Nov. 14, 2009
UC Davis defeated North Dakota, 28-20, on Saturday afternoon to claim the 2009 Great West Conference Football Championship.
UC Davis' Greg Denham threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with Chris Carter for two of those, as the Aggies won their first Great West title since 2005.
The Aggies got on the scoreboard first with a 15-yard pass from Denham to Carter with 4:32 remaining in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Denham connected with Conor Kirkpatrick on a 34-yard strike.
The Fighting Sioux found their first points on a one-yard pass from Brent Goska to Marcus Tibesar with 9:06 remaining in the first half, cutting the UC Davis lead to 14-7, which is where the score would remain for the half.
The third quarter stayed scoreless until 2:36 when UND's Brandon Hellevang connected on a 52-yard field goal. He hit again from 37-yards out with 27 seconds remaining in the third quarter, cutting the UC Davis lead to one at 14-13.
The Aggies would answer with a one-yard Josh Reese run to build the Aggies' lead to 21-13 with 10:53 to play in the fourth. Denham would find Carter again at the 7:33 mark on an eight-yard touchdown pass which made the score 28-13 after Sean Kelley's third consecutive PAT.
North Dakota would answer at 3:37 on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jake Landry to Ryan Konrath. Hellevang hit the PAT to make the score 28-20 in favor of the Aggies.
The Aggies worked the clock until turning it over on downs at the UND 23-yardline with 27 seconds remaining.
Landry completed an 11-yard pass to Konrath, followed by an incomplete pass and another 5-yard completion to Konrath before UC Davis forced a fumble that ended the North Dakota drive and sealed the title for the Aggies.
Great West Conference Commissioner Ed Grom presented the championship trophy to coach Bob Biggs and the Aggies at the conclusion of the game.
UC Davis won the Great West title with a 3-1 record, while North Dakota finished tied for second with Southern Utah and South Dakota at 2-2.
In other Saturday games, South Dakota held on to win at Cal Poly, 50-48, in GWC action, while Southern Utah fell at home to No. 18 Eastern Washington, 41-28, in a non-conference contest.
UC Davis 28, North Dakota 20
DAVIS, Calif. -- Greg Denham threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Chris Carter, while the Aggie defense came up with a turnover in the final seconds, as UC Davis claimed its first Great West Conference championship since 2005 with a 28-20 football win over North Dakota before 9,239 fans at Aggie Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The win also delivered UC Davis its first winning season since 2006, improving its overall record to 6-4 and its league mark to 3-1. North Dakota, which was led by 77 rushing yards from Brent Goska and touchdown catches from Ryan Konrath and Marcus Tibesar, fell to 5-5 overall and 2-2 in the Great West.
UC Davis led 28-13 with 7 minutes, 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter after Denham hit Carter for an 8-yard touchdown strike. But North Dakota got back to within a score four minutes later when quarterback Jake Landry connected with Konrath from 21 yards, capping an 11-play, 71-yard drive.
The Aggies, operating out their version of the Wildcat formation, marched to the North Dakota 27 yard-line inside the final minute of the game but stalled on fourth down. Landry completed an 11-yard pass to Konrath to start a desperation final drive but linebacker Michael Healey forced a fumble two plays later which was recovered by defensive end Patrick Michelier, ending the threat with just five seconds left.
Carter, who moved within three catches of Tony Kays' school record 207 career catches, had nine catches for 96 yards, also catching a 15-yard TD pass for UC Davis' first score.
Denham completed 25 of 37 passes for his 284 yards, tossing a long pass of 34 yards to Conor Kirkpatrick which resulted in a score.
Cornerback Kenneth Brown had a 21-yard interception return while linebacker Mike Morales had eight tackles to help lead the defense.
"I'm just proud of everyone, and the seniors in particular," said Aggie coach Bob Biggs. "They've been through some rough times the last couple of years. They've endured some losing seasons and they're just very, very committed."
UC Davis, which beat North Dakota at home for the second straight year, took a 14-0 lead after Carter's first touchdown with 4:32 left in the first quarter finished off a 10-play drive, and Kirkpatrick's 34-yard touchdown grab early in the second quarter culminated a quick 7-play, 75-yard drive that took just over two minutes.
The Aggie defense, meanwhile, took early control of the game, forcing three-and-outs totalling just seven yards on each of North Dakota's three possessions in the first quarter.
