UC Davis secures FCS playoff spot, first round bye

OWNERS. THE LAST CAUSEWAY CLASSIC FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS IS IN THE BOOKS. THIS YEARLY SHOWDOWN BETWEEN SACRAMENTO STATE AND UC DAVIS HAS BEEN A FAN FAVORITE FOR GENERATIONS. KCRA 3’S CORTEZ SPOKE WITH FANS AT UC DAVIS HEALTH STADIUM TO SEE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE HORNETS LEAVING THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE, AND IT WAS A REAL NAIL BITER. FANS, I THINK, MIGHT HAVE TO PHYSICALLY CHECK THEIR NAILS SINCE IT CAME DOWN TO THE WIRE, BUT THE UC DAVIS WATER TOWER LIT UP A BRIGHT YELLOW, MAYBE TO SIGNIFY HOW HAPPY THEY ARE TO CAPTURE THE 71ST ANNUAL CAUSEWAY CLASSIC WIN. BUT BOTH FAN BASES CAME OUT IN FULL FORCE, ESPECIALLY FOR A RIVALRY THAT COMES SO DEEP FOR SCHOOLS. DISTANCE BY NEARLY 20 MILES. LET’S GO AGGIES! THE STORY BETWEEN THESE TWO TEAMS DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN BETWEEN THE HASH MARKS. A LOT OF GOOD MEMORIES. WE’VE BEEN HERE IN THE POURING DOWN RAIN AND THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE. IT’S THE PEOPLE IN THE STANDS WHO GIVE THIS RIVALRY ITS HEART. THE CAUSEWAY CLASSIC HAS BEEN PLAYED SINCE 1954, SEEING GENERATIONS OF FANS. I’VE BEEN AT DAVIS FOR THREE YEARS. I’M GRADUATING THIS YEAR, FILLING THESE VERY SEATS, CARING THE RIVALRY FORWARD CAME FROM CLEVELAND, OHIO. AND WITH CHANGES COMING TO SACRAMENTO, STATE’S CONFERENCE TONIGHT CARRIES EXTRA WEIGHT BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS WHEN OR IF THESE TWO TEAMS WILL MEET AGAIN. IT’S REALLY SADDENING. THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR HERE AND I WAS SO EXCITED. I WAS FOUR YEARS OF BEING SAC STATE. I WAS SO HAPPY. FROM FRESHMAN PAINTED HEAD TO TOE IN SCHOOL COLORS, TO ALUMNI WHO HAVE BEEN CHEERING FROM THE SEATS FOR DECADES, EACH ONE BECOMES PART OF THE MOMENTUM AND THE FORCE THAT LIFTS RIVALRIES INTO SOMETHING MORE. IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY WIN THE LAST GAME, ESPECIALLY AGAINST DAVIS. AND THOUGH THE RIVALRY RUNS DEEP TODAY, THEY’RE NOT JUST WATCHING HISTORY. THEY’RE CREATING IT ONE CHAIR AT A TIME. AND WITH TODAY’S WIN, THE AGGIES HAVE NOW CONSECUTIVELY WON THE CAUSEWAY CLASSIC THREE YEARS IN A ROW. BUT WE’LL JUST HAVE TO SEE WHETHER THIS WILL BE THE FINALE OF THIS STORIED RIVALRY, OR IT WILL JUST BE ON A TEMPORARY HIATUS. AND DAVIS AND CORTEZ. KCRA THREE NEWS. AND WITH THIS WIN, UC DAVIS HAS BEATEN SAC STATE IN THE LAST THREE CAUSEWAY CLASSICS. AGAIN, WE’LL HAVE TO SEE IF THIS IS REALLY THE FINAL TIME THAT THESE TWO TEAMS PLAY AGAINST EACH OTHER. I KNOW FOLKS WANT TO SEE THEM KEEP PLAYING, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE BEEN PART OF THIS RIVALRY FOR SO MANY YEARS. WELL, STILL AHEAD IN THIS NEWSCAST. KCRA 3’S MICHELLE DAPPER AND SEAN CUNNINGHAM SPOKE WITH UC DAVIS HEAD COACH TIM PLOW AFTER