I get funny looks when I yell "Go Ags" and "Defense". I figure its Davis.

Good points. I'm guessing the noon kickoff is for Roots TV. Marketing.

That's really dumb - changing game starts for ESPN scheduling I can understand. For the tens of people watching ROOT Sports? I don't think so.

Hawkins interview
https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.herosports.com/amp/fcs/football-uc-davis-dan-hawkins-eastern-washington-ajaj

I agree. Students are very quirky. For the past 4-6 years our football team’s games were not a significant attraction or source of pride for any of our present students. So to ask them to suddenly becomes ardent fans is unreasonable. This will take a few years to happen, but I am very optimistic that it will happen. The sudden uptick in much more athletic players is also very interesting. Good job by Hawk. Maybe Chancellor May a factor? He seems way more attuned to Aggie athletics than anyone since Emil Mrak. Yes folks, I am old enough to remember him actually sitting with the players on the bench at the Tomb. They loved him! We were not good then, but 1 year later we started making history with a man named Sochor. I believe someone once said that “history repeats itself.” Let’s hope so.

I really don’t want to offend anyone with this post.

Right now, most prospective students that may come to Davis know it for its academics. They really don’t even know there is a sports presence here all that much (my assumption-backed by lack of attendance at football games).

I venture to think that most prospective students to the Univeristy of Alabama know the school based on its athletics. Although I do think they have a few Rhode scholars so I’m not knocking the school on their academics at all. I just feel that they are predominantly known for their athletics than their academics.

When students start coming here based on a multitude factors that include athletics ( i.e. a large factor is also athletics aside from academics), then I feel there will be a turning point in attendance for our athletic teams.

@zythe I don't think the post is offensive at all - it's very accurate. I remember talking to other students about the game I'd just played in, and they sincerely would ask the question "we have a football team?" And that was during the DII run of success. We're talking about a big paradigm shift.

I think one or more early season games but after the students move in should be at night. Get the dorm kids to come as groups before they figure out what else they can do on weekends
Playing games near noon on Saturday is not festive. Games are a better college experience at party time, not as lazy summer afternoon. After it cools off in the fall schedule afternoon games

I don’t think we have a choice about ROOTS start times. Part of the Big Sky package. They assign the kickoff times

Is it worth the trade off? Does Roots reach that many people?

ask the Big Sky commissioner. probably big up in Big Sky country. its the same reason the Idaho game was played at 4:00 in September.

Here's what I see EWU doing this Saturday. A less experienced QB who can run, and 2 good RB's in their arsenal.
I see them running on the Ags, almost exclusively. Unless the Ags can stop their running game, they will not throw. The Ags need to get a few stops, and score on each drive to get them to change. Otherwise they will not throw. Their QB likes to throw short if he does throw. So, Davis will need to play a tight close game, unless they can show he is able to throw a deeper ball.

I don’t see why they would change much from his last couple of games in which they had him throw about 40 times each.
We’re not showing that we are incapable of stopping the run, by today’s standards. We’re 4th best in the Big Sky in rushing defense yards allowed and 3rd best yards per carry. Sure that’s still giving up four yards each but I don’t think they’ll see that as the primary way to attack us,

we have a +12 in turnovers this year, both a credit to the defense for takeaways and the offense for holding onto the ball. have to keep that going this week. i can see them playing it a bit more conservative to limit the risk of turnovers.

here is an article in Yahoo Sports that is quite a difference in our past Novembers

FCS Game of the Week

Any updates on Ulonzo?

Good question. One of the distinctive features of being a Davis fan is that information is scarce.

*one of the distinctive features of being an FCS fan is information is scarce***. haha

***Unless you belong to the MVFC or reside in Montana or the Dakotas.

Hero sports had an article that referred to what I mentioned earlier - if UCD loses and Weber wins out, UCD could easily be left out with no seed and playing thanksgiving weekend. Would suck, but a potential reality (not saying a for sure, but something that has to be considered). Win removes any of this talk. A loss and Aggie fans become big Idaho St fans. (other results could certainly help like Southland being a complete disaster).