UND got onto the scoreboard on its fourth drive, moving 80 yards on 10 plays to get a short 1-yard pass from Goska to Tibesar with 9:06 left in the half.
Neither team was able to generate much offense in the first half with North Dakota picking up just 113 total yards and the Aggies - who punted four times before halftime - garnering just 108.
A pair of field goals from UND's Brandon Hellevang - including a 52-yarder - helped the Fighting Sioux get to within 14-13 late in the third quarter, but UC Davis turned the tide by marching 71 yards on 10 plays to take a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter when Josh Reese ran in from a yard.
Brown's interception, which he returned to the UND 24, led to the final Aggie score and a 28-13 lead. Denham hit three straight passes on that drive, capped by his TD toss to Carter.
Landry then connected on five passes, including the TD pass to Konrath, to make it 28-20 and set up the finish.
The Aggie defense held North Dakota to 265 total yards, including just 139 through the air while picking up a pair of turnovers. Morales had two solo stops among his eight total tackles while fellow linebackers Brock Butler and Healey each had five tackles. Michelier and defensive back Kevyn Lewis shared a two-yard sack.
"The defense has played great," said Biggs. "They're just scrappy (and) have a lot of guys contributing. Morales, of course, (is having) a great year, but there's a lot of people contributing and they have a lot of athleticism on defense. That's what's noticeable when you watch, that we can run around and there's a lot of people getting to the ball."
Goska rushed for 77 yards and passed for 32 while Landry completed 13 of 24 pases for 107 yards. Konrath and Ismael Bamba each caught five passes for 49 and 44 yards, respectively. Hellevang also had a 37-yard field goal in addition to his long one of 52.
The championship was also the first outright title for UC Davis since 1992 when it captured the former America West Conference banner and the 30th league championship title overall.
UC Davis returns to the field next Saturday when it visits rival Sacramento State in the annual Causeway Classic. Kickoff at Hornet Stadium is 2:05 p.m.
The Sioux will be off next week before finishing their season at Central Arkansas on November 28.
South Dakota 50, Cal Poly 48
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Senior quarterback Noah Shepard threw five touchdown passes and ran for two more scores as South Dakota led by 22 points on three occasions in the second half and held on to beat Cal Poly 50-48 in a Great West Conference football game Saturday night before 7,979 in Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
Shepard completed 22 of his first 26 passes and finished 26 of 37 for 413 yards as the Coyotes completed their 2009 season with a 5-5 overall record and 2-2 in Great West games.
Cal Poly, despite season highs of 48 points and 533 yards, fell to 4-6 and 1-3. The Mustangs, who won the Great West title a year ago, are assured of their first losing season since 2003.
Trailing 50-28 late in the third quarter, Cal Poly mounted a comeback with three touchdown passes from junior quarterback Tony Smith to junior wide receiver Dominique Johnson.
But a two-point conversion pass by Smith which would have tied the game with 20 seconds to play was batted down by South Dakota junior linebacker Cory Kuehl.
An onside kick was recovered by Cal Poly senior safety David Fullerton, but Smith threw four incomplete passes to end the game.
Shepard connected with London Landry (six yards), Chris Ganious (44 yards), Dan Skelly (35 yards), Will Powell (43 yards) and Tom Flanagan (nine yards) on scoring passes for the Coyotes. He also ran one and eight yards for touchdowns as South Dakota built 36-14, 43-21 and 50-28 advantages.
Dustin Nowotny added a 23-yard field goal for the Coyotes in the second quarter.
Johnson caught scoring passes of 20, 59, 13, 42 and 42 yards, his five touchdown passes breaking a Cal Poly record. Ramses Barden, now with the New York Giants, caught four scoring passes against Weber State in 2007.
Smith's six touchdown passes - he connected with Eric Gardley on a 42-yard scoring pass in the third quarter - tied the school mark. Jonathan Dally twice threw six touchdown passes in a game.
Gardley ran six yards on a reverse for a Mustang touchdown in the second period.
Each team scored three touchdowns in a wild third quarter.
South Dakota posted advantages of 27-23 in first downs and 553-533 in total yards. The Coyotes, avenging a 49-22 loss to Cal Poly in 2008, scored on their first eight possessions of the game before Shepard was intercepted by sophomore safety Greg Francis late in the third quarter.
Smith recorded career highs of 24 completions, 38 attempts and 407 yards passing. Johnson finished with career highs of 13 receptions and 273 yards while sophomore slotback David Mahr caught five passes for 41 yards.
