UC Davis heads to Cal Poly for rivalry game, but will Aggies’ top players suit up?
Tim Plough admits it.
The UC Davis coach and his staff do not circle must-have games on their composite Big Sky Conference schedule, but it is understood in the football offices that the Aggies aim to be at their best when taking on their chief rivals.
“Our goal is to beat the team down south and the team across the Causeway,” Plough said Monday during his weekly news conference, with a slight grin.
The team down south would be the Cal Poly Mustangs of the Central Coast. The team across the Causeway — the highway viaduct that connects Yolo County and Sacramento — would be the Sacramento State Hornets. The Causeway Classic started in 1954 between UCD and Sac State, and that showdown will cap this regular season on Nov. 22 at UC Davis Health Stadium.
But first up is Cal Poly in the annual Battle for the Golden Horseshoe this Saturday night in San Luis Obispo, a series that began in 1939. Cal Poly is coming off of a 32-24 victory over Sac State in a Big Sky opener at Hornet Stadium, moving the Mustangs to 3-2 on the season. UCD is 3-1.
UCD and Cal Poly’s rivalry is rooted in respect, football programs who build their rosters through high school recruits and not through the transfer porter. This week’s contest is not circled as a must-have, but will UCD’s top offensive player and top defensive stopper be in uniform?
Well, yes and no, respectively.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Caden Pinnick of Del Oro High School roots last week against Weber State suffered a shoulder stinger from a hard hit, leading to brief tingling sensations. He went to the sideline against Weber State, loosened up his arm and then returned with flair. He fired an 85-yard touchdown strike to Samuel Gbatu Jr. to help polish off the Wildcats, 34-12.
Pinnick will start at Cal Poly after earning Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. He passed for 288 yards and two touchdowns, and he rushed for a score against Weber State.
As a former Aggies starting quarterback, Plough said he is especially hard on his signal callers. He said Pinnick’s best days are ahead of him and that the budding star can improve on his defensive reads and check-downs.
“I’m proud of him,” he said of Pinnick. “Fantastic player. He’s a tremendous talent, a great kid who works hard.”
UCD All-American is out
The news is not as favorable for Rex Connors. The All-American senior safety suffered a knee injury early in the fourth quarter against Weber State after he was inserted as an offensive player. He took a direct snap and bulled into the end zone from 2 yards out.
Connors will not suit up Saturday, and his status beyond this weekend is unclear as he undergoes a series of tests on ligaments.
“It’s an MRI process that takes a couple of days,” Plough said. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed and keeping positive thoughts. All of the testing in-game was positive, but you have to get some more imaging just to see what we’re looking at.”
Why was a standout stopper suddenly on offense? This is no new wrinkle for the Aggies. UCD has used defensive anchors on short-yardage plays before. Pinnick isn’t built to blast over runners. He’s more geared to shake and bake and race around them, and Connors is all about collision.
The idea of Connors taking direct snaps near the end zone was set in motion months ago, Plough said, to give the team’s best player the ball in a smash-mouth moment.
“We were all comfortable with it,” Plough said of the concept. “Hindsight is 20-20, and you never want to see a guy get hurt. It’s a bummer. It’s part of football, unfortunately. We hope it’s not that serious. The team was really excited on the sideline when we said, ‘Let’s get the Rex Package in there.’”
The Aggies coach called Connors “one of the best, if not the best, player in the country.”
No. 7 UC Davis (3-1) at Cal Poly (3-2)
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
On air: Sactown Sports 1140, ESPN+
Of note: UCD won the first football meeting against Cal Poly, 28-0. Cal Poly won the 1940 rematch, 20-7. The series resumed in 1976 and has been played annually ever since, except in 1977. UCD leads the series 27-20-2 and has won the Golden Horseshoe Trophy 13 times since the trophy became part of the rivalry in 2004. Cal Poly last won the trophy in 2016 .The series is tied 12-12 at Cal Poly. Cal Poly backup quarterback Bo Kelly passed for 203 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Tyrei Washington had a career-best 113 yards and a score in the 32-24 victory over Sac State.