No. 15 UC Davis Aggies open Big Sky Conference play against a team they’ve never beaten

UC Davis has won nearly 500 games since it began playing football in 1915.

The Aggies have celebrated 31 conference championships, defeated a number of upper-division FBS programs and claimed quite a few rivalry rumbles with Sacramento State in the annual Causeway Classic. But the one program UCD has yet to solve in its storied run is Eastern Washington.

EWU is 10-0 all-time against UCD since the series began in 2005, including 5-0 against the Aggies under coach Dan Hawkins, now in his sixth season leading his alma mater. EWU is 4-0 at UCD.

The Aggies (2-1), ranked 15th in the FCS, host the Eagles (1-2) of Cheney on Saturday night in a Big Sky Conference opener, where a streak ender would surely enhance their chances of getting a leg up on the league race.

“We’ve had some close matches (with EWU) but haven’t done it,” Hawkins said Monday during his weekly media conference.

EWU beat UCD in the 2018 FCS playoffs on its red field and advanced to the FCS title game. In the last meeting in 2021, the Eagles prevailed 38-20 to dash the Aggies’ conference championship hopes.

EWU went 4-0 against UCD with quarterback star Eric Barriere leading the charge. The current Eagles leader is redshirt sophomore Keloa Visperas, who has passed for a conference-leading 849 yards. His top receiver leads the Big Sky in receptions with 26 catches for 256 yards.

UCD also has playmakers, including Lan Larison, who has 224 yards rushing and 118 receiving with four touchdowns. He caught a short pass from Miles Hastings last week in UCD’s home opener against Southern Utah and turned it into a 73-yard touchdown in a 23-21 victory. Hunter Ridley made three field goals and Teddye Buchanan and Rex Connors combined for 16 tackles for the Aggies.

Larison is jet quick and versatile, leading Hawkins to say of the Idaho native: “He’s unbelievable. That kid can do it all.”

UCD did not commit a turnover against Southern Utah and is the least penalized team in the Big Sky with just 10 flags for 75 yards. The defense was stellar in an opening 48-10 loss at Texas A&M-Commerce and through the better part of three quarters against Southern Utah. It’ll take that sort of effort to stop the streak.

EWU opened the season with a 35-10 loss to FCS No. 2 North Dakota State. The Eagles then suffered a 34-31 double-overtime loss at Fresno State, which is 3-0, before beating Southeastern Louisiana 40-29. The Eagles are defined by success. They have produced 12 FCS playoff teams since 2004, winning the championship in 2010 and reaching four semifinals since. The program has won six Big Sky crowns since 2010 and 10 since 1992.

Three games in and Hawkins is surprised at how fast it’s gone.

“Shockingly, we’re in Week 4,” he said. “I told the guys that you spend a lifetime getting ready to play football and it seems like you’re practicing forever, and then all of a sudden, the games start ripping by. We still have much work in front of us. It’s a mad dash in this league. It’s a very good league with a lot of good football teams.”