Nov. 19, 2005

CHENEY, Wash. - Quarterback Erik Meyer threw for 134 yards and a pair of scores in the first half on Saturday as No.19 Eastern Washington took a 24-point halftime lead on its way to a 24-7 nonconference victory over UC Davis, before a fog-shrouded crowd of 5,344 fans at Woodward Field.

UC Davis, which lost its second straight game, is 5-5 overall while Eastern Washington improved to 7-4. Despite the loss, UC Davis is still in position to claim a share of the Great West Football Conference championship next week if the Aggies beat Northern Colorado at Toomey Field in the final game of the season. A victory over the Bears would also secure UC Davis' 36th winning season.

The Eagles learned early in the game they clinched the Big Sky Conference's automatic berth to the upcoming NCAA Div. I-AA Playoffs by virtue of Montana State's 16-6 victory over Montana.

Conditions were less than ideal on Saturday with temperatures hovering around the mid-30's and fog increasingly covering the field and making for slippery and muddy turf.

Running back Nelson Doris rushed for a game-high 99 yards on 18 carries, including a long run of 20 yards to lead UC Davis. Quarterback Jon Grant was held to a season-low 158 passing yards, completing 20 of 33 passes with two interceptions. Receiver Tony Kays caught seven passes for 39 yards while Blaise Smith snagged four for 51.

The Aggies picked up their only points early in the third quarter when linebacker Nolan de Graaff picked off a pass from backup quarterback Chris Perboom and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown. It was the third career touchdown for de Graaff, who scored twice earlier as a tight end.

The teams traded series in the first quarter before the Eagles drove 45 yards on five plays to take a 7-0 lead after Meyer hit standout wide receiver Eric Kimble on an 11-yard touchdown pass. The pair earlier hooked up on a 29-yard pass to put the ball at the Aggies' 5.

UC Davis responded by driving 69 yards on 14 plays on its ensuing drive all the way to the Eagles' 7, but Grant's pass to tight end Daniel Fells in the end zone was intercepted by Isaiah Trufant. A 67-yard run by Meyer down to the Aggies' 8 highlighted a 6-play, 80-yard drive on the resulting drive that ended with Lars Slind scoring from a yard out for a 14-0 lead.

"They showed early they were capable of scoring points in bunches," said Aggie coach Bob Biggs. "(The interception) hurt us a little bit because we had a chance to tie the game. That really took the momentum away and they went down and scored right away."

Meyers hooked up with Craig McIntyre on a 27-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter and Sheldon Weddle hit a 38-yard field goal to round out the Eagles' scoring. Meyer finished with 11-of-19 passing.

UC Davis held the Eagles to 54 offensive yards and no points in the second half.

"I'm proud of our defense," said Biggs. "They played hard in the second half and shut them out in the second half."

Safety Brandon Quinn had a team-high 10 total tackles, including seven solo, while safety Luis Amaral had seven. Cornerback Nevan Bergan picked up his team-leading seventh interception while Adam Cook intercepted his fourth.

If UC Davis beats Northern Colorado next week, the Aggies will share the Great West Conference title with Cal Poly, which the Aggies beat 20-13 on Oct. 29. Kickoff at Toomey Field is 1 p.m.