Causeway Classic: Everything You Need to Know + Farewell to Bob Biggs

The 59th Annual Causeway Classic will be played this Saturday, November 17 at Aggie Stadium. It will be the final game coached by UC Davis's Bob Biggs, who has led the team for 20 years. He's got a 15-4 record in Causeway Classics. 

Here's everything you need to know about the game: 

Sacramento State (6-4, 4-3) at UC Davis (3-7, 2-5)

• Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012
• 3:08  p.m. (PDT) • Davis, Calif.
• Aggie Stadium (10,849)
• KHTK (1140 AM)  • KDVS (90.3 FM)
• www.ucdavisaggies.com • Big Sky TV  

OPENING KICKOFFS

• UC Davis plays its final game of the 2012 season on Saturday, a footnote to the 59th Causeway Classic which will also feature the final game of HEAD COACH Bob Biggs who is retiring from the sidelines at its conclusion... The "zeroes" on the clock will close a chapter that features the second-most wins in school history, 20 years at the helm of the Aggie program, and a nearly four-decade association as an Aggie player and coach.

• Biggs has been masterful in the Causeway Classic, posting a 15-4 record so far as head coach and a string of eight straight wins from 2000-07... As a UC Davis assistant or head coach, his Causeway record stands at 26-9... On the field, the Aggies went 3-1 during his playing days... Biggs enters his 40th all-time game against the Hornets and carries a two-game winning streak into the matchup.

• The Aggies' 2012 schedule currently ranks as the ninth-toughest... Two Aggie foes (Montana State, Northern Arizona) have nine wins while three (San Jose State, Cal Poly, E. Washington) have eight... Additionally, three teams (MSU, NAU, EWU) were ranked when they played UC Davis... MSU and EWU were in the top five while those two plus Cal Poly, South Dakota State and NAU are currently in the top 25.

• UC Davis currently sports NCAA Div. I FCS's best net punting average (40.4) while P Colton Schmidt is now No. 6 in individual FCS punting average (44.1).

• The Aggies have rushed for at least 100 yards in five consecutive games, their longest streak since doing so in each of the first eight games in 2002... Their 1,360 yards so far is the second-highest total since 2004. 

• QB Randy Wright has thrown for 558 yards and three touchdowns over his past two games... His 228.1 passing ypg. average is fifth in the Big Sky Conference.

• UC Davis had the ball for 37:39 minutes at Eastern Washington last week, the second time its had at least 37 minutes of possession time this season (37:36 at Idaho State)... Included at EWU was nearly 12 minutes (11:51 to be exact) in the second quarter.

• UC Davis is trying to avoid losing four games in the same  season for the first time since 1969, Biggs' freshman year on the Aggie football team.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SACRAMENTO STATE

• UC Davis holds a 41-18 lead in the all-time series between the programs which began in 1954... The Causeway Classic mark is 41-17 with the other meeting in the series coming during the 1988 NCAA Div. II Playoffs.

• The Aggies own winning streaks of 18 games (1970-88) and eight games (2000-07) for their longest while the Hornets won five straight (1988-1991) for their best.

• UC Davis is 19-8 overall on its own campus including a 1-1 mark at Aggie Stadium.

• The Aggies have won two straight in the series, 10 of the past 12 , and 12 of the past 15... HEAD COACH Bob Biggs is 15-4 during his previous 19 seasons as head coach.

• Factoids: 1) UC Davis has shutout the Hornets eight times including the first two games in 1954 & 1955, and three straight from 1976-78. 2) Sacramento State has three shutouts, the most recent in 1964.

(more Causeway info on page 5 of game notes)

HEAD COACHES

• Bob Biggs (UC Davis `73) is in his 20th season and final season at the helm of the Aggies and his 35th with the program overall.

• He owns a 143-85-1 (.632) overall record and is 66-60-0 (.532) against NCAA Div. I (FBS, FCS) teams... Biggs is also 45-20 (.692) in November, and 96-41-2 (.699) at home including an 18-12 (.600) mark at Aggie Stadium.

• Biggs is the second-winningest coach in the history of the UC Davis program, trailing only Jim Sochor whose 156-41-5 record between 1970-88 led to his enshrinement into the College Football Hall of Fame.

• Four of Biggs' QB's have gone on to play professional football, including QB J.T. O'SULLIVAN (1998-2001) and former San Jose SaberCats (AFL) starter MARK GRIEB (1994-96)... Others include KHARI JONES (1991-93) who had a standout career in the Canadian Football League and Kevin Daft (1995-98) who was a reserve on the Tennessee Titans when they went to the Super Bowl XXXIV... Daft is now an assistant coach at with the Aggies.

• MARSHALL SPERBECK (Nevada `84) is 30-36 (.455) and in his sixth season with the Hornets... He owns a 139-89 (.610) record in 21 seasons as a head coach overall... He is 2-4 in Causeway Classics with victories coming in back-to-back games in 2008-09).

• He is the winningest Hornet football coach in overall and conference games over the first four years of their tenure.

• Prior to Sacramento State, Sperbeck was a successful coach at Foothill College where he posted 109 wins and advanced his teams to 11 bowl games in 15 seasons.

SACRAMENTO STATE SCOUTING REPORT

•  The Hornets enter the game coming off three consecutive games against ranked teams, posting a win over Cal Poly sandwiched between losses to Eastern Washington and Montana State.

• Sacramento State is ranked fifth nationally and third in the Big Sky in sacks, averaging 3.20 pg... That total, however, is spread out among 14 different players who each have a piece of at least one... DL AVERY WHITE (0.5 pg) is T-75th among all FCS players for the highest individual ranking.

• On the other side of the ball, the Hornets have been among the better teams at protecting their quarterback... They've allowed just 12 sacks all season (1.3 pg) and rank 22nd nationally.

• A balanced offense that averages 164.0 rushing ypg. (48th) and 233.7 passing ypg. (38th) gives the Hornets an offensive attack that is ranked 43rd overall (397.7 ypg).

• QB GARRETT SAFRON is both a threat to run and pass the ball... He has completed 66.1 pct. of his passes for 2,216 yards and 20 TD's and averages another 34.5 ypg. on the ground to go with a pair of touchdowns... He's ranked 24th nationally in total offense (256.1 ypg.)

• RB EZEKIEL GRAHAM (75.3 ypg) garners most of the action carrying the ball and averages 4.9 yards a carry while WR MORRIS NORRISE has a team-high 54 catches and 7 TD's to lead the receiving corps... Norrise is ranked 48th in both receptions per game (5.4) and yards per game (72.7).

• LB TODD DAVIS (100 tackles) has helped lead a defense that is ranked 83rd (400.3 ypg.)... Sacramento State's run defense has been solid (145.0 ypg. 47th)... The Hornets are ranked T-104th against the pass, allowing 255.3 ypg.

• Davis has 12.5 TFL's for 40 yards in losses and is T-32nd in the FCS while adding a team-high four quarterback-hurries... DB OSAGIE ODIASE has three interceptions and eight breakups to pace the secondary.

• Sacramento State has the fifth-best kickoff return average (25.1) in the country, a mark that also leads the Big Sky... RB SAM McCOWAN (24.3) is 34th in the FCS.

• K EDGAR CASTANEDA, whose 30-yard field goal helped Sacramento State stun Colorado (30-28) on Sept. 8, is 11 for 13 with a long of 50 yards (vs. Idaho State).

• P JUSTIN WELDON is 14th among punters, averaging 42.9 yards per kick with a long of 68 yards.