Game 11 - Aggies 37 - San Diego 27

DAVIS, Calif. -- Marcus Nolan rushed for a career-high 167 yards, receiver Tony Kays caught 10 passes for 151 yards and quarterback Jon Grant threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns as UC Davis won the final game ever at Toomey Field with a 37-27 nonconference football win over previously unbeaten University of San Diego to secure the Aggies' 37th straight winning season.

UC Davis clinched the winning season with consecutive victories over Sacramento State and San Diego to finish 6-5. The No. 16 Toreros had their 18-game winning streak snapped, falling to 10-1 on the season.

Quarterback Josh Johnson threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns to pace San Diego which led 18-13 at halftime. Receiver John Matthews caught four passes for 126 yards including a 61-yard touchdown pass, while receiver Wes Doyle had four receptions for 109.

UC Davis had 524 yards of total offense in the game, with Nolan, Chris Carter and Grant each rushing for scores and Kays catching a 25-yard touchdown reception from Grant. Grant, who posted his eighth career 300-yard passing game, completed 25 of 39 passes, becoming the program's all-time completion leader. He surpassed J.T. O'Sullivan's (1998-2001) previous record of 669 in the first quarter and finished his career with 690.

Grant also finished with 8,226 career passing yards, becoming the only other signal-caller in UC Davis history besides O'Sullivan to crack the 8,000-yard barrier. Kays, who became the program's all-time receptions leader last week, concluded his All-America career with 207 catches for 2,752 yards and 17 touchdowns.

The game was a see-saw affair which featured five lead changes. Butch Parker staked the Toreros to a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter with a 35-yard field goal, only to have the Aggies take a 7-3 lead on a 5-yard touchdown reception by Carter. A 5-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Kenny Stivers late in the first quarter and Johnson's short 2-yard TD run early in the second staked San Diego t oa 15-7 lead after the Toreros missed both conversion attempts.

UC Davis got to within 15-13 after Grant found Conor Kirkpatrick on a 7-yard touchdown pass with 8:43 left before half. The Toreros took an 18-13 lead into the break on Parker's 37-yard field, goal, this one from 37 yards.

In the second half, UC Davis got touchdowns from Grant on a 10-yard scramble, from Kays on a 25-yard reception and on a 2-yard run from Nolan that helped give the Aggies a 31-27 lead going into the fourth quarter. San Diego had stayed close with a long 61-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to John Matthews while Patrick O'Neill returned a blocked PAT kick after Nolan's score for a two-point conversion.

Carter's 12-yard touchdown run with 6:19 left in the game put UC Davis in front 37-27.

The game was the final one for UC Davis seniors and head coach Bob Biggs applauded their efforts.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank our senior class," he said. "They have made the largest sacrifice of any team that has played here in 37 years. It is so fitting that they battled to the end and really displayed 'Aggie Pride'. I'm just so happy for this team. These transition (to Division I) players have really paved the way for the new players coming into the program.

"That's what makes this program so special is the new players with the old players," he said. "We all have that winning streak that unites us. We will always remember our humble beginnings and that is what makes this program at UC Davis so special."

UC Davis finished with 524 yards of total offense, the first time the Aggies have surpassed 500 yards of offense in game since gaining 530 against Sacramento State in 2004.

Nolan posted his third 100-yard game of the season, Kays had his third game with at least 10 catches and Grant threw for 300 yards for the second time this year.

San Diego, the leading offensive team in Div. I-AA, had 429 yards of offense, 344 of it coming through the air.

The game was the final one to be played at Toomey Field, which opened in 1949. The Aggies finish their era at the historic stadium with a record of 192-86-8. UC Davis will begin competition in a new stadium on the west side of campus beginning next season.

Recap courtesy UC Davis Sports Information Media Relations

San Diego Game: Players Of The Week

• Offense - Tony Kays (WR), Marcus Nolan (RB), Jon Grant (QB)
• Defense - Michael Ng (DE)
• Special Teams - John Faletoese
• Offensive Scout - Kyle Eich (WR)
• Defensive Scout - Ramsey Moyer (DB)

Return to 2006 Game Summaries