The 50th Causeway Classic was just that, a classic.

The University of California, Davis and Sacramento State battled deep into the night matching each other stride for stride, hit for hit and backup for backup, trying to prove who was the better football team in a 31-27 Davis triumph.

With six minutes left in the game and UC Davis leading 24-20, backup quarterback Blake Mori marched the Hornets down field on a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive that climaxed on a two-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jason Girley.

Girley?s second touchdown in his Sac State career put the Hornets up 27-24 with only 1:40 remaining in the contest.

“I thought we had the game in hand,” Mori said, who came into the game in the third quarter after starting quarterback Ryan Leadingham was taken to the hospital with a left arm injury. “That?s all you can ask for, just to put our defense in a position to win the game.”

Up against the clock and a Hornet defense looking for its first win in the Causeway since 1999, UC Davis? own backup quarterback Jon Barragan calmly lead the Aggies 76 yards to victory.

Running back Antar Mahasin punched in the final touchdown of the game from the one-yard line to bring his touchdown total to three and give the Aggies the 31-27 win.

“I?m on cloud nine right now,” head coach Bob Biggs said. “We didn?t script it with a backup quarterback and backup running back.”

Sacramento State?s defense was distraught.

“To win championships the defense has to step up,” Corner back Ramon Payne said. “All we had to do was stop them with a limited amount of time and we couldn?t. It?s our fault.”

Video Coverage:

The Hornets take the field – Sac State Football team storms out of the “hive” before the 50th anniversary Causeway Classic

UC Davis Coach Biggs interview – Aggies coach talks about his team’s victory.

Sac State’s Fred Amey interview – The Hornet’s wide receiver talks about his team’s loss