Aug. 28, 2007

Complete Game Notes

Matchup Central

GAME 1
Western Washington (0-0)
at
UC Davis (0-0)

Sept. 1, 2007 • Noon • Aggie Stadium (10,743)

OPENING KICKOFF
• News, notes and headline items to get things started... Many will be expanded on later in these notes. • UC Davis begins its 89th season of football overall but its first as an official member of NCAA Division I FCS when the Aggies host Western Washington on Saturday. • The game also marks the inaugural football matchup at new Aggie Stadium, a $31 million facility which is the newest collegiate stadium to open in the country. • The stadium replaces Toomey Field which had been the home of UC Davis football since 1949. • The 2007 season also marks the first time UC Davis will be eligible for the NCAA postseason since 2002 when it was a member of Division II... UC Davis made 17 appearances in the Div. II Playoffs, including seven straight just prior to its reclassification to Div. I FCS. .• The 2007 season will also mark the final one for assistant head coach Fred Arp who announced his retirement last Friday... Arp has been a part of more than 300 wins in his 38 varsity seasons at UC Davis and, after this Saturday's game, will have coached in one-half of the program's 834 all-time games. • As a player, JV and varsity coach, Arp will have amassed 44 years at UC Davis. • The Aggies are in search of their 38th straight winning season, believed to be the longest active streak in the country of any non-Div. III program... The streak began in 1970. • UC Davis begins its fourth season in the Great West Football Conference after finishing fourth last season... The Aggies won the league title in 2005.

THE NAME GAME
• With a new life in Division I comes more attention from national media and, as a result, more media outlets referring to UC Davis in a number of different manners... Simply, the university is either "UC Davis" or "University of California, Davis". • Incorrect references we have seen in media outlets: California-Davis, Cal-Davis, U.C. Davis, Cal St. Davis, Davis State and U.C.-Davis. • We've even seen U-C Davis... You name it, we've seen it. • An new moniker noticed on a luggage tag last season at Montana State was "U-C David"... Never thought we'd see that one, though. • The Aggies thank you for helping them make a new name for themselves on the field only.

ALL-TIME SERIES
• UC Davis is 7-0 all-time against Western Washington, including a 48-19 win at Toomey Field in the last meeting in 2003. • The Aggies are 4-0 against the Vikings at home, having not scored less than 40 points in the last three matchups in Davis... The high was a 55-24 victory in 1999. • UC Davis has scored at least 28 points in five of the seven previous matchups.

HEAD COACHES
• Bob Biggs (UC Davis `73) is in his 15th season at the helm of the Aggies and his 30th with the program overall. • He owns a 114-48-1 (.702) overall record and is 62-17-1 (.781) at home, 33-17-1 in November and enters the year 37-20 (.649) against opponents on the 2007 schedule. • Biggs is the second-winningest coach in the history of the UC Davis program, trailing only Jim Sochor whose 156-41-5 record between 1970-88 led to his enshrinement into the College Football Hall of Fame. • RobIN ROSS (Washington St. `77) is 5-6 and entering his second year with the Vikings. • Ross is also the defensive coordinator. •He has coached professionally with the Oakland Raiders, serving as linebackers coach in 2000 when they reached the AFC Championship. • He has also coached extensively at the Div. I FBS level, including at Oregon and Oregon State.

BRIEF VIKINGS SCOUTING REPORT
• Western Washington finished 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the North Central Conference in 2006, winning its final three games. • The Vikings return the bulk of their experience on the defensive side where 10 of the team's 15 seniors reside. • MLB Shane Simmons is a preseason All-America pick by D2Football.com... He led Div. II in solo tackles (9.8 pg) before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the fifth game. • Simmons is one of eight returning linebackers for the Vikings. • WWU averaged 276.1 ypg of offense last year, 108.8 of it on the ground and 167.3 through the air... Defensively, it allowed 374.2 overall, including 222.1 via the pass. • The offense will turn to QB ADAM PERRY who saw action in five games last year, throwing for 369 yards and four touchdowns... Four of the games he appeared in were wins. • WR TRAVIS McKEE (32-455, 3 TD) and WR BRETT UPCHURCH (30--343, 1 TD) are his two leading returning receivers. • RB CRAIG GARNER averaged 5.1 yards and gained 655 for the season, leading the Vikings' returning rushers. • DB STEVE DAVIS helps lead the defense after posting 69 tackles... DL RAN CONWELL had six sacks and 12.5 tackles-for-losses up front.

