Nov. 20: The 57th Causeway Classic football game – UC Davis 17, Sacramento State 16
Aggie Band-Uh! and a few faithful fans hunkered down, wearing ponchos to fight off the roughest Davis storm in recent memory.
The two teams traded leads until the fourth quarter, when the Hornets muffed a punt and Aggie Stephen Dunstan recovered it on the Sacramento State 10-yard line.
Trailing by two, the Aggies advanced the ball to the Sacramento State four, and kicker Sean Kelley knocked down a field goal with six minutes left to secure the Aggies a 17-16 win.
The victory gave the Aggies bragging rights for the year, and to some, the storm was a plus.
“Mother Nature was toying with us, but it brought our focus back,” said senior tight end Dean Rogers. “All we had was each other, the [Aggie Band-Uh!], who was there through thick and thin, and a few undying fans. The rain was a factor, but we just had to fight to the end.”
Jan. 29: Double-overtime men’s basketball win – UC Davis 108, UC Irvine 107
Five seconds remained in the second overtime, and UC Irvine hit a jumper for a 107-106 lead.
With nearly deflated hopes, junior Eddie Miller inbounded the ball with a full-court pass to senior Mark Payne, who hit a game-winning layup right before the buzzer.
Nobody saw it coming. Not even Payne, himself.
“Your heart sinks, and you look up at the clock and something’s got to happen,” he said. “I thought it was over – I didn’t think there was that much time.”
For coach Gary Stewart, those last five seconds were in slow motion before the 108-107 final.
“It became the slowest play of the game,” said coach Gary Stewart [cq]. “I could see the clock, and I could see Mark. Thinking about it now, you’re saying, ‘Double-overtime – does he have the legs to get there and does he have the ability to finish before the horn sounds?’
“He made a great play.”
GRACE SPRAGUE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org
