OGDEN — For the second straight home game, the Weber State Wildcats teased their fans with the possibility of winning a game.
And for the second straight home game, the Wildcats came up short. After coming from 18 points down at the half to take a one-point lead in the fourth quarter, Weber State lost a winnable game to UC Davis, 31- 29. The loss drops the Wildcats to 0-3 on the season with Big Sky play starting next Saturday at Northern Arizona. WSU coach Jerry Graybeal said the difference was discipline — UC Davis had it and Weber State didn't.
"They beat us because they were more disciplined," Graybeal said. "Their coach came up to me and said 'nice comeback.' It was more like, 'nice gift that we just handed you.'"
Weber State got a solid start when defensive lineman Brady Fosmark returned a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown. Kicker Joe Johnson added the first of four field goals and the Wildcats were holding their own.
But with new starting quarterback Jeff Fowler and several other players playing new positions, the Wildcats fell behind 28-10 at the half because both the offense and the defense failed to adjust to the Aggies' schemes. UC Davis seized the opportunity to make some big plays. Aggie's quarterback Jon Grant connected with receivers on passes of 84, 11 and 65 yards to make the score 21-10. Then punt returner Jesse Oliva made the Wildcats look silly as he weaved through several tacklers for an 85-yard touchdown to close out he half.
Graybeal said it must have been easy for the Aggies with the Wildcat offense struggling to make a first down.
"They big-played us," Graybeal said of the first half. "And we never answered on offense."
But one half was just what Fowler needed to get the jitters out and find his rhythm. The senior quarterback, originally a walk-on, sparked the team with a 13-play drive that led to a 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end Drew Dukeshire. The defense also responded with several defensive stops and two interceptions that allowed the offense to move the ball and score. Johnson added two more field goals and in the fourth quarter, the score was cut to 28-22. The comeback was capped with 10:17 to go in the game as Fowler hooked up with receiver Mike Mathis for a 69-yard bomb to make it 29-28.
But the lead was short-lived. After failing to make a first down, WSU punter Wyatt Kennah was tackled deep in Wildcat territory while trying to punt. The miscue led to an Emmanuel Benjamin 22-yard field goal and the game for the Aggies.
UC Davis quarterback Jon Grant finished the game with 311 yards passing and three touchdowns. Receivers' O.J. Swanigan and Kevin Freeman both finished with more than 100 yards receiving and one touchdown each. Fowler finished with 300 yards passing, three interceptions and two touchdowns. Mathis caught five passes for 134 yards and one touchdown. Running back Nick Chournos finished with 85 yards on 27 carries. Chournos also lost 19 yards rushing, the most he's ever had in a single game. More than anything, the team was disappointed with the opportunities it missed.
"We left a lot of points on the field," Fowler said. "We could have done more."
Other Wildcats said the game was reminiscent of the opening loss to Southern Utah on Sept. 4. In that game, WSU still had changes to win despite several mistakes. Weber State can only hope the lessons learned from these losses will prepare them for the Big Sky opener next week at Northern Arizona.
"We're 0-3, but could be 2-1," Fosmark said. "It's disappointing that we haven't put together a complete game. But this should help us at NAU."