Davis had a lot of guys on defense playing their first gsme at Portland
First game action & first start: Teeg Slone, Julian Fernandez, Jeremiah Brown
First game action at college level: Drew Faulkner, Devin Huegel,
First game for Davis: Hayden John.

Due to guys not available, our defense had a less returners than anticipated in the preseason. Some inexperience showed but overall most of those guys did well.

Davis dropped in the polls, not just because of the score but because prominent players like Rex Connors, Winston Williams, Stacey Dobbins, whose assumed presence on the team factored into preseason rankings aren’t playing. I don’t think poll voters even know whether they are voting for the best teams now or projecting to the end of the season, and those absences hurt the team now.

I think the batted balls were largely due to poor pass protection, after stunts or bull rushes collapsed the pocket. Defenders were in Cleelands face pretty quick on some. One was by a player who dropped back a few yards and was more of a pass breakup.
Cleeland is not a tall guy.

The former Wake Forest coach doing commentary on the Poly, Idaho game made a comment about Idaho’s play calling being more scheme oriented than playmaker oriented. I think Davis sometimes falls into that, not getting the ball to playmakers enough. Plough once said he must be the dummest coach in America when it comes to using Fisher, and there is still some truth to that.

Sac didn’t do what they set out to do. Sac bought a membership to possibly the weakest FBS conference, out of desperation when their primary target the Pac-12, and their fall back, the Mountain West, passed on them, after Sac burned their boats leaving the Big Sky. They bought membership in a conference that gives them little revenue, at a substantial cost. Sac’s plan didn’t work, they just doubled down on a bad bet.
Unless they have continuing source of revenue their only path to success is to win quickly and build a fan base. They had seeming success recruiting this last year but also poor retention. They need to win before the novelty wears off or the money will run out.
Eastern Michigan would be a winnable game for Davis. Admittedly not based on our play yesterday.

Does Sac have the facilities to recruit?
Does Sac have the history to recruit?
Can Sac promise stability to recruits?
Is Sacs recent revenue sharing & NIL funds going to sustain itself through two win seasons?
With most teams gearing up revenue sharing what is Sac’s competitive advantage in recruiting for the years it takes to build?

Sac moving up a level to escape competition is why they went scholarship and left the FWC. Now they’ve done it again. They spent 25 million to get rid of the FCS label, money that could have been used to establish a solid program where they were.

I have the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN unlimited bundle. Hulu and ESPN show as sub menus. My menus may differ from yours maybe because I have espn under Disney, alongside Hulu. Whereas you seem to have Hulu at top level
I still have and use the separate ESPN standalone app because the ESPN sub menu under Disney does not have navigation to the big sky conference content and doesn’t show all the espn+ on demand games sorted by the conferences

who is #64? played center.

What a great game the Poly game was to have on national broadcast.
Does the Davis team fly to SLO now?
Anyone else experience the gopoly.com site being slow and hard to navigate, for the roster and schedule, etc.. I even got blocked messages from their security service when trying to view site with iPhone.

You think Sam Goligoski not being listed as the DE, but rather SAM is just for humor? Very punny, ha ha.

[reply="Sailorgabe;85081
The format of the depth chart this year hints that the scheme is going to be more varied. For example they take the three players who last year played as edge linebackers and this year list two as defensive ends, and the third Goligoski, as the SAM linebacker. They list a depth chart for 12 defensive positions, so depending on which eleven they run out the could change the numbers at any level
I don’t know what the purpose of making Goligoski a SAM linebacker instead of a defensive end (on the depth chart) but it may be a different role.. Reminds me of how disruptive Nick Eaton was a few years ago as an outside linebacker and how he disappeared from the stat sheet when they changed him to a rush linebacker

It wasn’t a one game issue. Teams deviated from their normal game plan to run on Davis. Example, Rhode Island hardly ran at all against Central Connecticut, 82 yards but had 173 against Davis. Sac, who won their previous game against idaho by passing chose to run almost exclusively against Davis. Davis had a big flashing vulnerability and teams played accordingly.

Sochor’s teams were different between early and late in his tenure. In 1972 Davis has a standout tight end/fullback who had to retire do to a series of concussions. I don't know his size but i remember Davis had a 210 or 220 lb starting guard, who didn’t lift weights but swam for training. 240 lb tackles at most.

Young linemen on depth chart.
Braiden McKenna, an OL who committed in May of this year is tied for 2nd on the depth chart at center with Roice Cleeland. Quite impressive. Suspect he might be a walk-on as his commitment wasn’t mentioned by the school
Jace Denning, a 2025 walk-on, is 2nd on the depth chart at left tackle

i wouldn’t read to much into the wide receiver order. Much of the time we have three on the field.
Plough was excited about Boogie Sylvester, in yesterdays press conference.. By the way Sylvester ran for 136 yards against Portland last year.

This forum has known for a few days, apparently it was announced to the team, but I think this game note is the first public “announcement”

Game notes posted
https://ucdavisaggies.com/documents/2026/8/25/26FBGameNotesvsPortlandState.pdf
Depth chart near end page 37

This years defense features 12 positions on defense. I think they’ll be varying the number of players at each level as Pacifico2 hoped.
Some true freshmen on the depth chart. Backup center, backup cornerback, backup safety and maybe a starting nickel back and a kick returner

From the local stories, WSUs defense is impressive, and they have offensive weapons. They seem to be picked to be middle of the conference. Why are you so down on SDSU?

If they want to bet that is good news.

I think that perception was based on losing Eli Simonson, who Mike Cody called the best blocker he has had. if the Enterprise is correct, left tackle is now filled by David Porotesano who has substantial starting experience at right tackle. Time will tell if that is a weak link. Porotesano is a redshirt sophomore, its rare for a o lineman to have played as much as he has in first two years.

Davis Enterprise 8/22 says this is the starting line.
Plough said AJ Hasson right tackle
David Main right guard
Zaire Collier center
Jayden Montanez left guard
David Porotesano left tackle