Tim Plough has more on his mind than preparing UC Davis to face Illinois State on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. The second-year head coach has adjusted his practice schedule with players taking final exams and needs to find places where 30 freshmen can sleep Friday night.
The fall quarter ends Friday, so freshmen must move out of the dorms. One of the players in need of a place to stay is cornerback Drew Cofield, who was named Monday to FCS Central’s Freshman All-American team. Also selected to the team was quarterback Caden Pinnick, a redshirt freshman.
Plough compiled his players’ exam schedules and figured out the team could practice at 6 p.m. Monday, 4 p.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. Wednesday. Breaking from the norm is not ideal after the Aggies made it to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year by beating Rhode Island 47-26.
At least the players will take their exams on campus instead of a hotel as they did last year before losing 35-21 at South Dakota. UC Davis is 0-2 in the quarterfinals after having to play both games on the road. The eighth-seeded Aggies will host Saturday’s game against the unseeded Redbirds.
If the Aggies can make a habit of playing in December, Plough hopes the university will take a look at how best to accommodate the team. “I don’t think they deserve special treatment,” Plough said, “but I do think they deserve an opportunity to feel their best when they’re representing the school.”
PLAYOFF REMATCH`: Plough was not surprised by Illinois State’s 29-28 victory over top-seeded North Dakota State last Saturday, but he was shocked the Redbirds won with quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse tossing five interceptions. The senior threw one in a 33-16 loss to the Bison on Oct. 4.
Rittenhouse threw for 233 yards and was intercepted once last Dec. 7 in a 42-10 loss to UC Davis in a second-round playoff game. His only touchdown pass came on Illinois State’s first possession. The Aggies led 28-7 by the time the Redbirds got a field goal with two seconds left in the first half.
Illinois State also returned its top running back and receiver from 2024. Daniel Sobkowicz had 10 receptions for 111 yards against UC Davis to finish last year with 80 catches for 1,108 yards and nine touchdowns. He has 14 touchdowns this season with fewer receptions (65) and yards (842).
Wright was the top rusher in 2024 with 1,123 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has taken a back seat this season to Victor Dawson, a transfer from Cincinnati who has 948 yards and four touchdowns. Wright has 591 yards and five touchdowns, Rittenhouse leads in rushing touchdowns with seven,
UPRIGHT OR WRONG: Hunter Ridley made his first field goal from 37 yards last Saturday, but his second from 33 was ruled a miss after the ball sailed over the left upright. Plough questioned the call and found out a field-goal attempt can only be reviewed if the ball goes between the uprights.
The miss was Ridley’s first in three attempts from 30 to 39 yards this season. The senior is 5-of-6 from 20 to 29, 6-of-9 from 40 to 49 and 0-of-2 from 50 and longer. Ridley was 4-of-5 in the first five games, 6-of-7 in the next three and 3-of-8 in the past four. He is at 65 percent by making 13 of 20.
Ridley was a second-team selection in the 2024 All-Big Sky Conference voting after making 16 of 18 field goals (88 percent) as a junior. He was 10-of-10 in a three-game snap, including a career-high four in four attempts against Utah Tech. Ridley did not have an attempt in the final four games.
The longest field goal of his three-year career is 46 yards, which he set at Eastern Washington last year and matched this season against Idaho State on Nov. 1. His 46-yarder against the Bengals put the Aggies ahead 36-35 with 2:56 left, but Idaho State won it two minutes later on a 50-yarder by Trajan Santana.
