Teams: UC Davis vs. Iona
Records: Aggies, 3-4; Gaels, 3-3
Where: Aggie Stadium
When: Saturday at 6 p.m.
Who to watch: Joe Trombetta and Brandon Tucker both sustained knee injuries last week and have been ruled out for Saturday‘s game.
“There isn’t [a timetable],” head coach Bob Biggs said of their return. “It really depends on their rehab. Brandon ran around [Tuesday] at practice. Joe’s going to take a little more time to be ready.“
Enter Corbin Cutshaw.
The redshirt freshman will share the backfield with Davis High graduate Josh Reese but could see the bulk of the carries if he runs as well as he did last week.
A former prep football and baseball star at Santa Fe Christian High, Cutshaw had 12 carries for 75 yards in a 49-26 victory over Southern Utah.
Did you know? UC Davis has been controlling the clock at will this season, holding the ball for an average of 34:52 per game, good for second in the country.
Preview: One week after winning its Great West Conference opener, UC Davis will take a break from league play to host Iona.
This will be the only time all year that the Gaels play away from the East Coast. Their two road games so far have come in New York and Pennsylvania with a combined attendance figure of 2,716.
UC Davis figures to provide a better home showing on Saturday. The team has won four straight at Aggie Stadium dating back to last year, averaging 42.5 points of offense over that span. Last week, it put up a season-best 49 on the scoreboard in front of a 10,849-person sellout crowd.
Junior quarterback Nick Rossetti leads Iona in the air and on the ground with 959 passing yards and 217 rushing yards.
The Gaels‘ roster carries only two players from California: Todd Dilando (Agoura Hills) and freshman offensive lineman Declan Escobar (Coto de Caza). Escobar and Aggies freshman linebacker Kirk Skierski were teammates at Santa Margarita High.
Iona, located in New Rochelle, NY, plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
MICHAEL GEHLKEN can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com.
