It is now week 2, and the Huskies look to go 2-0 in another late home game against the Big Sky’s UC Davis! This week, I reached out to the Sacramento Bee’s Joe Davidson to get the lowdown on the Aggie football program!
MS: At the helm of the Aggie program is former quarterback Tim Plough, now in year 2. In year 1, Plough led the Aggies to an 11-2 record, losing in the playoffs to South Dakota. What is the ceiling for this team and what do you make of the job that Plough has done so far?
JD: Tim Plough
has the “it” factor anyone would want in leading a football program. No ego, yet demanding of his players. He’s deeply proud of his UC Davis playing days, and meeting his future wife on campus, Christine. Plough is big on a family feel and vibe at UCD, something he says wasn’t always the case at previous coaching stops. He isn’t a control freak, allowing his coaches to coach, and he is big on positive reinforcement, meaning Plough will never be confused for a ranting Mike Ditka or Woody Hayes from back in the day when water was for the weak and grabbing players by the facemask was the norm. Plough isn’t looking to bounce around jobs. He’d like to stick around long term with UCD, which is a major boost for the program. UCD doesn’t have NIL money, selling its program on the college experience, a great education, and making memories for a lifetime. I find all of that refreshing.
MS: Offensively, new coordinator Paul Shelton has plenty of weapons to work with, including quarterback Caden Pinnick, who passed for 253 yards in their 31-24 win over Utah Tech.
Other weapons include running back Jordan Fisher (who had over 100 rushing yards) and receiver Samuel Gbatu Jr (who hauled in 2 touchdowns). Who are the other key players on offense and what does the scheme look like for Shelton’s unit?
JD: I saw Caden Pinnick compete in high school, near Sacramento, and he had star material written all over him even then, and it continues. What a terrific building block to start with, and Pinnick engineered the rally with 3 touchdown passes after trailing at Utah Tech 24-7.
The other key players to keep an eye on include tight ends Winston Williams and Ian Simpson, and shoot, we appreciate linemen. UCD’s entire offensive line returned from last season. It always starts there.
MS: Defensively, Matt Coombs’ unit is led by Rex Connors and Porter Connors. What do you like about the defense, who are the other weapons, and what does the scheme look like?
JD: No doubt, UCD coaches have sent thank you notes to the parents of Rex Connors for having such terrific football players and leaders. Rex’s twin brother, Porter, has had some monstrous tackling games at linebacker.
With anchors like that, and with a stout defensive line, the idea is to attack.
MS: UC Davis is coming off a year where they went pretty far in the FCS playoffs, and were one of the premier teams in the Big Sky. They were picked by the media and coaches to finish 3rd and 2nd in the conference respectively. What do you think the Aggies final record will be and where do you see them ending up at the end of the year?
JD: UCD could have its finest team in its FCS Division I era, which started in 2005. There is more depth, more speed, more skill than before. UCD isn’t trying to prove that it’s an FBS program but rather that it is a top-tier FCS program. UCD dominated at the Division II ranks, once producing 37 consecutive winning seasons, ending in 1992 under coaches such as Jim Sochor and Bob Biggs.
I can see UCD again competing with Montana State for the Big Sky Conference championship, as good of a conference as there is in the FCS. I see UCD winning 9 regular-season games (it should be 10 if the opening game against Mercer wasn’t declared a no-contest due to weather), and then winning at least 2 playoff games.
MS: It’s time for a score prediction! What do you think the score will be for this late night tilt in Seattle?
JD: Well, considering that Washington is a 35-point favorite and is steeped in tradition as one of the power programs in the FBS over the decades, it’s a tall order for UCD, to put it mildly. UCD will compete, because the Aggies always do, and it was 20 years ago this month that UCD stunned Stanford on the road.
Washington is too deep to stumble here. Huskies 45-17.
Thank you Joe, and good luck to the Aggies the rest of the way!