Sophomore fullback Jake Romanelli rushed for 91 yards on 16 carries to lead all rushers in the game.
For South Dakota, Shepard rushed for 61 yards on eight trips and Isaac Newton added 53 yards, also on eight carries. Top Coyote receivers were Flanagan and Nowotny, each with six catches.
Mustang redshirt freshman linebacker Kenny Jackson led the Cal Poly defense with 11 tackles, including seven solo stops. Sophomore linebacker Adam Broders made 13 stops for the Coyotes.
There was just one interception in the game - Francis' interception which was returned 22 yards - but Cal Poly failed to score on the succeeding possession midway through the second half. There were no fumbles by either team.
Tonight's game marked the end of the season for South Dakota while Cal Poly concludes its 2009 season with a non-conference game next Saturday at Weber State. Kickoff is set for 11:05 a.m. PST.
No. 18 Eastern Washington 41, Southern Utah 28
CEDAR CITY, Utah --18th ranked Eastern Washington used a relentless offensive attack, and two big second-half plays, racking up 608 yards in total offense to put away the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, 41-28, on Saturday.
Eastern Washington scored on its first two drives of the game, while forcing consecutive three-and-outs for SUU, to take an early 14-0 lead. Matt Nichols connected with Nathan Overbay for 19-yard, and 7-yard touchdown passes, early on.
Southern Utah's defensive come up with their first stop when Erron Vonner recovered a Taiwan Jones fumble at the Eastern Washington 39 yard line, But SUU's offensive struggles continued, managing only one more down than the two previous efforts, turning the ball over on a failed fourth-down conversion.
The SUU defense managed another stop moving into the second quarter of play, but Jared Ursua fumbled at the SUU 47 yard line. Lonnie Hosley advanced the ball to the SUU 20. The Eagles capitalized with a five-play drive punctuated by yet another Nichols to Overbay touchdown pass making it 21-0, Eastern Washington.
For a moment it appeared fortunes had changed for the Southern Utah offense with a drive that included a Cade Cooper to Fesi Setaki 50-yard pass. But, poised to score on a 3rd-and-goal at the EWU one-yard line, SUU coughed up the ball, robbing themselves of their first points of the ball game.
The Thunderbirds finally struck pay dirt when Cade Cooper connected with Tysson Poots from eight yards out, capping a seven-play 75 yard drive to make it 21-7.
Each team then exchanged failed field goal attempts. Mike Jarrett's 35-yard try was blocked by Akeem Anifowashe. Then, with a brisk wind to their backs, and 0.4 seconds left in the half, Ryan Griffith and Southern Utah lined up for what would have been a 63-yard field goal. A poor snap denied even the attempt, and the teams left the field with the score 21-7, Eagles.
Southern Utah won the opening coin toss, deferring to the second half, but the offensive problems carried over.
Faced with a 3rd-and-10 situation on his own 48 yard line, Matt Nichols took his drop-back, and ran a draw, untouched for 52 yards through the heart of the Southern Utah defense, making it 28-7 with 3:28 left in the 3rd quarter.
Southern Utah answered with a sustained drive culminating in another Cooper to Poots, 9-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-14 at the end of three.
But Eastern Washington scored on another big play when Matt Nichols dumped a pass in the flat to Taiwan Jones, who zig-zagged through arm-tackles, 60 yards to put the Eagles up 34-14 (extra-point blocked by Tyson Turley).
Southern Utah put together another 69-yard drive, highlighted by Poot's phenomenal one-handed catch of a deflected Cooper pass, at the EWU one-yard line. Cooper's keeper made it 34-21, Eagles.
But Eastern Washington was able to come up with a stop and put together a time-consuming drive to stretch its lead out to 41-21 capped by Taiwan Jones' 4-yard rush.
Southern Utah put together one last drive as time ran out. Cooper again went to Poots to make it 41-28. Matt Nichols took a knee after the SUU kickoff, securing the Eagle win.
Cooper was 35 for 47 with no interceptions for 345 yards passing in his final home appearance. Poots caught 15 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns. Setaki had 12 catches for 143 yards.
Eastern Washington improves to 7-3 (5-2 Big Sky). Southern Utah drops to 4-6 (2-2 Great West). SUU next travels to the University of San Diego for its final game of the 2009 campaign.
