UC DAVIS AGGIES
Moving on up!

Illusive Nick Aprile breaks for a nice gain.

UC Davis enters its fifth year of collegiate football at the NCAA Division I FCS level and its final season as member of the Great West Conference. The Aggies will be looking to win a GWC title for the second time in three years before departing for the Big Sky Conference next year. UC Davis will join crosstown rival Sacramento State in the Big Sky, while Great West members Cal Poly, Southern Utah and North Dakota will also make the transition, making it a 13-team league.

This year's schedule has the Aggies playing two FCS opponents, starting with the season opener at Arizona State on Sept. 1 and a trip to Hawaii on Sept. 24.

UC Davis has high expectations for this season, returning eight starters on offense and eight on defense. Most notably, sophomore QB Randy Wright returns for the Aggies after being named the GWC Rookie of the Year a season ago. In 2010, Wright was the first freshman, redshirt or otherwise, to start at QB for UC Davis since 2000. He was also the first freshman to start every game at QB since 1960.

The Aggies have four captains for the 2011 season. Senior RB Josh Reese and junior C Ray Wilburn will lead the offense, while junior DE Bobby Erskine and junior LB Jordan Glass will hold down the defense.

Two of Wright's favorite targets this season will be WRs Anthony Soto and Tom Hemmingsen, who combined for 42 catches, 448 yards and four touchdowns last season. The Aggies are hoping for significant improvement in the run game, with junior TB Nick Aprile and Reese both back after leading the Aggies in rushing yards last season.

The offensive line was one of the more decorated groups from the 2010 season in postseason awards, boasting three All-Great West performers, two of which were first-team players. First-team Wilburn and second-team member Robert Ayotte (OT) both return in 2011 to lead a competitive bunch.

Defensively, there is a consensus among the UC Davis coaches that the 2011 Aggie secondary is one of the most talented and athletic groups in UC Davis' storied history. The continued growth of experienced underclassmen coupled with veteran leadership has the defensive backs feeling confident. Junior Kevyn Lewis and senior Patrick Shelton will be the Aggies' top safeties, while sophomore Jonathan Perkins and junior Jonathan Calhoun will start at corner.

The defensive line returns a mix of youth and veterans looking for breakout seasons as UC Davis aims for continued improvement in attacking opposing offenses. The Aggies also have a trio of linebackers in juniors Jordan Glass, Reece Ludwig and Byron Gruendl, who figure to be the top tacklers this season.

UC Davis expects another strong showing from their special teams, due largely in part to the experience of veterans Sean Kelley (K) and Colton Schmidt (P). Kelley, who has 35 career field goals and 72 career PATs, is the Great West Conference Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.