Sam Gbatu Jr. had never had more than one rushing attempt in a game for UC Davis until stuffing four into last Saturday’s 28-14 win at Idaho. Heck, the senior wide receiver had never had more than one in a season. He gained 44 yards after having a career deficit of three carries for minus-2 yards.
Gbatu’s running did not take away from his receiving. He had seven receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. He leads the Big Sky Conference in touchdown catches with eight and has had 100 or more receiving yards in four consecutive games. The school record is six by Keelan Doss in 2017.
Idaho’s defense had more to do with Gbatu’s carries than UC Davis not having running back Carter Vargas. The redshirt freshman sustained a leg injury against Idaho State on Nov. 1 and will miss the rest of the season. His absence will leave junior Jordan Fisher to take the bulk of the running plays.
UC Davis head coach Tim Plough explained that Idaho’s defensive scheme was nearly identical to what UC Davis faced against Northern Iowa in the 2018 FCS playoffs. The scheme is rare, Plough said, but he knew what to do. He called plays as the Aggies offensive coordinator in 2018 and is doing so again in his second season at the helm.
Having Gbatu use his speed by calling jet sweeps took advantage of Idaho’s inability to contain the perimeter. Gbatu contributed a 17-yard run to the Aggies’ 66-yard drive for a touchdown on their first possession. Gbatu made it 14-0 on the ensuing possession with an 8-yard touchdown catch.
Running plays designed for Gbatu and quarterback Caden Pinnick will lighten Fisher’s load, but he has now become nearly as valuable as Lan Larison in 2024. Larison had 384 carries and 62 catches last year to average 24.7 touches a game. Fisher is averaging 15.6 with 123 carries and 18 receptions.
Most of the carries went to Fisher in the first six games as Vargas worked his way into more playing time. Fisher had 69 carries to 43 for Vargas. The workload shifted against Northern Colorado on Oct. 25. Vargas had a season-high 16 carries for 90 yards, while Fisher rushed for 87 on 11 carries.
Fisher had not had more than 18 touches in a game until having 26 against Idaho State. Nineteen of those came after Vargas went out with 4:36 to play in the first half. Fisher finished with 22 carries for 108 yards and four receptions for a season-high 63 yards. His average per touch was 6.5 yards.
Vargas left after running for 43 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. He leads the Aggies in rushing touchdowns with five. Fisher has four, but he has scored just one in the past six games. His only touchdown in the past three games came on a 24-yard reception against Northern Colorado.
Plough is confident Fisher can do whatever is needed as he did against Idaho. UC Davis ran the ball 41 times with Fisher gaining 103 yards on 21 carries. Fisher also had a 32-yard reception. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound Fisher has run for 100 yards in the past two games and five times this season.
“I love Jordan. If I had a game ball, I would have gave it to him after this last game,” Plough offered. “It’s easier to shelve off carries when you’ve got two great backs. We’re down Carter, who is one of the better tailbacks in the country, but we still have one of the better tailbacks in Jordan.”
Asking Jordan to carry the ball 20 to 30 times a game is not a concern for Plough, who admitted “I think just myself, being totally transparent, I underappreciate how great he is, We see it every day. It’s more for everyone else to see how great he is.”
Everyone can see for themselves when ESPN2 televises the UC Davis-Montana State game on Saturday or when the Aggies host Sacramento State in the final Causeway Classic on Nov. 22.
