The UC Davis Aggies (2-8 overall, 1-6 Big West) and Sacramento State Hornets (6-5, 3-4) renew their rivalry on Nov. 22 at Aggie Stadium as they face each other for the annual Causeway Classic. The Aggies have won the last four meetings, including last year’s 34-7 win at Hornet Stadium. This will also be the last game of the UC Davis season.
The rivals have faced each other every season since 1954. UC Davis currently holds a winning record against Sacramento State with 43 wins and only 18 losses.
Sacramento State is on a two-game win streak and is looking to close out the season with another win. But the Aggies are coming off a big week in which they snapped a seven-game losing streak with a victory against the Cal Poly Mustangs. Senior running back Gabe Manzanares won the ROOT Sports Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week award rushing for 230 yards against the Mustangs.
Sophomore quarterback Ben Scott has continued to thrive. In his five starts he has thrown for 1,434 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing 62.6 percent of his throws. Scott has continued to show progress in his five starts and has also made junior wide receiver Ramon Vargas his favorable receiver. Vargas has completed 38 receptions from Scott for 626 yards and eight touchdowns in four games. Expect the Scott-Vargas connection to be a major factor against the Hornets.
The Hornets are led by quarterback Garrett Safron who has thrown for 3,202 yards. Along with Safron, running back Jordan Robinson leads the running attack, averaging 72.4 yards per game.
The game will also feature the honoring of 15 UC Davis seniors as they finish their collegiate careers as Aggies.
As always, this should be an exciting matchup. When it comes to rivalry games, anything can happen. Even with the Aggies having suffered through a down season, the Causeway Classic always brings excitement to UC Davis football.
