UC DAVIS AGGIES
A Rebound Year Is Ahead

The UC Davis football program had a losing season in 2007 for the first time in 38 years and it's a taste the 2008 squad is eager to wash away. With 46 letter winners returning, including 19 starters, the Aggies hope to do just that.

UC Davis finished last season with a 5-6 overall ledger, the first time since 1969 that it had lost more games than it won. Despite the record, though, there were many highlights in a campaign that culminated with an exciting 49-46 win over the University of San Diego in the finale, a game the Aggies won with a last-second touchdown.

Among them was the opening of beautiful Aggie Stadium, a $31 million facility that boasts seating for nearly 11,000 fans, a state-of-the art videoboard, a spacious press box and Sportexe artificial turf. The stadium was heartily welcomed by Aggie fans who had watched games in venerable Toomey Field since 1949.

The 2008 season will bring the first night games to Aggie Stadium after the installation of lights in May. The home slate begins with a Sept. 13 match up against Portland State and features home games throughout October against Northern Colorado, Southern Utah, Iona and North Dakota. An early-November tilt against rival Sacramento State, the only day game at home, rounds out the six-game home schedule.

UC Davis, entering its fifth season as a member of the five-team Great West Conference, will face road challenges at NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) member San Jose State, traditional FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) power Montana and league rival Cal Poly. The Aggies will also travel to face Central Arkansas, Northeastern and San Diego.

UC Davis will look to a more explosive offense, an improved defense and special teams as it looks to conquer the tough 12-game schedule.

The Aggies return several starters on the offensive side of the ball, including three at wide receiver. Brandon Rice (59 receptions, 870 yards, 10 TDs), Bakari Grant (47, 621, five TDs) and Chris Carter (54, 703, five TDs in '06) form a talented trio with Carter at full strength after missing much of last season because of injury.

The backfield — helped by an offensive line with four returning starters — will show punch with a pair of running backs who combined for more than 1,000 yards in 2007. Junior Brandon Tucker, (98 carries, 385 yards, four TDs) filled in admirably after an injury to Joe Trombetta, who heads into his sophomore season after leading the team with 676 yards and eight TDs.

Head coach Bob Biggs, entering his 16th season at the helm of the Aggies, handed quarterbacking duties to Greg Denham after spring drills following the departure of senior signal callers Tim Plough and Matt Engle. Denham saw action in just one game last year but was a highly touted player at Placer High School in Auburn.

UC Davis gave up an uncharacteristic 31.7 points per game last year but feels it has a defensive unit to turn the tide back toward more favorable numbers. That unit is led by preseason All-America senior John Faletoese (6-foot-3, 292 pounds), a two-time All-GWC defensive tackle who was injured in the sixth game of the season and missed three of the remaining five contests. He is healthy now and hoping to return to the form that has netted him 10 career sacks.

Senior Patrick Michelier (6-foot-2, 253) had 32 tackles last season and is part of a line that will feature at least two newcomers. Jeremy Scott (28 tackles, one interception) will return to his cornerback position opposite of senior Kenneth Brown (25 tackles, four breakups). For ticket information, visit www.ucdavisaggies.com.