UC Davis football team stuns Tulsa. Were the Aggies really huge underdogs?
With 21 starters back from a team that went 3-2 in a shortened spring fling, UC Davis expected to hold its own and then some against any of its opponents this season.
The expectations were on point. The Aggies beat Tulsa, a step up from them in the Football Bowl Subdivision, 19-17 Thursday night behind a career-best outing by Hunter Rodrigues, four field goals from Isaiah Gomez and a defense that came up with turnovers in the fourth quarter.
Tulsa was a 23.5-point favorite over the Aggies. The point spread was off by 25 points, it turned out as the Aggies provided the first FCS over FBS upset of this young season.
Aggies coach Dan Hawkins called this his best, most-talented, most-skilled and deepest team in his four years leading his alma mater, and that includes the 2018 club that opened the season with a win at FCS-level San Jose State and went on to win a share of its first Big Sky Conference championship.
UCD came into this season ranked 23rd in FCS and is sure to climb as the Aggies refused to fit the script of a team that was supposed to get handled by the Golden Hurricanes in something of a body-bag contest. This marked Tulsa’s first loss to an FCS — formerly known as Division I-AA — in 35 years.
Postgame, Hawkins led the alma mater cheer in a jubilant locker room.
Rodrigues, the poised and accurate Whitney High School and American River College product, passed for 311 yards on 28 of 35 passing and a touchdown, and Jared Harrell had a career-best 136 yards receiving. UCD sealed it with fourth-quarter interception by Cole Hansen and a Chris Venable forced fumble and two Gomez field goals.
Rodrigues hit McCallan Castles for a 12-yard touchdown to open the scoring, and Gomez — a transfer from American River College — hit field goals of 44, 22, 26 and 22 yards, the final two coming in the fourth quarter. UCD’s time of possession was 35 minutes, 57 seconds, and the Aggies committed no turnovers, had four tackles for loss and three sacks. Tulsa had three turnovers that led to 12 UCD points, and it was just 2 of 10 on third down.
The Aggies play at San Diego on Sept. 11 and open their home schedule on Sept. 18 against Dixie State.