SFA Hopes To Bounce Back Against Aggies
10/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 14, 2004
FINAL NON-CONFERENCE GAME OF 2004: SFA puts on the road jerseys for only the second time this season as the 'Jacks travel west to take on the Aggies of UC-Davis in the final non-conference game of the year. SFA enters the game at 4-1 on the season following last week's 31-24 loss to Florida International. While this week's game is not a must-win situation for the Lumberjacks, the game takes on added importance following last week's loss and the start of Southland Conference play next week against Texas State. The Aggies enter the game on a roll at 5-0 on the year following last Saturday's 54-2 win over Western Oregon. UC-Davis enters the game needing one more over the course of its final five games to guarantee a 35th straight winning season.
The Lumberjacks enter the game hoping to find the running game that was held in check in last week's loss to Florida International. SFA rushed the ball 33 times for only 92 yards. RB Derek Farmer, seeing his first action since the Northern Iowa game, was limited to only 38 yards on 12 carries. SFA averaged only 2.8 yards per carry in the game, a season low. SFA is making its first ever football trip to the state of California, but is 2-0 versus teams from the Golden State. SFA beat Sacramento State, 40-15 in 1994 and beat Cal State-Northridge, 30-27 in 2001.
vs UC-DAVIS: SFA and UC-Davis will be meeting for the first time. The Aggies are a provisional Division I institution having started the four year process of moving from Division II to the D-I level a year ago. The Aggies must be in full compliance with all Division I legislation and membership requirements, including scholarship minimums and Division I scheduling this season. The Aggies will be a I-AA football member and compete in the newly formed Great West Conference
THE OPPONENT: UC-Davis enters this week's game as the nation's 21st ranked program and riding a five game wining streak to open the year. The Aggies have already chalked up wins over Weber State, Sacramento State and Northern Colorado on the year and have been ranked in the I-AA top-25 polls for the past two weeks. The Aggies are averaging over 440 yards per game of total offense including over 320 yards per game through the air. UC-Davis is averaging 45.0 points per game and have scored more than 50 points three times this season. The Aggies have scored at least 30 points in each game in 2004.
THE COACHES: SFA is coached by Mike Santiago (Southern Utah, 1977) now in his sixth season at SFA. Santiago has posted a 37-23 record as a college head coach, all with SFA. In his first season, he led the Lumberjacks to a share of the Southland title (1999). The 'Jacks have won at least six games each season under Santiago and a winning record in 2004 will mark the longest such streak in SFA history. The Lumberjacks are 15-14 on the road under Mike Santiago. The Aggies are coached by Bob Biggs (UC-Davis, 1973) in his 12th year with the Aggies. Biggs picked up career win number 100 two weeks with a win over Northern Colorado. He is 101-34-1 as the head coach of the Aggies. He has led the Aggies to at least 10 wins in five seasons-the most in UC-Davis history. The Aggies are 55-12-1 (.816) under Biggs at Toomey Field. ™
