UC Davis wins first FCS playoff, beats Northern Iowa 23-16
DAVIS, Calif. -- Jake Maier threw for 310 yards and a touchdown and UC Davis beat Northern Iowa 23-16 on Saturday night in the second round of the FCS playoffs.
It was the first FCS playoff appearance for No. 6 seed UC Davis (10-2), which will play at third-seeded Eastern Washington (10-2) in a quarterfinal next Saturday. The Aggies lost 59-20 at EWU on Nov. 10.
Tehran Thomas had 87 yards rushing on 13 carries, and Ulonzo Gilliam added 48 yards and a touchdown run for UC Davis. Max O'Rourke made three of his four field goal attempts.
Eli Dunne was 22-of-40 passing for 273 yards and threw two interceptions for Northern Iowa (7-6). Trevor Allen ran for 62 yards and a touchdown. Austin Errthum made 3 of 5 field goals.
Maier tossed a 4-yard pass to Wesley Preece for the only touchdown in the first half, and the Aggies led 16-6.
Gilliam's 1-yard run stretched the lead to 23-6, and UNI answered when Allen bullied in from the 1 to cap a six-play, 74-yard drive midway through the third quarter.
Errthum's 45-yard field goal with 14:09 left capped the scoring. The Panthers' last two drives ended with a missed field goal, and a turnover on downs at the UC Davis 36.
It was the first meeting between the schools.
Game Information
2024 Missouri Valley Football Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota State | 7-1 | 13-2 |
| South Dakota State | 7-1 | 12-3 |
| South Dakota | 7-1 | 11-3 |
| Missouri State | 6-2 | 8-4 |
| Illinois State | 6-2 | 10-4 |
| Youngstown State | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Indiana State | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| North Dakota | 2-6 | 5-7 |
| Southern Illinois | 2-6 | 4-8 |
| Northern Iowa | 1-7 | 3-9 |
| Murray State | 0-8 | 1-11 |
2024 Big Sky Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Montana State | 8-0 | 15-0 |
| UC Davis | 7-1 | 11-3 |
| Idaho | 6-2 | 10-4 |
| Northern Arizona | 6-2 | 8-5 |
| Montana | 5-3 | 9-5 |
| Idaho State | 3-5 | 5-7 |
| Eastern Washington | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Weber State | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Portland State | 3-5 | 3-8 |
| Cal Poly | 2-6 | 3-8 |
| Sacramento State | 1-7 | 3-9 |
| Northern Colorado | 1-7 | 1-11 |
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