On the subject of coaches familiar with both Biggs, Plough and Gould, Kevin Daft is now the tight end coach at Dartmouth, no longer the offensive coordinator.
Here is how Dartmouth summarizes the Daft/Gould offense in the final year ( 3-8 record)
In his final season, the Aggies averaged over 28 points and nearly 400 total yards — of which 238 came through the air. UC Davis also ranked 14th among FCS schools in fewest interceptions thrown (7) and 10th in fewest turnovers lost (13) under his guidance in 2016.

The gould's are failure-uppers and I'll die on that hill

Gould era was painful - though it did have its moments. Never saw the run game more punishing than under Gould...just seemed to lack a complete, cohesive game plan week-to-week. If we didn't run for 250, we'd lose - that's how I saw the Gould era.

Predictable. High school coaches in the stands were calling out the plays in advance. Thank you, Terry Tumey.

Gould’s tenure coincided with the beginning of an impressive string of running backs. If this years running backs live up to the average of the last ten years they’ll be fine,
I noticed Larison saying in one of his interviews that our run game was not as dominant last year as the year before. That might be play calling as much as personnel, teams are better at what they believe in and commit to.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.si.com/college/fcs/big-sky/2025-uc-davis-aggies-football-preview-fcs&ved=2ahUKEwjb6LPHvKKOAxVpD0QIHfGSEDMQvOMEKAB6BAgUEAE&usg=AOvVaw3mBtl8LS6MnWMyUgs_SLJE

Plough was given a stacked roster last year, he has to develop his young guns and WRs. I'm hopeful.

Couple of podcasts by Colter Nuanez and regional sportswriter sidekick about the upcoming Big Sky season. Colter is pretty in the know about big sky - much better than the YouTube interlopers. He is a fan of coach Plough. You’ll have to scroll through some other stuff.

Also available on Apple Podcasts. Show is “Nuanez Now”.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3LTn4cMzXAVR2tuGrbs2ci?si=YyXLVRCARsSnhwdZSRaayA&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A4wBXFpIW0vjyBPuB2hapgm

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4BrPu4vT2E6TnfNNGo2XYJ?si=mpqXU-wkRJ6i48tnl-2loA&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A4wBXFpIW0vjyBPuB2hapgm

Colter overweights the impact of Sac State not being FBS. A good chunk of the transfers and all the 2025 HS recruits signed before April, which is when Sac first announce they intended to go FBS without an invite. A good chuck of the transfers would never have played an FBS schedule nor visit an FBS opponent other than Nevada they visit this year. No reason for those players to be disheartened, they at least have a shot at playoffs.
Projecting that Sac loses at SDSU overlooks that SDSU lost over twenty FBS transfers, so they have their own challenges with integrating newcomers. Same is true for Nevada.

Sam Gbatu sighting: https://herosports.com/fcs-football-top-returning-2025-wide-receivers-bzbz/

Pretty good press for Gbatu

Just bought airline tickets to Atlanta for Mercer game. Looks to be about a 2 hour drive to Montgomery from the airport. Was initially thinking of driving with travel trailer (Cramton Bowl has hookups) but too much time involved even from east coast. Aggie side is western stands so late sun will be on opponents side. Tickets are cheap ($23 for GA) Even thought of “ESPN zone “ for $103 which gives you AC, some food (no host bar) and a general admission seat if you want to slum in the real stands for a while. Probably will go cheap route.

I hadn’t noticed Rutchena had such an outstanding start to his Cal career. Played wide receiver and safety in HS. Didn’t have a redshirt year but greyshirted, meaning he didn’t practice, then when he got to play linebacker for the first time this is how he finished his freshman year after becoming a starter..

– at Arizona - 8 tackles, 1 interception (0-yard return), 1 quarterback hurry
– at Stanford - 11 tackles ... career-high-tackles
– at UCLA - 9 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss (-6 yards), 1 pass breakup

Then he became a seldom used player, finally switching to tight end last year. Cal kept bringing in transfer linebackers.
I think Rutchena will be an impact player for Davis

Hero sports is out with it’s UC Davis preview. Also Idaho who they rank just ahead of #11 Davis
https://herosports.com/fcs-2025-uc-davis-football-preview-bzbz/

Lots they get right, but they project Perez will be #1 running back, whereas it is pretty clear from Plough’s comments that Fisher and Vargas will be the top backs. He said Fisher and Vargas had separated themselves, leading to Perez playing some at wide receiver.

The comparison with Idaho is striking. Davis has nine players who were All Conference in an FCS conference last year, Idaho has 2. Davis lost 2 transfers to the FBS, Idaho lost 20.

Because college football just isn't fun if you can't predict the hell out of it. Why even play the games ? Just ask ChatGPT who will win the Big Sky Conference and save a lot of money.

Driving through Atlanta is pure hell and would be worse with a trailer. With the roads still damaged in the NC mountains, it eliminates going through Knoxville and Chattanooga then heading south. I did that drive once after picking my daughter up from soccer ODP camp south of Tuscaloosa. It's a longer drive but eliminated ATL.

You guys are going to have a great year!

