UC Davis running back sparks Aggies’ blowout win over Texas A&M Commerce in season opener
UC Davis football coach Dan Hawkins raved about Lan Larison on the eve of the season, saying the running back had “special” qualities.
Among those is burst and speed.
In Thursday night’s season opener, Larison backed up his coach’s praise by rushing for 108 yards and three touchdowns in the first half while the Aggie defense maintained pressure in a 48-10 rout at Texas A&M Commerce.
The FCS-ranked No. 17 Aggies overcame three early turnovers, piled up 529 yards of offense, committed no penalties and received 239 yards passing and a touchdown from preseason All-American Miles Hastings to move to 3-0 all-time against the Southland Conference program.
A junior, Larison had scoring runs 5, 2 and 25 yards, taking the first two snaps directly from the center to break free. He had just two second-half carries but finished with his first 100-yard game as an Aggie as UC Davis used a host of other runners, including Matteo Perez, who rushed 13 times for 88 yards and a score. The Aggies rushed for 279 yards and had their most decisive opening win since blasting Azusa Pacific 41-3 in 2012.
C.J. Hutton, UCD’s top returning receiver, scored on a 3-yard run to make it 24-0. Larison’s 25-yard scoring burst made it 31-0 with 1:03 to play in the half, and Perez made it 48-3 with a 37-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
The Aggies seized control early despite their turnovers. They amassed 18 first downs and 328 yards of offense while Texas A&M Commerce had 38 yards and two first downs in the first half.
The Aggies will play at Oregon State on Sept. 9. Texas A&M Commerce will visit No. 8 Sacramento State on the same day.
This story was originally published September 1, 2023 at 5:00 AM.