FIVE ALL-GWFC RETURNERS FOR AGGIES IN `07
• UC Davis returns five players who earned All-GWFC honors in 2006, including three on defense. • Defensively, DE James Amos, DL John Faletoese and LB Chris Buck each earned first-team accolades while OL Jonathan Compas was a first-team pick on the offense. • WR CHRIS CARTER was selected to the second team as well as being named the conference's Rookie of the Year.

AGGIES LOOK TO IMPROVE RUNNING GAME
• UC Davis averaged just 103.0 ypg on the ground last year and just 3.2 yards per carry. • The Aggies will look to improve on those numbers in 2007 with returner DeMario Warren, and redshirt freshmen Joe Trombetta and Brandon Tucker looking to carry the load. • Warren rushed for 314 yards in 2005, Trombetta gained 5,447 yards as a prep at Casa Grande HS and Tucker was a multi-dimensional threat with 429 rushing yards as a junior and 1,568 receiving yards during his junior and senior seasons at Long Beach Wilson HS. • UC Davis rushed for at least 100 yards just five times in 2006 with 178 in the finale against San Diego the season-high... Departed senior RB Marcus Nolan had 167 of them.

FALETOESE AND BUCK LEAD DEFENSE
• UC Davis allowed just 104.0 rushing ypg (9th in I-AA) last season and two big reasons were DL John Faletoese and LB Chris Buck. • Faletoese, a three-time preseason All-America for 2007, had 9.5 tackles for losses, 35 tackles overall and was named to the All-GWFC first team. • He was also selected the team's top sophomore after garnering top freshman honors in 2005. • Buck was also named to the league's top team, posting 55 tackles, the most among the linebackers and second-most on the team. • Buck added 7.0 TFL's for 47 yards in losses and three sacks. • He had sacks in three straight games, earning them at Montana State, Youngstown State and rival Cal Poly.

WELCOME TO NEW AGGIE STADIUM
• Saturday's game marks the first-ever football contest at new Aggie Stadium, a $31 million facility whose primary funding (approx. $19 million) is coming from undergraduate students who approved the Facilities And Campus Enhancement (F.A.C.E) Inititiative in 1999. • Construction began in 2005 with hopes of playing a part or all of the 2006 home season in the stadium... However, bad weather helped slow construction and force a delay until 2007. • The stadium, also the home for Aggie women's lacrosse, saw its first action in April when UC Davis hosted Saint Mary's in lacrosse action... The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships were held at Aggie Stadium at the end of the season. • Aggie Stadium features nearly 9,000 permanent seats and almost 2,000 grass berm seats for a total capacity of 10,743... More than 2,500 season tickets have been sold, nearly quadrupling the previous high of 750. • Also featured is a Daktronics scoreboard with 19'2" by 24' video display. • The field is a Sportexe Synthetic Field... Wall-to-wall 104,000 square feet, if you're curious. • The team building features three locker rooms and 160 total lockers, a team meeting room and large equipment/training room. • 32 points of sale for concession and the Aggie Pride Outlet for souvenir merchandise are also available. • The pressbox features two radio booths, a TV booth and seating for nearly 20 writers, in addition to coaches booths and two more booths for operations. • 5,000 parking spaces within a 10-minute walk highlight transportation accomodations.

IN WITH THE NEW, OUT WITH THE OLD
• Aggie Stadium replaces venerable Toomey Field, which will remain as key competition venue for UC Davis track and field. • UC Davis played its final game at Toomey Field against San Diego last November, a game which closed the facility that was opened in 1949 and secured the program's 37th straight winning season. • UC Davis compiled a 192-86-8 record at Toomey Field. • The Aggies enjoyed 14 undefeated home seasons, most recently in 2002 when it went 4-0. • UC Davis posted a 10-11 record in NCAA Division II playoff games at Toomey Field. • Toomey Field is named after Irving F. "Crip" Toomey, a coach, athletic adminstrator and teacher from 1928-61.

A LITTLE BIT OF TOOMEY AT AGGIE
• The Tavernetti Bell didn't want to be lonely at Toomey Field so it has made its way to Aggie Stadium. • The bell, named in memory of former Assistant Dean Thomas Frederick Tavernetti (1889-1834), gets rung by the Aggie Band-uh! once for every point UC Davis scores in a home victory. • The bell sat inconspicuously outside of Toomey Field but now sits prominently in the main plaza outside the main gates at Aggie Stadium. • And, yes, look for the bell to make noise again after every Aggie win.

