In the 51st annual Causeway Classic, the Sacramento State defense allowed over 50 points for the second time in three games.

Quarterback John Grant and the UC Davis offense stuck it to the Hornet defense posting 58 points at Toomey Field in Sac State’s second loss of the season.

“I didn’t know if anybody was going to stop anybody today,” Hornets’ head coach Steve Mooshagian said.

Last week against Davis’ Great West conference foe Southern Utah, Sac State allowed only 86 net rushing yards. This week the Hornets gave up 180 total rushing yards to Davis with running backs O.J. Swanigan (79) and Nelson Doris (77) leading the way for the Aggies.

In addition to shutting down the Thunderbirds rushing a week ago, Sac State’s defensive front, led by junior offensive tackle Jacob Houston’s three sacks, pressured Southern Utah quarterback Casey Rehrer consistently and sacked him total of six times.

This week the Hornets weren’t as fortunate.

Grant completed 18 passes for 246 yards in three quarters of work Saturday evening en route to a 58-23 victory. Late in the game sophomore second-string quarterback Matthew Engle came in to throw six completions in six attempts for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Davis controlled the ball all game long. Grant led the Aggies to earn 29 first downs, while Sac State could only muster 19. In addition, the Aggies converted 5 of 8 third down attempts, while Sac State went 4 for 12.

The Aggies defense did successfully stop the Hornets time after time, intercepting a pass on Sac State’s first possession and completely shutting them out in the final 31:40.

Despite the final score, the first half was close. Sac State led 9-7 going into the second quarter, and only trailed by a touchdown, 30-27 points at half time after the Aggies returned a kickoff 98 yards to the Hornet two-yard line and subsequently punched it in with 20 seconds remaining in the first half.

Davis went on to leave the Sac State in the dust scoring four touchdowns compared with Sac State’s goose egg in the second half.

Senior wide receiver Fred Amey left the game in the third quarter with what Mooshagian called a bruised quadricept. He still led the Hornets with 85 receiving yards on five catches and a touchdown.

“(UC Davis) played better than us in the second half … my hat goes off to them, they have so much consistency and so much depth,” Mooshagian said.