I've broken this game down to some degree in an earlier post but I agree that EWU is not going to change it identity because they are playing UCD. They've already adapted their offense as much as they are going to for EB. FWIW, the run pass ratio with Gubrud was 51% run/49% pass. With EB it's been 50%. Yeah lots of blowouts in there but i think the changes twofold:
1. More RPO/Wildcat that would allow EB to carry use his legs a bit more
2. Generally short passes - slow it down for him, make it easy. But still work at a fast pace.

UCD has to keep them off schedule (thanks master of the obvious!). Force this kid to have to make plays more than a swing pass, quick screen etc. Force him to read his progressions and make plays down the field. You do that and he will make mistakes.

Hawk would just smile and refer to the numerous “biggest game in the history of Earth” lead-ins he’s had. He mentioned this at the post game press conference at Montana.

I do think EWU is better with Gubrud, but the replacement is a better runner so needs to be defended a bit differently. Hawk said one of their backs for injured in this weeks press conference. I have to wonder if the Aggies get a bit more excited to play on the road with noisier crowds. The Davis crowds are quite frankly anemic. A pity they don’t have better attendance - especially from students. It just never has been a culture their. Too busy studying in Shields or whatever.

Anyway, with this team and it’s coaching staff and with the experience at Montana, I feel pretty good about the game this Saturday on the road.

CK2- I agree. If their QB cannot make his progressions after being forced to pass he will either make a bad throwing decision or he will just run to avoid making a mistake.

you need to try
“Remove it from their bodies” or “find a hole and exploit it”.

Wait, getting to the QB is a solid recipe for winning? Get right out of town!

The biggest game thing is not something Hawk wants his team worrying about (rightfully so..)but for us fans, it really is fun to be having these conversations. I love reading the banter on the game from everyone, really cool. The reality is no matter how much they try to downplay it this is the biggest game in the programs since the days of the D2 playoffs. (conference title, playoff seeding, home game in the playoffs, a bye, #2 seed... all sorts of things......) And that's okay to say (for us fans) - its exciting, it means the program is progressing and taking steps forward. Each of these next few games will take on some sort of new significance for the program. Pretty cool stuff. I know I'll be up at the Causeway next week with quite a few alums, many of whom played on some of the 98-01 teams. I cant wait.

In other (way more important news): my wife told me we have a kids bday party across the street to attend at 230 (with my two young sons). I told her I'll be there around 4! ;)

Here's the hero sports piece: https://herosports.com/fcs/football-ewu-uc-davis-playoff-seed-bzbz

Can I just say how much I love that this forum is booming again. Activity dwindled down to next to nothing during the Ron Gould era.

It amazing how far Hawkins has taken this program in just his second year. If that doesn't get him FCS Coach of the Year I don't know what will. The team and the forum has a pulse again!

As many of you on the forum can tell I'm a big Aggie basketball fan too. I'm loving all the well-deserved excitement around the football team and, even though we laid a rotten egg in the opener last night, if you get the time, show some love for the men's and women's basketball teams and post up your thoughts as well. I'm not trying to dampen the football party...just trying to pump up some basketball interest as well...

I'll try to catch some games this season, but I'm on the east coast so night weekday games are tough for me.

The only thing missing ... Aggie6thman!

FWIW, in the DII days Toomey rocked in the playoffs and for Sac... home side and end zones FULL... great buzz.

The only thing missing ... Aggie6thman!

Yep, agreed. He moved out of the area but is still lurking!

Interview, Coach Best

https://www.pscp.tv/w/brOnFnR3LTI2MDk5MjY5NnwxUGxKUXlXb3BRTkpFQe-CGP0UvN0qQ2dquMarXGEAfxanQmBlKHLVWBhrZBY=

I miss 6th on the forum.