Last Year: Davis 43, Sac State 0

The UC Davis Aggies came into Hornet Stadium last season and trampled the Hornets 43-0. The Hornets had seven turnovers on the night, while the Aggies tallied 563 yards of total offense.

“We can’t turn the ball over that much and expect to win the football game,” Hornet coach John Volek said after the game. “We put entirely too much pressure on the defense.”

Matt Massari ran for 119 yards, while J.T. O’Sullivan threw for 253 to lead the Aggie’s Offense. Kendall Riley led the Hornets with 91 rushing yards, while Fred Amey picked up 83 yards receiving.

The Hornets have not won the Causeway Classic since 1999, and Davis holds the all-time series lead 33-16.Top Quotes”We’re tired of Davis saying we don’t think (the Causeway Classic) is important. We’re tired of them putting words in our mouths.” — Hornet coach John Volek

“You can feel the emotion and tension around when it’s Davis week.” — Hornet sophomore reciever, Fred Amey

“This will be my first Davis game, and we’re going to put last week behind us and get ready for this week.” — Hornet freshman running back, Tyronne Gross

“It’s Davis. That’s all you’ve got to say around here. If you’re not pumped up for Davis you should not be playing football. Davis is a great team to get on the winning track with.” — Hornet sophomore quarterback, Ryan Leadingham

Sacramento State PreviewSacramento State comes into the game somewhat banged up, with starting running back Garrett White having suffered a rib injury last week, and cornerback Brandon Coleman still recovering from a wrist injury.

Reciever Fred Amey has caught for over 130 yards in the last two games, and has at least one touchdown in the last three.

After rushing for 263 yards against Cal Poly, the Hornets gained only 124 yards on the ground last week.

The Hornets picked up over 300 yards through the air for the first time last week, so a repeat of last years shutout seams unlikely.

On defense, Sac State is led by defensive tackle Bilal Watkins, a 287-pound run stopper, as well as linebacker Ryan Kroeker and safety Camron Mbewa, two of the hardest hitters in the Big Sky Conference.

The Hornets, who turned the ball over seven times in last year’s Causeway Classic, turned the ball over four times last week. The Aggies turned the ball over four times in their only loss to Grand Valley State, and allowed 249 yards passing last week to Western Oregon.

If the Hornets want to put points on the board, they will have to capitalize on turnovers and attack the Davis cornerbacks.

If the Hornets can amass over 160 yards on the ground, they should come out victorious.

As far as stopping one of the best Div. II offenses around, the Hornets will need to hit UC Davis like they’ve never been hit before.Hornet Keys to the Game

1. Ball security

2. Take last year’s 43-0 loss personally

3. Hit, hit, and hit

UC Davis PreviewThe UC Davis Aggies come into the Causeway classic riding the crest of a three-game winning streak. Since their loss to the top-ranked Grand Valley State Lakers in the first game of the season, the Aggies have rebounded in astounding fashion, scoring 133 points over their last three contests.

UC Davis, the No.10 ranked team in Division II, is led by junior quarterback Ryan Flanigan. The former Rio Americano High School standout has completed 65.8-percent of his passes this season while tossing nine touchdowns. Flanigan also boasts a remarkable quarterback efficiency rating of 170.03.

When Flanigan isn’t putting the ball in flight, he’ll be handing off to sophomore running back Matt Massari.

Massari comes into the game averaging 107.3 yards-per-game while averaging a hefty 7.2 yards-per-carry. He also has an 89-yard touchdown run to his credit, which more than suggests he can take it the distance.

Defensively, the Aggies are anchored by defensive end B.J. Brust. On the season Brust has three sacks and six tackles for loss.

The playmaker in the secondary is senior cornerback Carnell Green. So far this season Green has picked off two balls, taking one back for a 46-yard touchdown.

The Hornets will be looking for revenge after last years 43-0 drubbing so it is important for the Aggies to weather the storm of emotion that the Hornets will possess. Aggie Keys to the Game

1. Emotional intensity

2. Balanced offense

3. Force Hornets into third-and-long situations