EYES A CAL AGGIE HALL OF FAMER: Rex Connors will enter Saturday's game sitting just 12 tackles away from setting the program record for total tackles passing Cal Aggie Hall of Famer Kris Spraker who sits at 290 career tackles during his career from 1997-2000. Connors moved into second place at Utah Tech, passing Jason Hairston who sits at 271 total tackles from 1992-94 and he enters the game at Washington with 279 total tackles
 
GAME NOTES

• For the first time in program history, UC Davis and Washington will meet on the gridiron in a match up set to be played in Seattle, Washington. Saturday's game is also the first time the Aggies will face a current member of the Big Ten conference, and the second time they will see a Big Ten foe. The Aggies faced Oregon in 2016 when they were still a member of the PAC-12 conference.
• Give UC Davis a win over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent for the first time since 2021 when the Aggies knocked off Tulsa and it would be their 18th win all-time against an FBS foe. It would also be the first win over a Big Ten foe for the Aggies and their first win over a Power Four program since beating Stanford in 2005.

PREVIEWING THE HUSKIES

• The Huskies opened the season with a 38-21 win over Colorado State at home. In the game the Huskies gained 509 yards of total offense, with 283 rushing yards and 226 passing yards.
• Starting quarterback Demond Williams Jr. threw for 226 yards (18-for-24) and one touchdown while Jonah Coleman had 181 yards on 24 carries with two rushing touchdowns
• This is the second of two-straight home games for Washington, and they play three of their first four games at home
• Washington is 61-4-3 all-time against the Big Sky Conference

SEASON NOTES

• With 15 tackles at Utah Tech, Rex Connors was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week. Connors finished with eight solo tackles and seven assisted tackles to lead the defense in St. George. The Aggie defensive back also makes it two-straight season an Aggie has won the first week's edition of the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week, joining his brother Porter after his standout performance at California in the 2024 season opener
• Part of the reason the Aggies came back from 17 down at Utah Tech was because of the second half performance by redshirt freshman quarterback Caden Pinnick and he was named the Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week. Pinnick went 21-for-31, finishing with 253 total passing yards, three passing touchdowns and 14 yards rushing. In the second half Pinnick threw for 159 yards and three touchdowns to power the Aggies to 24 second half points. He became the first Aggie to earn national freshman honors since Nick Eaton earned the nod during the 2019 season
• In the Aggie's second shot at getting 2025 started, UC Davis traveled to St. George, Utah and late in the third quarter they were trailing by 17 points. It was there they got rolling, scoring back-to-back touchdowns while holding Utah Tech to a three-and-out sandwiched in-between to get within three points late in the third quarter. A Hunter Ridley field goal near the end of the quarter tied things up and set UC Davis up to finish off its biggest comeback since 2018. Pinnick then hit Samuel Gbatu Jr., for a 60-yard touchdown that put the Aggies ahead for good. Nate Rutchena then sealed the game with an interception to lock up a win that featured 24-unanswered points
• UC Davis and North Dakota State announced on Sept. 1, 2025 a home and home series starting in 2028. The Aggies will head to Fargo, N.D. to face the Bison in 2028 before the series moves to Davis, Calif., in 2029. It is a rematch of former Great West Conference foes and when they meet in 2028 it will be the 12th time in history and the first since 2019.
• UC Davis, for the first time since 2006, opens its first three games away from Davis, California. After the Aggies visit Montgomery, they will travel to St. George, Utah to face Utah Tech before heading to Seattle, Washington to face the Washington Huskies. This year marks the third time in program history the Aggies have begun their season away from home for so long, spending the opening three weekends away in 2006 and 1978

TEAMS PLAYING AT LEAST FIRST THREE GAMES ON ROAD SINCE 2006
            - UC Davis (2025)
            - East Texas A&M (2025)
            - Southeastern Louisiana (2021; 2023)
            - Duquesne (2017)
            - Tarleton State (2013)
            - Charleston Southern (2008; 2009; 2011)

• Returning for 2025 is talented safety Rex Connors, and he brings with him a collection of 2024 honors that have evolved into 2025 preseason accolades. Connors ended 2024 as a four-time All-American, first team All-Big Sky Conference honors and his 74 solo tackles set a program record. This season he comes in ranked as the No. 1 returning safety by HERO Sports and he has already earned multiple preseason All-American honors. Connors also became the first Aggie to be named the Big Sky Preseason Defensive Player of the Year to go along with Preseason All-Conference honors
• UC Davis returns all its starting offensive linemen from the 2024 team, making them one of three teams in the nation that can make that claim. The Ags return tackles Eli Simonson and Ernesto Nava to go along with interior starters Zaire Collier (center), Jace Rodriguez and David Porotesano. David Main, once back from injury, will make the Ags six deep on the offensive line. The collection of talent meant that HERO Sports named the Aggie offensive line as the fourth best returning line in the nation

TEAMS RETURNING ALL FIVE STARTING OFFENSIVE LINEMEN IN FCS
            - UC Davis (Big Sky)
            - Charleston Southern (Big South)
            - North Carolina Central (MEAC)

• Entering 2025 the Aggies have been finding themselves individually on several All-American lists, with five Aggies earning honors. Rex Connors (first team), Winston Williams (second team), Hunter Ridley (second team) and Porter Connors (third team) earned the honor from Stats Perform. While FCS Football Central added Jacob Psyk (second team) to a collection that saw Connors and Ridley earn first team honors, Williams earn second team honors and Porter bring home third team honors. It's the most preseason All-Americans in program history

SEASON TICKETS: Season tickets are on sale now, and fans can head here to secure their spot in Shredville for the 2025 season. Tickets start as low as $100 for new alumni and $140 for the general public.

GROUP TICKETS: Football group ticket discounts start at 10 or more tickets and provide a great opportunity for gatherings and parties to enjoy Aggie football. If you'd like to create an unforgettable experience with your group, the Aggie Ticket Office is here to help you customize your day! Fans can head to THIS LINK to purchase their group ticket packages.
 
MINI PLANS: Mini Plans are a great way for Aggie fans to save on tickets by bundling multiple games. Choose from 2 different options to get the biggest bang for your buck, and fans get to pick the games that work the best for you. The Pick Any 2 or Pick Any 3 Plans allow fans to pick and choose which games they want to attend at a discounted rate versus buying single-game tickets. Both plans can be purchased here.
 
SINGLE GAME TICKETS: Single game tickets are on sale now and fans can secure their spot at one five home games for as little as $13 a ticket. HEAD HERE to buy single game tickets today.