College football: UC Davis rolls to third straight win
The UC Davis Aggies roll on.
The 1-4 start to the season has now become a 4-4 campaign with the team’s third FCS playoff berth since 2018 still very much a realistic goal.
On Saturday afternoon at Health Stadium, UCD raced past Cal Poly 59-17 behind big plays in a Big Sky Conference game in the annual “Battle for the Golden Horseshoe.”
Miles Hastings had his best day as an Aggie, completing 22 of 27 passes for 425 yards and no interceptions, Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr. rushed for 136 yards and two scores, Teddeye Buchanan returned one of his two interceptions 65 yards for a touchdown, and the Aggies eclipsed 50 or more points for the third consecutive week, a Division I program record, dating back to 2007.
Gilliam, UCD’s all-time career rushing leader, had a 59-yard touchdown bolt early, and he had a 1-yard scoring plunge for a 21-0 lead.
Hastings had touchdown strikes of 65 yards to Oak Ridge High School graduate Justin Poerio, a 67-yarder to Mateo Perez and of 52 and 22 yards to Casey Granfors as the Aggies moved to 3-2 in the Big Sky. UCD had 682 yards of offense. Cal Poly fell to 1-7 and 0-5.
This was the 48th meeting between UCD and Cal Poly. The programs in 2007 created the “Golden Horseshoe” theme to recognize each university’s agriculture influence. The schools first met in football in 1939 and have played every season since 1978.
UCD is 25-20-2 against Cal Poly, and UCD coach Dan Hawkins is 6-0 against the Mustangs of San Luis Obispo.
UCD’s early season losses include 24-22 to now-No. 1 South Dakota State, to No. 5 Weber State 17-12 and to No. 3 Montana State, 41-24 in a game that was much closer than the final score indicates.
UCD hosts Idaho State (1-7, 1-4) on Nov. 5. The final two games are at Idaho on Nov. 12 and at Sacramento State on Nov. 19. Those two teams entered the weekend unbeaten in the Big Sky.