UC Davis honored 31 seniors before Saturday’s showdown against Montana State by introducing them and having them join their families on the field. The seniors came out in numerical order with two exceptions. Lan Larison (No. 3) and Miles Hastings (No. 7) were the last two – and rightfully so.
Head coach Tim Plough stood with his three sons at the bottom of the tunnel leading to the field to greet each senior. Several received the obligatory hug and a quick word to expedite the ceremony. A few also received the added bonus of a pat on the chest. Then there were Larison and Hastings.
Plough was in no hurry with either despite kickoff being a few minutes away. He recruited both to UC Davis when he was offensive coordinator in 2019 and felt terrible about leaving them in 2021 to go to Boise State. The timing of his return allowed Plough to have this one last season with them.
And what a season it has been. Even though the Aggies (9-2) lost 30-28 to the Bobcats (11-0), UC Davis did not roll over and play dead with a 22-point deficit and 10:42 to play. The Aggies rallied for three touchdowns in the final 6:21 and came within a two-point conversion of going to overtime.
Montana State secured a share of the Big Sky Conference championship when Hastings forced a pass to Larison in double coverage and linebacker McCade O’Reilly intercepted it in the end zone to thwart the conversion try. Hastings was completed seven of nine passes for 170 yards in the three late touchdown drives.
Plough has often touted his team for playing with the poise and resiliency “that good teams have.” Both were on display in the fourth quarter as UC Davis threatened to end Montana State’s perfect season. As it turned out, the two-point victory was the lowest margin for the Bobcats since 2018.
And to think Plough could have been at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley as offensive coordinator for Cal in Saturday’s game against Syracuse. Returning to UC Davis and having complete control of a program as a first-time head coach was an offer the 39-year-old Plough simply could not refuse.
Remaining at Cal to become offensive coordinator was a lucrative offer for Plough after one season as tight ends coach. UC Davis realized as much and figured this might be its only opportunity to lure Plough to come home. The one problem was Dan Hawkins had not hinted at all about retiring.
Hawkins became head coach at his alma mater in 2017 and led UC Davis to a share of the Big Sky championship in 2018 – primarily with players recruited by his predecessor, Ron Gould. The Aggies were 29-22 in Hawkins’ final four years at the helm and qualified just one time for the FCS playoffs.
Plough’s availability was one reason why Hawkins became expendable. The other was Larison and Hastings threatening to enter the transfer portal if Hawkins remained in charge. UC Davis would not be 9-2 this season without Hastings or Larison, so it became apparent Hawkins would have to go.
The hiring of Plough was announced two weeks after UC Davis defeated Sacramento State 31-21 in the Causeway Classic. Despite the loss, which ended the Hornets’ three-game winning streak in the rivalry, Sacramento State went to the playoffs in Andy Thompson’s first season as head coach.
Sacramento State has little chance of beating UC Davis next Saturday, especially after losing at Cal Poly on Saturday. The Hornets have returned to the pre-Troy Taylor days of mediocrity. They were 8-15 in the Big Sky in 2016-18, 23-1 under Taylor in 2019-22 and 5-10 in 2023-24 with Thompson.
UC Davis has done what Sacramento State did in 2019 by hiring a head coach with local ties and a sharp offensive mind. Plough made changes such as having the team start practice on Bob Biggs Field and finish in the stadium, removing the players’ names from jerseys and growing a mustache.
Hawkins never held practices on Bob Biggs Field, which is adjacent to the stadium and named in honor of the former UC Davis coach. Plough did so because he played for Biggs, a 1969 Vacaville High graduate, and thought the grass would be much kinder to the players’ legs than synthetic turf.
Plough joined the mustache movement after noticing Larison, Hastings, tight end Josh Gale and a few other players with facial hair. And the players had no problem with the nameless jerseys. As Gale said, “With (Plough) coming back, you can tell it brought life back. You could feel the energy.”
And Plough has brought back success.
