UC Davis eases past Weber State but top defender and quarterback suffer injuries
The FCS No. 8-ranked UC Davis Aggies took out Weber State 34-12 on Saturday night at home, winning the physicality part of the clash in a Big Sky Conference opener in front of 12,238 fans.
But the effort did not come without a significant cost.
The Aggies suddenly may be without their best defensive player and their quarterback leader, and for how long is anyone’s guess entering Sunday.
UCD in the fourth quarter wanted to reward All-American safety and the program’s all-time career tackler with a play at the goal line in an appreciation for his impact and drive. Rex Connors got that play, a direct snap, and charged two yards into the end zone. But the senior suffered a knee injury on the play, which was concerning enough that Aggies coach Tim Plough said afterward to media that he is offering “prayers to him.”
Caden Pinnick of Del Oro High School in Placer County passed for 288 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for 48 yards and had a score, but the UCD redshirt freshman missed some snaps with a sore shoulder that required an MRI late Saturday. He did return to action to fire an 85-yard touchdown strike to Samuel Gbatu Jr. for a 34-6 lead with 8:59 left to play.
Plough said of Connors’ injury, “We don’t know the extent of it. It is the knee. It could be a couple of days before we know anything. Never want to see your leader go down.”
Plough added, “We’ve been working on a goal-line package for Rex the last couple of weeks. The guys were excited about it. Love Rex. Thoughts and prayers for him. Hope that’s not the last time we see him.”
Weber State (2-3) had defeated UCD three consecutive times in Davis before the Aggies snapped that streak Saturday.
UC Davis is 3-1 overall and plays at Cal Poly on Oct. 4. Cal Poly defeated Sacramento State, 32-24, at Hornet Stadium on Saturday night.
This story was originally published September 27, 2025 at 11:32 PM.