Eight yards were enough to compel Sacramento State to call a passing play on fourth down at the UC Davis 27 with 44 seconds to play. That is exactly what the Aggies wanted because Hornets quarterback Cardell Williams was 3-for-8 for 17 yards and Sacramento State had run for 326 yards.
And if the Hornets did throw the ball, speedy wide receiver Ernest Campbell was the likeliest target. Campbell was split to the right, ran an out route and broke to the sideline at the 15. Williams’ pass was low and wide, leaving Campbell with no chance of catching it to keep Sacramento State’s hopes alive.
UC Davis erased a 10-point deficit after three quarters and shut out Sacramento State in the fourth for a 31-27 victory Saturday. The thrilling battle was a fitting farewell for the Causeway Classic after 71 years. The Aggies won the last three to improve to 49-23 against the Hornets in the rivalry.
The postgame celebration led to one in a ballroom on campus Sunday morning when the Aggies (6-2 Big Sky, 8-3) learned they would be the eighth seed in the FCS playoffs. UC Davis will have a first-round bye and host the winner of the Central Connecticut State-Rhode Island game on Dec. 6.
UC Davis is 2-0 at home and 0-3 on the road in the playoffs. If the Aggies win at UC Davis Health Stadium on Dec. 6, they will travel to No. 1 North Dakota State. The Aggies and Bison last met in 2019 when former 49ers quarterback Trey Lance ran for two touchdowns in North Dakota State’s 27-16 victory..
A deal was reached in September for UC Davis to play North Dakota State on the road in 2028 and at home in 2029. For the time being, the Aggies will savor a hard-fought win and get healthy for the playoffs. The bye will allow the coaches and players to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families.
Head coach Tim Plough will give thanks for his team’s resiliency. Pinnick will give thanks for having Plough put his faith in a redshirt freshman at quarterback rather than go with the experience of a fifth-year senior. The Aggies will be thankful for the 14,590 fans Saturday, even if some wore green.
Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion, his players and the fans decked out in green have no reason to hang their heads. The 71 new Hornets may not have much appreciation for the history of the Causeway Classic, but those who opt to return in 2026 will no longer have to worry about it.
There could be an exodus by players who stood to benefit financially from the Hornets earning FBS status. That will not happen anytime soon. UC Davis has set its 2026 schedule with Cal Poly replacing Sacramento State in the rivalry game. The Hornets have no idea who they will be playing.
The loss was the Hornets’ first in five games this season with 300 rushing yards. Their 65 rushing attempts were a season high. They ran on the first 14 plays of the final drive, but the 14th on third-and-6 at the UC Davis 25 was foiled when cornerback Khalani Riddick took down Williams for a 2-yard loss.
Sacramento State had used a sixth offensive lineman instead of a tight end until the final drive. On the third-down play. the Hornets had three receivers split left and added fullback Sammy Norris in the backfield. Riddick did not have a receiver to cover on the left side and was free to play the run.
Williams faked a handoff to running back Jamar Curtis and followed Norris around the right side. Norris whiffed in trying to block Riddick and Riddick made him pay for by stopping Williams behind the line of scrimmage. Those two yards were likely a factor in the Hornets passing on fourth down.
Wide receiver Sam Gbatu Jr. put the Aggies ahead with 6:14 left by scoring on a 30-yard pass from Caden Pinnick. UC Davis took advantage of a mismatch with linebacker Diego Davis covering Gbatu. Davis was penalized for targeting after Gbatu’s 14-yard catch to ignite the go-ahead drive.
Gbatu had seven catches for 127 yards, his sixth 100-yard game this season. The senior has 60 receptions for 949 yards and shares the Big Sky Conference lead in receiving touchdowns with 10. He is the first Aggies receiver with 10 touchdown catches in a season since Keelan Doss in 2016.
The Causeway Classic matched two of the top Big Sky receivers, but Campbell was no match for Gbatu. The redshirt freshman caught one pass for 11 yards to finish with 37 receptions for 755 yards and eight touchdowns. He joined the Hornets after redshirting at Texas A&M last season.
Campbell had nine catches for 206 yards Oct. 24 against Montana to become the first Sacramento State receiver to have 200 in a game since 1996. The record is 273 by DeAndre Carter in 2014. Carter is currently on injured reserve with the Cleveland Browns in his eighth NFL season.
