Teams: UC Davis vs. San Jose State
Records: Aggies, 0-0; Spartans, 0-0
Where: Spartan Stadium – San Jose, Calif.
When: Saturday at 5 p.m.
Who to watch: For at least one week, the Greg Denham era will have to wait.
Three weeks ago in a pass protection drill, the sophomore signal caller suffered a mild strain in his medial collateral ligament. The knee injury has a recovery period of two to four weeks, and will sideline Denham for Saturday’s season opener.
Danny Alfaro, a junior, will make his first start for the Aggies. He has yet to throw a pass in his career, with the only recorded offensive statistic coming last season on a 1-yard touchdown plunge against North Dakota State.
Did you know? This Saturday won’t be the last time UC Davis faces a team from the Western Athletic Conference.
Next year, the Aggies are contracted to face two WAC schools: Fresno State and Boise State.
Preview: UC Davis saw its streak of 37 consecutive winning seasons end in 2007 with a 5-6 campaign. A year later, the task to begin a new winning streak begins in San Jose.
The Spartans will be hosting the Aggies for the second straight year. In the last meeting, San Jose State overcame an early touchdown deficit to win 34-14.
Save the injuries of Denham and tight end Luke McDonough (out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament), all of UC Davis‘ starters enter the contest with a clean bill of health.
UC Davis has four team captains this season, two of which have been named preseason All-Americans.
Senior defensive tackle John Faletoese, the Preseason Great West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, will anchor the Aggies‘ defensive line. Senior guard Jon Compas, a first-team all-conference pick last year, will lead an offensive line that returns four starters.
Both were named preseason All-Americans by Sports Network and Phil Steele‘s College Football Preview.
The other two captains are senior guard Mario Gonzalez and senior linebacker Tyler Pringle.
–Michael Gehlken