37-YEAR WINNING STREAK
• The Aggies enters the season with 37 consecutive winning seasons, believed to be the longest active streak of any non-Division III school in the country. • UC Davis has not had a losing record since a 3-7 mark in 1969. • The streak has been in jeopardy heading into the final game of the season six times, including last year... 2007 was the second consecutive year (and second time ever) UC Davis has entered the last game with a .500 record and needed a win to finish with a winning season. • Former coach JIM SOCHOR (1970-88) started the streak, it was continued by BOB FOSTER (1989-92) and has been extended by Bob Biggs (1993-present). • UC Davis is 300-100-7 (.748) during the streak.

OTHER STREAKS OF NOTE
• UC Davis has scored in 189 consecutive games... The last shutout was a 19-0 defeat to Cal Poly in 1990. • The Aggies have not had less than 200 yards in total offense since a 30-12 loss to Nevada in 1969, a span that now stands at 410 games... UC Davis had 130 in that game. • UC Davis is undefeated all-time at Aggie Stadium.

PRESEASON AND IN-SEASON HONORS PARADE
• DL John Faletoese was named a preseason All-American by Street & Smith's College Football Yearbook, The Sports Network (1st team) and by the College Sporting News. • OL Jonathan Compas was selected to the College Sporting News All-America third team. • Both were also named to Phil Steele's College Football Preview magazine's All-GWFC teams: Faletoese (1st team) & Compas (2nd). • DE James Amos, LB Chris Buck and DB Adam Cook were also named to Phil Steele's first team while Compas and CHRIS CARTER were second-team picks on the offensive side of the ball.

CARTER CATCHES EYES OF DEFENSE
• With the graduation of WR Tony Kays (school record 210 catches), sophomore WR CHRIS CARTER will likely become one of the focal points of a lot of defenses. • Carter had 54 catches for 703 yards, both second on the team last year, earning GWFC Rookie of the Year and All-GWFC honors. • He had 100-yard games against Central Arkansas (127) and TCU (109) and posted 10 grabs against rival Sacramento State. • Carter was named the team's top freshman (Mike Wise Award).

AGGIES PICKED THIRD IN GWFC
• Despite finishing fourth last season and despite three other GWFC teams being ranked in various top 25 polls, UC Davis was picked by the league's coaches to finish third this season. • Defending champ North Dakota State was first, followed by Cal Poly, UC Davis, South Dakota State and Southern Utah.

SPEAKING OF THE GWFC...
• North Dakota State and South Dakota State are leaving the GWFC after 2007 and will become members of the Gateway Football Conference beginning next year. • The GWFC won't have to make too many adjustments on its letterhead though, welcoming North Dakota and South Dakota to the fold beginning in 2008. • Both schools are beginning reclassifications to Div. I FCS.

PLOUGH NAMED STARTING QB FOR AGGIES
• Fifth-year senior Tim Plough takes over the starting reins at quarterback for UC Davis, winning a tough competition with senior Matt Engle during preseason drills. • Plough takes over duties for departed senior Jon Grant, a three-year starter for the Aggies who finished No. 2 on the all-time passing yards list (8,220). • Plough redshirted in 2003, saw limited action in 2004 and 2005 and played four games last year, highlighting his appearances by going 5-for-6 for 69 yards in the Aggies' 45-0 blowout at Montana State in the third game. • Plough threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to WR Kale Turner in that game. • For his career, he has thrown for 111 yards, completing 11 of 20 passes.

TWO CHRIS CARTERS BETTER THAN ONE
• It's not unsual for teams to have players with the same last name, many times the players being brothers. • But UC Davis has two players named Chris Carter. • Chris L. Carter and Chris J. Carter are both active players on this year's team but not related • The former is a WR this season while the latter is a LB. • While the stat sheet lists their middle initials to help the computer stat program from getting spitting up, media can drop the middle initials when referring to either player. • For the record, UC Davis has two players with the last name of "Brown" (E.J,, Kenneth), two with "Rice" (Brandon, Andy), two with "Calhoun" (Jonathan, Mike), two with "Johnson" (Ryan, Thaddeus) and a pair of "Miller's" (Chris, Matt). • None are related.

JUST TWO PERMANENT CAPTAINS
• For the first time since 1988, UC Davis will have just two team captains... Others will rotate for each game. • OL Mario Gonzalez and LB Chris Buck are the only two captains since Jack Wildermuth and Cameron Boyer in 1988. • UC Davis did have three in 1990 and 1996 but have had four every other year since 1988.

