Aggies crush Illinois State, 42-10, move on to FCS quarterfinals
No. 5 UC Davis heads to Vermillion to take on No. 4 South Dakota
UC Davis trailed briefly, but then roared away for a convincing 42-10 win over outmanned Illinois State in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoff Saturday afternoon at UC Davis Health Stadium.
The win advances the No. 5 Aggies to a quarterfinal date next Saturday at No. 4 South Dakota in the DakotaDome on the USD campus in Vermillion. Game time is noon (PST).
South Dakota advanced with a 41-31 win over No. 13 Tarleton State.
"We had good balance with the offense and the defense," said Aggie head coach Tim Plough, who has now taken his charges into the FCS quarterfinals in his first season leading his alma mater.
Ironically, Plough was recruited by Illinois State after a standout high school career in San Diego, but ultimately chose UC Davis.
"At this point, it's survive and advance and we did," Plough added.
"There are eight teams left and we're proud to be one of them."
The Aggies' 1-2 punch of Lan Larison and Miles Hastings proved to be too much for the Redbird defense as UCD was almost unstoppable after going three-and-out on its first possession.
Illinois State jumped to a 7-0 lead on its first possession, driving 61 yards in little more than two minutes and appeared ready to give the Aggies everything they could handle.
After stopping the Aggies on fourth down on UCD's second possession, ISU moved into position to kick a 46-yard field goal and take a two-score lead, but the kick was blocked and shortly thereafter UCD took control on both sides of the ball.
A one-yard TD run by Larison capped a 67-yard drive and tied the game 7-7, then the Aggies took the lead for good when Hastings found C.J. Hutton with a 10-yard scoring strike on the first play of the second quarter. It was Hutton's third reception on the 4-play, 72-yard drive and UCD never looked back.
Hutton finished the day with seven catches for 104 yards to lead all Aggie receivers.
Larison would score twice more before the half was over, the first on a 27-yard run that capped an 85-yard drive and the second on a two-yard scamper at the end of an 80-yard drive.