Event: Battle for the Golden Horseshoe
Teams: UC Davis vs. Cal Poly
Records: Aggies, 4-4 (1-1); Mustangs, 4-4 (1-1)
Where: Aggie Stadium
When: Saturday at 1 p.m.
Who to watch: Overshadowed by big names like Mike Morales and Pat Michelier, Jacob Maxson has quietly established himself as a mainstay on the UC Davis defensive squad.
The sophomore from Visalia, Calif. leads the Aggies with three sacks and 6.5 tackles for a loss this season. He also has a blocked kick to his credit.
He will look to interrupt a stagnant Mustang passing game while also keeping an eye on the 14th-ranked Cal Poly rushing attack.
Did you know? The all-time series between the Aggies and Mustangs is tied at 16-16-2, with Cal Poly taking the past four contests.
UC Davis may have a chance to get its first series win since 2005. Its 2-1 at home this season while Cal Poly is winless (0-4) on the road in 2009.
Preview: After traveling to Idaho, South Dakota, Oregon and Utah in the month of October, the Aggies are finally back in Northern California for their final three games of the season.
UC Davis will host Cal Poly this weekend before is final home game against North Dakota on Nov. 14. A week later, the Aggies will travel across the Causeway to face off against Sacramento State.
First, the Aggies will tangle with the Mustangs, a team that after being at the top of the Football Championship Subdivision rankings for the past few years has fallen out of the top 25 this week.
UC Davis will be coming off a tough 56-35 loss at the hands of Southern Utah on Halloween. The Thunderbirds lit up the Aggie defense, a squad that seemed to be undergoing a turnaround.
UC Davis’ offense allowed it to stay in the game early, but three Southern Utah touchdowns in the final six minutes of the first half set the tone for the rout.
As a change of pace, the Aggies introduced a Wildcat scheme into their offense last week, with a good amount of success.
Freshman Nick Aprile rushed eight times for 56 yards out of the formation. He had a five-yard scamper for a score and also threw a touchdown to junior tight end Dean Rogers on his only passing attempt.
– Max Rosenblum
