Confidence is high for Sac State as they head into this Saturday?s game with UC Davis. The Hornets are coming off their first Big Sky Conference road win since 1998 and would like nothing better than a repeat of last season?s 48-27 victory over the Aggies.

That game, played before a record crowd of 20,993 at Fred Anderson Field, marked the Aggies? only defeat last year. However, this year the undefeated Aggies appear to be better and clicking on all cylinders. The closest that the Aggies have come to losing has been a 59-28 victory over Western Oregon.

“We would like to prove that we?re a better team than we showed last year,” Aggies quarterback J.T. O?Sullivan said. “We?re going to play as good of football as we can.” But despite what the 7-0 Aggies have been able to do this season, which is their 31st consecutive campaign with a winning record, Sac State (5-3, 3-3) head coach John Volek still believes that his defense can slow them down.

“We can?t focus on either the run or the pass. It is probably the best offense ever to play at UC Davis,” Volek said of the team that leads the nation with over 50 points per game. “But we are not going to change our defense. We are going to play Hornet defense.”

Hornets? offensive lineman, junior Terence Wagner, thinks that the defense can handle the Aggies? powerful offense.

“Our defense has been playing good. In the games that we?ve lost, the defense has done a good job, the offense has been the problem,” Wagner said. “We need to keep it close. That?s all you can ask.”

Hornets? senior quarterback Ricky Ray is counting on a Causeway Classic shootout, and therefore knows that he and his teammates must put some points on the board.

“They score a lot. Their offense is awesome,” Ray said. “Offensively, we?re going to have to pick it up. We have to score more than we have been scoring. We need to keep scoring (on Saturday).”

Ray, who is in his second and final year at Sac State, would like nothing better than to post a 2-0 record versus the Aggies.

“Beating them twice would be a good thing to look back on,” Ray said. “Last year was probably the best game we played as a team.”

It seems fair to say that UC Davis is not the same team that Sac State beat by three touchdowns last year. They currently lead all Division II teams with 559.4 yards per game, and quarterback J.T. O?Sullivan?s quarterback rating is a lot higher than any other signal caller in the country, spanning all divisions.

“This is a big game for us. This is the biggest game as far as crowd and interest that we play,” UC Davis coach Bob Biggs said. “We feel that Sac State is one of the best teams on our schedule, if not the best.”

Biggs? star running back Matt Brown also thinks that the Aggies will not face a stronger team than Sac State.

“Sac State is probably the best team on our schedule,” Brown said. “But, we?re pretty well rounded. The offensive line has been opening up holes and giving J.T. time to throw.

Volek does not think that the fact that the Aggies are undefeated and have been demolishing opponents, puts any added pressure on his team.

“They are probably the number one offense if they have got everything going,” Volek said. “But having the carriage here (from last year?s win) is all the pressure you need. The pride factor of keeping the carriage at Sac State.”

The team?s two common opponents this year are Saint Mary?s and Cal Poly, who Sac State defeated 24-21 in its season opener. UC Davis trounced the Gaels 55-14 on Sept. 30. Also, Cal Poly was trounced by both teams, most recently by the Aggies on Saturday, 63-28.

“It gets your attention,” Volek said about the 63 points put up by UC Davis. “I?ve been watching them on film, and following what they?ve done. Coach Biggs has done a big job with them. I can?t believe they?re not number one in the nation.”

Currently, UC Davis is ranked number three in Division II.

All the stats and records aside, the great thing about the Causeway Classic is that it is a huge game every year no matter what. There is no question that both schools will be up for it.

“It doesn?t really matter what the records are,” Sac State senior receiver Lamont Webb said. “We could be 7-0 and they could be 0-7. We?re going to come out and play hard.” “It is a really big game, with rival schools,” Ray said. “We?re Division I and they?re Division II, and they have a great program over there.”

Biggs also has respect for the team across the causeway.