1971
The Miracle Game
UC Davis defeated Cal State Hayward 30-29 with 16 points in the final 44 seconds, culminating in a touchdown pass from Bob Biggs to Mike Bellotti with 4 seconds remaining
Program outlook
Program outlook
UC Davis won the final Causeway Classic on November 22, 2025 — a 31-27 victory that crowned the Aggies victorious in the 71-year rivalry, but also ended it.
Since Oct 28: L 14-38 at Weber State. 5-4 this season.
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UC Davis enters 2026 without the defining annual game that built the program's regional identity for seven decades. But Sacramento State's move to the Mid-American Conference means there are no future scheduled dates — the Causeway Classic, born in 1954 as a showdown between cross-town neighbors in the Sacramento Valley, is paused after 71 years of continuous play (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causeway_Classic).
UC Davis is built on something deeper than the Causeway Classic, though: the Jim Sochor dynasty. The dynasty established the Aggies as one of the FCS's blue-blood programs, the standard against which a small college program measures sustained excellence.
That legacy was reinforced recently. The Aggies beat Rhode Island in the second round before losing to Illinois State in the quarterfinal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_UC_Davis_Aggies_football_team). Plough enters 2026 entering his 3rd season with momentum, a Big Sky contender without the rival that used to define November.
The grief is specific: UC Davis didn't lose the Causeway Classic on the field, and they didn't lose it to Sacramento State's superiority. They lost it to institutional ambition — the Hornets' leap to the FBS removed the annual date that rooted both programs in regional pride. The Aggies won that final meeting and owned the series. But the victory carries the weight of closure, not celebration.
The 2026 season is 4-2 through October 4. UC Davis won 31-24 at Portland State, 49-17 at San Diego, 45-7 over Stetson and 49-38 over Eastern Washington, and lost 56-10 at SMU and, on September 27, 62-22 at home to Montana as a favorite.
Update (Oct. 28, 2026): UC Davis is 5-3. Since then it lost 38-17 at Southern Utah on Oct. 17, as a 4.5-point favorite.
On the field
Up-tempo spread offense with aggressive, high-paced execution. Disciplined fundamentals rooted in the Sochor-era philosophy, now under offensive coordinator Paul Shelton in his 2nd year.
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
2025
The Final Causeway Classic
UC Davis defeated Sacramento State 31-27 on November 22, 2025, winning the last three meetings in the series and ending the rivalry with the Aggies on top, 46-19 all-time
Moment of the year · 2026
Lost 10-56 at SMU
Week 2 of 2026. A reckoning loss — the data point the next season must answer.
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Conference
Big Sky standing · 2026
7th in the Big Sky
UC Davis is 7th of 13 in the Big Sky at 3-3. The path to the title is steep — the focus is on playoff positioning and rivalry wins.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Arizona | 6-1 |
| 2 | Montana State | 5-1 |
| 3 | Montana | 5-2 |
| 4 | Weber State | 5-3 |
| 5 | Idaho | 4-2 |
| 6 | Idaho State | 3-3 |
| 7 | UC Davis | 3-3 |
| 8 | Cal Poly | 3-4 |
| 9 | Southern Utah | 3-4 |
| 10 | Northern Colorado | 2-4 |
| 11 | Portland State | 2-4 |
| 12 | Eastern Washington | 1-5 |
| 13 | Utah Tech | 1-7 |
Gameday customs
Rituals
The rituals that anchor a Saturday in this program's world.
The Causeway Classic vs. Sacramento State
since 1954
more
The Causeway Classic is UC Davis's defining rivalry — 71 years of battles with Sacramento State for a trophy made of cement taken from the Yolo Causeway. UC Davis leads the series 46-19 and won the last three meetings, culminating in a 31-27 victory on November 22, 2025, when Sacramento State's final drive stalled on 4th-and-8 at the UC Davis 27. That victory marked the end of an era: Sacramento State's move to the Mid-American Conference for 2026 means there are no future scheduled meetings. The Aggies won the rivalry on the field but lost it to institutional ambition, leaving UC Davis without the annual game that defined November for decades.
The Jim Sochor Dynasty (1970-1988)
since 1970
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Jim Sochor arrived as head coach in 1970 and immediately transformed UC Davis into a dynasty. Sochor was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and the playing field at UC Davis Health Stadium is named Jim Sochor Field in his honor.
Gunrock, the Mustang Mascot
since 1921
more
Gunrock is the legendary mustang that serves as UC Davis's mascot — a living symbol of the University Farm's rural heritage and the Aggies' athletic identity. The mustang represents toughness, resilience, and the California spirit.
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