45.5 F
Davis

Davis, California

Friday, March 29, 2024

Football Preview

Teams: UC Davis at North Dakota

Records: Aggies, 3-5 (1-1); Fighting Sioux, 3-5 (0-2)

Where: Alerus Center – Grand Forks, N.D.

When: Saturday at 10 a.m.

Who to watch: Senior linebacker Dozie Amajoyi always expects more out of himself.

“My goal is to never lose a game,” Amajoyi said. “That’s the way you have to approach it. You have to expect more. You have to do everything it takes to make the tackle or break up the pass.”

The team captain out of San Bernardino, Calif. finished last season with 50 tackles and currently leads the Aggies with 69 already this year.

Amajoyi also has two interceptions and fumble recoveries on the season.

Did you know? When UC Davis matched up against North Dakota at home last season, the Aggies posted 378 total yards on offense and came out with the 28-20 victory.

Preview: “It’s always a goal to have a winning season,” said coach Bob Biggs.

If the Aggies knock down the Fighting Sioux this Saturday, they will be one step closer to that goal.

In order for UC Davis to top North Dakota it needs to make plays.

They’ve seen opportunities to do so, but Biggs says it’s been inconsistent on both sides of the ball.

“We have to execute,” Biggs said. “[Against Southern Utah], we had a chance for an interception, we had a chance to take the first drive down and score, and we had a chance to get Sean Creadick into the end zone. But there comes a point when the players have to make plays.”

After the loss on Saturday to Great West Conference leader Southern Utah, UC Davis was mathematically eliminated from its second straight conference title.

The Aggies have their backs to the wall and are playing for pride.

“In football, a win is a benefit, and a loss is a benefit,” Amajoyi said. “Either way, you learn something about your team.

“A season takes every single game, so every single week we learn something about ourselves. [Last] week was just humbling because we played like that. It brings back the motivation to keep working hard. We still have games left on the season, so we’re still going to approach them with the right attitude.”

Biggs agreed, saying that a competitive upcoming schedule will test everything the Aggies have.

“This is when you get really challenged,” he said. “It is going to be a test for us. We have three very difficult games, beginning with North Dakota, and it’s a test of your competitiveness as a person and as a teammate.”

For the rest of the campaign, a victory on the road this week is crucial for UC Davis.

“Getting a win right now is very pivotal for us for the two games following that,” Amajoyi said. “These are the types of games we need to win.”

– Grace Sprague

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