CONTINUITY LEADS TO SUCCESS
• A key to any successful football program is a continuity in the coaching staff. • UC Davis has that one nailed. • Five members of the staff enter the season with a combined 129 "coaching years" after having been together as a quintet the past 18 years. • Bob Biggs (29 years total, 14 as head coach); Assistant head coach Fred Arp (40 years); defensive coordinator LOU BRONZAN (23 years); offensive coordinator Mike Moroski (19 years) and running backs/special teams coach Greg Chapla (18 years). • For good measure, they're all graduates of UC Davis.

ARP DECIDES TO CLOSE CLUB FRED
• Assistant Head Coach Fred Arp will call it a career at UC Davis after the 2007 season, ending more than 40 years with the program. • Arp, who played for the Aggies, coach JV and then with the varsity, will have amassed 44 years between all three. • He joined the varsity in 1968 and has seen 302 wins, both ends of the current streak of 37 straight winning seasons, 20 straight league titles (1971-80) and 17 playoff appearances. • Arp has coached with the varsity for 38 seasons (he was a grad asst. at Northern Colorado in 1972). • His laid-back coaching style led his position players to label their group "Club Fred". • Arp, who handles number distribution and locker assignments, will still provide those duties upon his retirement, while also helping with scheduling. • Four of his players were been drafted into the NFL while five are in the Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame.

AGGIES IN THE PROS
• OT Cory Lekkerkerker (2003-04) is a backup with the San Diego Chargers. • TE Daniel Fells (2002-05) is with the Atlanta Falcons. • He and Lekkerkerker were free agent signees out of UC Davis a year apart. • QB J.T. O'SULLIVAN (1998-2001), the all-time passing leader at UC Davis, is currently with the Detroit Lions as a backup signal-caller... He was signed by the Lions after earning Offensive MVP honors with Frankfurt of NFL Europe this past spring. • He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round in 2002, the last NFL draftee for UC Davis. • Former MARK GRIEB (1994-96) led the San Jose Sabercats to the Arena Bowl title this summer and was named the game's MVP... He has played in two Arena Bowls and is one of the league's all-time best QB's. • OT Elliot Vallejo (2003-06) is a rookie free agent signee with the Arizona Cardinals. • WR Tony Kays (2003-06) was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals to a rookie free agent contract but was waived on Aug. 28.

AGGIE COACHING TREE INCLUDES BIG NAMES
• Besides becoming the all-time winningest coach at UC Davis, former mentor JIM SOCHOR has several former players and assistants who have gone to college or pro coaching careers, including: • MIKE BELLOTTI (Oregon, head coach), who played for Sochor in 1969-72 and was a subsequent assistant coach. • BOB FOSTER (California, LB coach) was an assistant coach under Sochor before taking over as head coach from 1989-92. • He coached with DAN HAWKINS at Willamette (Ore.) and is now with Cal. - DAN HAWKINS (Colorado, head coach), who played for the Aggies in 1981-82 and was later an assistant. • He went to Colorado from Boise State last year. • PAUL HACKETT (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, QB coach), who played from 1966-68, and was an assistant at UC Davis as well a head coach at USC, Pittsburgh and an assistant with the New York Jets. • CHRIS PETERSEN (Boise State, head coach), who played for UC Davis in 1985-86 and was also an assistant... He led Boise State to an unbeaten season and a Fiesta Bowl win last season.

KEANE MOVES FROM CAPTAIN TO COACH
• TIM KEANE is in his first season as assistant coach with UC Davis, helping offensive coordinator Mike Moroski with the line. • Keane is no stranger to the line having started the final 22 games of his career and earning the program's "unsung hero" award both years. • He was part of an offensive line in 2006 that allowed just 13 sacks in 419 passing plays.

DIVISION I-AA GETS NEW NAME
• NCAA Div. I-AA underwent a name change to help forge a more distinct identity in collegiate football. • Beginning last December, I-AA became known as the Football Championship Subdivision. • Division I-A is now known as Football Bowl Subdivision.

HOME WEBCASTS AVAILABLE VIA INTERNET
• With its newly redesigned website (ucdavisaggies.com), UC Davis is offering video webcasts of all home games during the 2007 season. • Webcasts will include a 50-yard camera shot of the game, and live audio from the radio broadcast on KHTK. • Single-game costs are $7.95 while a season package is $19.95... Details on the website.