UC Davis football blows out Northern Arizona behind huge game from Caden Pinnick
Caden Pinnick is off to a roaring start at UC Davis, firing passes long and short, scrambling to extend plays and expertly leading the Aggies as a poised quarterback at a place long known for producing record-setting skill players.
And then there’s this thought: Wait until Pinnick really figures this out.
The redshirt freshman from Del Oro High School in Placer County sizzled for the fourth consecutive game and had his fingerprints all over a 45-24 victory for the FCS-ranked No. 6 Aggies against No. 14 Northern Arizona on Saturday night in front of another festive crowd at UC Davis Health Stadium, where 9,937 settled in for a show.
“This place grows quarterbacks and has for 60 to 70 years,” UCD coach Tim Plough said. “To watch (Pinnick) grow is impressive. He’s a very, very special player, and the cool thing is, he’s going to get so much better, which is pretty fun to know.”
Pinnick completed 25 of 29 passes for 348 yards and five touchdowns, two of them to Samuel Gbatu Jr., to give him 16 TD strikes on the season with just two interceptions. He has not been intercepted in the last four games. Jordan Fisher rushed 14 times for 104 yards and a score, and defensive lineman star Jacob Psyk led a pass rush that produced five sacks to power UCD to a 3-0 start in Big Sky Conference play.
The Aggies are 5-1 overall, not counting an opening-night game against Mercer in the FCS Kickoff Classic in Alabama that was halted because of nearby lightning strikes with the Aggies leading 23-17 in the fourth quarter.
This victory was all the more satisfying since the Aggies have run out of ice packs and crutches for the wounded who dot the roster. UCD has been ravaged by injuries, which happens in this sport, of course, but it has been especially crushing to the defense. Twins Rex and Porter Connors are out for the season with a knee and foot injury, respectively. Rex is an All-American safety and Porter a potential All-American linebacker.
UCD welcomes a bye week this week to heal and recover.
“This has been a year of catastrophic injuries and losing great players, and us having to overcome that continues to show that we’re finding ways to get it done,” Plough said. “I’m just as proud of the team and the staff as I’ve been since my entire time here.”
Pinnick ‘having a blast’
Typical Pinnick, he downplayed his Aggies impact, insisting it takes everyone to make it all work — the linemen, the backs, the receivers, the defense and the coaches.
But he does not downplay how much joy he has had for a program where coaches wear caps that read, “Find Joy.”
Pinnick said that he has grown as a player, and he swears by his coaches, saying of Plough, “I really trust this guy with my life.”
Pinnick added that he is having “a blast” and that he will continue to work hard at his craft. Plough isn’t easy to please, having started games at quarterback for UCD in the 2000s and having coached the position for years.
The Aggies quarterback earned back-to-back Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors and may get a third on Monday.
“I’m probably too hard on (quarterbacks), but I don’t know any other way to coach,” Plough said. “That’s the way I was coached. There are four, or five, or six plays a game that Caden makes me want to pull my hair out. But the crazy thing about him is he’s still getting first downs or touchdowns. He’s a tremendous athlete, and people don’t see the work ethic and how hard he’s worked to get where he is. I’m not shocked by his improvement, and I’m not shocked by anything he does in a game.”
Harvard transfer impacts UCD
Jackson Sievers had nine tacklers to lead UCD against Northern Arizona (4-3 overall, 1-2 in Big Sky action), and Psyk had six stops and 1.5 sacks from his defensive line position.
Psyk is a graduate transfer from Harvard, where he earned All-Ivy League honors, and the engaging Texas native has settled in nicely from the start with the Aggies. He is among the national leaders in forced fumbles.
“I was on the phone with my dad two weeks ago, just reflecting on the experience I’ve had here to this point, and I don’t think I could have gone anywhere else, FBS or FCS, where I would be as fulfilled as I am right now,” Psyk said. He then looked at Plough and said, “It starts with him.”
Psyk said he was a believer in Aggie Pride when he watched a video of Plough’s introductory press conference when the Aggies’ former offensive coordinator was named head coach shortly after the end of the 2023 season. Psyk said he was moved that the coach was emotional speaking to media, alums and boosters.
On Friday night, UCD hosted the Cal Aggie Hall of Fame ceremony, which included former UCD assistant coach Nathaniel Hackett, who has coached in the NFL since 2013, including stints as offensive coordinator for four teams. He is currently with the Green Bay Packers.
“He’s very important to me,” Plough said. “He’s a mentor, and I wouldn’t be at Davis without him. I would have taken one of those jobs he offered me, and I’d be floating around the NFL (as an assistant coach). But he said, ‘Davis needs you...’”