Aug 23 @ Mercer (FCS Kickoff Classic, Montgomery, AL)
Result: W 28–21

Passing: QB Aidan Williams – 22/35, 260 yds, 2 TD

Rushing: RB Ethan Cole – 18 carries, 100 yds, 1 TD

Receiving: WR Will Davis – 6 rec, 85 yds, 1 TD

Aug 30 @ Utah Tech
Result: W 35–17

Passing: Williams – 24/32, 275 yds, 3 TD

Rushing: Cole – 20 carries, 120 yds, 2 TD

Receiving: Davis – 7 rec, 95 yds

Sep 6 @ Washington (FBS)
Result: L 17–42

Passing: Williams – 20/40, 245 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT

Rushing: Cole – 15 carries, 60 yds

Receiving: Davis – 5 rec, 75 yds

Big Sky Conference Games
Sep 20 vs Southern Utah
Result: W 31–14

Passing: Williams – 21/30, 255 yds, 2 TD

Rushing: Cole – 22 carries, 115 yds, 1 TD

Receiving: Davis – 8 rec, 110 yds

Sep 27 vs Weber State
Result: W 27–24

Passing: Williams – 23/36, 280 yds, 2 TD

Rushing: Cole – 16/85 yds, 1 TD

Receiving: WR C.J. Hutton – 6 rec, 95 yds

Oct 4 @ Cal Poly
Result: W 34–20

Passing: Williams – 20/28, 240 yds, 2 TD

Rushing: Cole – 18/105 yds

Receiving: Davis – 5 rec, 80 yds

Oct 11 vs Northern Arizona
Result: W 30–17

Passing: Williams – 25/33, 300 yds, 3 TD

Rushing: Cole – 15/90 yds, 1 TD

Receiving: Hutton – 7 rec, 110 yds, 1 TD

Oct 25 @ Northern Colorado
Result: W 38–21

Passing: Williams – 24/32, 290 yds, 3 TD

Rushing: Cole – 20/120 yds, 2 TD

Receiving: Davis – 6 rec, 100 yds, 1 TD

Nov 1 vs Idaho State
Result: W 42–14

Passing: Williams – 22/30, 280 yds, 4 TD

Rushing: Cole – 18/110 yds, 1 TD

Receiving: WR Marcus Reed – 5 rec, 80 yds, 2 TD

Nov 8 @ Idaho
Result: L 28–31 (OT)

Passing: Williams – 28/40, 320 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT

Rushing: Cole – 17/95 yds, 1 TD

Receiving: Hutton – 8 rec, 125 yds, 1 TD

Nov 15 @ Montana State
Result: L 21–35

Passing: Williams – 25/37, 310 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT

Rushing: Cole – 15/80 yds

Receiving: Davis – 7 rec, 90 yds

Nov 22 vs Sacramento State (Causeway Classic)
Result: W 31–28

Passing: Williams – 23/34, 285 yds, 2 TD

Rushing: Cole – 20/110 yds, 1 TD

Receiving: Hutton – 7 rec, 105 yds, 1 TD

Well done ! If ChatGPT came up with that, it's as good as any predictions any publication or message board poster would come up with it-even if it involves players who aren't on the team.

There you go, folks. Aidan Williams, C.J. Hutton, Will Davis, Marcus Reed, and Ethan Cole will lead the Aggies to an 9-3 record. No reason to go to the UW, ID, or MSU games unless you're a glutton for punishment. Those games are on the road, so enjoy your season tickets ! :joke:

Kadeeszy is a total fraud. He should be ashamed to do this stuff. Ban him!

I hope you're joking about that. Kadeezy didn't do anything wrong. He's been respectful in his time here.

I was joking about using ChatGPT (an artificial intelligence application for your smartphone) to predict who would win the Big Sky Conference instead of actually playing the games. Looks like he went ahead and asked ChatGPT how well it thought the Aggies would do in the upcoming season. It was fun to see what AI thought would happen.

I've been told that the free version of ChatGPT hasn't been updated in a few years so it may have thought C.J. Hutton was still on the roster.

I guess Chat GPT picked up on the fact we don't have officially listed #1's at QB/RB/WR.....kinda funny. 9-3 could happen though!

I like how it completely made up players. There are so many on the roster In any season I had to verify they didn't exist. I wonder if it didn't just randomly generate names based on baby naming trends, kind of sarcastically picking up on the "-Ayden or rhymes with it" trend ? Ethan seems like a popular name these days too. Never mind the cousin-marrying, attempted suicide by sled stigma of "Ethan Frome". People don't read books anymore.

North Dakota has a player named Ethan Cole, but he's a defensive lineman. There's an Aidan Williams playing for Washburn University (Division II-Topeka, KS). I bet he'll be thrilled to be a 6'5, 285 lb Division I quarterback. There are two Aidans (spelled exactly the same) on the roster. Such fun for younger Gen X and older millenials to haven given their kids "-ayden" names. Washburn teams are known as the "Ichabods".

What are the issues driving through Atlanta, traffic, humidity, and 'homeless'??

in Atlanta it is always rush hour and always under construction.

Most times of the day there are 8 lanes in each direction with bumper to bumper traffic. I lived in NY for a while and Atlanta traffic makes NYC seem almost rural.

Rex Connors ranked #3 on this list: https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2025/7/14/24441967/fcs-2025-preview-aj-pena-rhode-island-rams-andrew-zock-mercer-bears-ckelby-givens-southern-jaguars

It will be interesting to see who among the DBs plays and where they fit them in. Questions to be resolved: Is Baston or Riddick going to be the field safety? Allen was also listed as a Safety last year, but also played a position UTEP called Spur, which some have described that as a slot corner, will he play corner, or is he the nickle? Who else plays corner?
Anyone notice that 247 Sports rated Blake Cotton as a 4 star transfer? On one of the Montana podcasts last fall they had a frequent guest who at one time was Montana State's cornerback coach. He thought highly of our corners last year.

I like the kid from Tufts at corner too. The smaller school xfers usually have a lil extra something to prove, which can bode well. Will be interesting to see how the DBs shake out.

I ‘m rooting for Richarson also for a couple of reasons. One, he is an achiever, graduating from Tufts with a science degree in two years, and two, Tufts is not a high profile D3 team, and he only played 14 games in college and you really have to standout to become an All American as a sophomore.