There are some of us out there that can name each of the past five World Series Most Valuable Players, their average during the series and the number of RBI they had during the four- to seven-game stretch.
There are others of us who can recall how many Super Bowls the Buffalo Bills have been to and what their record is in those games (sorry, Bills fans, but you’re 0-5).
Then there are those of us who say, “Who cares?” or “They’re just numbers” or “Why does it matter?”
Well, for that person I have an answer – I care. They aren’t just numbers, and it matters because I say so.
If you don’t believe me, stay tuned as we walk through the affect numbers could have on the UC Davis football team this season.
Thirty-seven: That’s the number of consecutive winning seasons UC Davis‘ football team had from 1970-2006.
Seventy-four: Multiply 37 by two, the place the Aggies finished in the Great West last season, and you get the number of seasons UC Davis played before coach Bob Biggs was hired.
Forty-eight: From 74, subtract 10 (the number of tackles for loss Davis native Pat Michelier had last season), then 16 (the number of rushing touchdowns the Aggies had in 2008) and you get 48, the number of solo tackles for co-captain Mike Morales last year.
Two: Divide 48 by 24, the amount of sacks the UC Davis defense recorded in 2008, and we have two, the number of Aggies to rush for 1,000 career yards by the end of their sophomore seasons (Joe Trombetta last year and Shola Adeyemo in 1987).
Six: Multiply two by three, the number of new coaches to the UC Davis staff this season, and the result is six, the number of times the Aggies have played against Football Bowl Subdivision teams since 2005 (Stanford, TCU, San Jose State twice, Fresno State and the upcoming contest with Boise State).
Eleven: Add six to five, the number of UC Davis quarterbacks to surpass the 3,000-yard passing plateau after Denham did so last season, and you have 11, the number of returners this season who received All-Great West recognition last year.
Twenty: Take that 11 and add nine more because the Aggies return their top nine rushers from last season. Your outcome is 20, the amount of points UC Davis scored to upset Stanford in 2005.
Seven: Subtract 13, the number of Aggies who are on the preseason All-Great West squad this season, and you get seven – the amount of wins UC Davis had at its new Aggie Stadium over the first two years of its existence.
Eighteen: Add 11 for the national rank of the Aggies‘ offense last season and the result is 18, the amount of seasons Biggs will have coached when I graduate from UC Davis in 2011.
Two: Divide 18 by the product of three times three (the number of years the Aggies have been at the Football Championship Subdivision and the fact that they were picked by Phil Steele’s College Football Preview Magazine as the No. 3 most improved team at the FCS level) and the result is two. That’s the number of UC Davis alums currently holding head coaching gigs at the FBS level (Dan Hawkins of Colorado and Chris Petersen of Boise State).
One: Subtract one from two for the catch by Bakari Grant to send Aggie Stadium into complete bedlam after shocking Northern Colorado on Oct. 4, 2008 with three seconds remaining.
So you see, folks, the numbers really do come into the mix here. Make sure to head out to Aggie Stadium for each home game to season if these numbers really do add up by season’s end.
MAX ROSENBLUM can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
