Davis, Calif. – Quarterback Jon Grant passed for 279 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards Saturday as Cal-Davis claimed a share of the Great West Conference championship by beating Northern Colorado 24-14.
It was the final game of the season for UNC (4-7, 0-5).
Tony Kays caught eight passes for 125 yards to help the Aggies (6-5, 4-1) secure their 36th consecutive winning season and a first-place tie with Cal Poly.
Cal-Davis totaled 461 yards to the Bears’ 259.
In the first quarter, Aggies tight end Daniel Fells caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Grant.
Junior wide receiver Andy Birkel, a transfer from Nebraska, had a 44-yard catch that set up running back Garrett Bliss’ 1-yard run to tie the game in the second quarter.
But the Aggies responded by marching 92 yards to score on Blaise Smith’s 10-yard catch from Grant for a 14-7 lead at halftime.
Cal-Davis extended its lead when running back Nelson Doris ran 5 yards for a touchdown and Emmanuel Benjamin kicked a 21-yard field goal in the third quarter.
UNC senior quarterback Nick Hager hit junior wide receiver Zac Carlson for a 27-yard touchdown that cut Cal-Davis’ lead to 24-14 early in the fourth quarter.
Birkel caught seven passes for 131 yards, while Hager, a former Rocky Mountain High School star, was 19-of-35 passing for 228 yards.
