UC Davis running back suffers potential season-ending injury in loss to Eastern Washington
The crowd was there with a record-setting, overflow gathering of 14,724, and so was the effort.
But the one program UC Davis cannot seem to solve in its otherwise rich football history left Yolo County late Saturday night delighted to head home with a win and a quick start in the Big Sky Conference.
Eastern Washington blocked a field goal with 3:20 left and then ran out the clock to beat the FCS No. 15 Aggies 27-24 on Saturday night, moving to 11-0 all-time in the series since it began in 2005.
The double whammy loss is the realization of what could be a season-ending injury for UCD’s top player and certainly the program’s most electric one in Lan Larison. The junior from Idaho and the fastest Aggie on the roster bolted for 256 yards on 22 carries, including a sizzling 78-yard scoring burst. His rushing total is the third most in program history, which dates to 1915, behind two 300-yard efforts by Mike Ichiyama in 1994.
But Larison missed the fourth quarter with a right knee injury, sustained when the team captain was tackled on a play late in the third. He watched the rest of the game with a knee brace and an ice pack while still cheering on his teammates.
Larison was the last one to leave Jim Sochor Field. He was without shoulder pads but wore his No. 3 jersey in the final quarter. Scores of UCD players hugged him after the game. At the very least, Larison won’t play any time soon, and the pained expressions of Aggies coach Dan Hawkins and another team leader in receiver Trent Tompkins spoke volumes of the team’s mood. Players and coaches expressed concern and compassion for their teammate and friend.
“He’s a special kid, a special player,” Hawkins said. “He’s blue collar all the way. His picture is the definition of work.”
Said Tompkins: “Lan’s one of the best players in the league. He means a lot to the team He’s a great person and a great player.”
The Aggies (2-2) outgained the Eagles of Cheney (2-2) 435 yards to 319, converted more third downs than their visitors and had the ball more in time of possession. But UCD had four turnovers, including the blocked field goal, and EWU had none, allowing the Eagles to improve to 5-0 at UCD’s Health Stadium.
Miles Hastings passed for 163 yards and two touchdowns, including a 4-yarder to Tompkins with 6:35 left in the third quarter for UCD’s last lead, 24-20. With 13:08 left to play, Michael Wortham rushed for a 10-yard touchdown for the final points. Wortham, EWU’s backup quarterback, is a graduate of Center High School in Antelope and Sierra College in Rocklin.
Kekoa Visperas passed for 208 yards for Eastern Washington. Justice Jackson rushed for 74 yards and had a 4-yard touchdown for a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Said Tompkins of EWU’s success against the Aggies: “Hats off to them. They always play hard. It’s definitely a wake-up call for us. I think it’s going to help us improve. We still have all of our goals ahead of us and a long season ahead.”
UCD will visit Cal Poly next week. Cal Poly coach Paul Wulff is a Davis High School graduate and one-time Aggies assistant.
This story was originally published September 24, 2023 at 5:00 AM.