Neat trick. Group “values” you don’t like and put a label on it explicitly tying those values to a racial group. Then you can stigmatize that group with the prepositioned defense that you were just talking about a bucket of “values”, not the group. A supplementary benefit of this approach is you can throw in things you don’t like like capitalism, punctuality, thinness, seemingly at random so no one really knows what you are talking about, and if they figure it out you can change the values so you remain a step ahead.

If it was an FBS team, like Tulsa, Oregon State, Washington etc, they could bring 70.
Against Cal or Stanford, because they bus, no limit. But against an FCS team 58.

It sounds unfair but no more so than every FCS road game. Bad rule in general, saves a trivial amount of money.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Davis gets to bring 58 players, and Mercer will likely bus and bring as many as they want. Mercer likely will not stay overnight for an afternoon game. If anyone knows different please reply.

Sac Bee writers article, link to Fairfield paper:
What can UC Davis do to build on 2024's incredible success

“This is the best we’ve been on the offensive line,” Plough said

But a theme of the article is the continuity of the Davis program for 50+ years,
“The cool part for me,” Plough said after a recent practice, “is that Coach Sochor used to tell me that he felt like I was the perfect guy to be a bridge to this generation. I have relationships and I have knowledge of what was, and it’s important that I educate players and make them a part of what we do here and to continue the things that we’ve done for a long time.”

Anyone know what the travel roster size is for FCS neutral site games? Is it 57 58 if the team flies or stays over night? FBS neutral site games have roster limits of 70, but apparently FCS doesn’t have a neutral site rule.
I don’t know Mercers travel plans, but according to the somewhat dated travel rules I have read if they bus to the game and don’t stay overnight they could bring the whole squad.

Did you make that trip to Davis last week and see anything worth noting?

I understand the methodology that these ratings are based on last years team, returning starters etc.
It would be different if the FCS teams like Idaho, the Dakotas and Montanas, et al. weren’t pillaged in the offseason. The triple factor of expiration of the covid year which meant large classes of senior starters graduating, player mobility between team, and FBS teams waving NIL money for contributors means many ranked teams are rebuilding and facing most the challenges people doubt Sac can overcome. I don’t think Sac should be number 1 but somewhere in the top 10.

Teams ahead of Sac with new head coaches in the top 15
South Dakota State
South Dakota
Idaho
Only Idaho’s has been a head coach before and that was for Simon Frasier where he won 2 games in 2 years, which was an improvement for them.

Did Plough just get out of the shower, or does he need one?

All very true, but those factors apply to teams ranked above them also.

Take Idaho:
New head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators. Head coaches prior head job was at Simon Frasier where they won 2 games in 2 years. Lost 20+ transfers to the FBS, replaced with 10 who played less significant roles, so your Triple A analogy applies there.

Montana, Idaho, and Davis all return just a couple of starters on defense.
Every team above them has a new QB.
Every team is rebuilding so Sacs roster makeover isn’t the disadvantage one would normally assume.
Sac does have some returning players, and they bring in enough so they aren’t dependent on any one guy not being a nut case.

Sac is grossly underestimated, but can you imagine how their fans and financial backers will react if they do finish fifth in the conference?

Aside from the reporter repeating the error that the Ags play Washington State this year, this is a worthwhile article. Doesn’t mention names aside from David Porotesano (6-foot-3, 280-pounds), Henry Fanua (6’6, 340) and Davis local AJ Hasson (6’3 and 290).

“We have to be physical on both sides of the ball,” Plough said. “I think we are way more physical up front than a year ago.”

https://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/aggies-add-depth-on-both-lines/article_59149052-9c20-4dbc-8bd9-26e2dcef75b2.html

I guess corner is where he played at JC.
But 16 tackles. 12 solo and 3 pass breakups is significant playing for a sophomore transfer, and the pass breakups indicate he played pretty significantly on defense or had a hell of a few plays.

On the roster we have a transfer DB from Liberty University, Marquis Bell. Who played in 12 games at Liberty after one season in JC, where he was rated as a three star JC transfer by 247.com
Pretty good get thats flown under the radar. FBS experienced corner.

You might ask if he feels the overall quality of FCS has declined. I don’t think this years Davis team would have been ranked #7 in last years FCS preview, but almost every team lost more than they gained in transfers, except for Sac (and to a lesser extent Davis).
The need to rebuild goes for almost everyone. Example Idaho, new head coach, new coordinators, lost 20 transfers to FBS, and yet they are top 10 in some polls.

The University of California Davis, accept no substitutes.

He has good balance and is tough for HS to tackle. Caught quite a few passes. Must lack something, probably speed.
We have another San Diego area running back on the roster, freshman Aden Jackson

A new running back on the roster, Mason Walsh had a stellar high school career. 5’9” 190lb, was 2024 graduate who spent a year with the Air Force Academy.. He didn’t get a 247 rating, despite being a high profile player in the San Diego area.

That is Jayden Stanley. You would think they’d identify the players being interviewed.

Sac is playoff eligible still because their waiver to start their transition to FBS.without a conference invite was denied.