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Ogden • With Weber State and UC Davis unable to create a breakthrough of any kind, it was Wildcat receiver Joe Collins who remembered and lived up to the message he'd written on his taped wrists.
Quarterback Cameron Higgins threw Collins a reminder, as well as a 62-yard frozen rope, midway through the fourth quarter that cemented Weber State's 20-9 victory Saturday against the Aggies at Stewart Stadium.
"I said, 'Let's go Joe, make a play,' " said Higgins. "He did.
"I don't think they were used to the altitude. I could see it in their faces."
Collins' streak pattern left a burned Aggie defender in his wake and the Wildcats' second win of the season in his grasp.
"We can build off of what we did in the second half," said Wildcats coach Ron McBride, moments after his team's workmanlike effort. "This was a team victory."
Weber State may have left the field pleased with gaining a win, but the Wildcats also understand that there is plenty of work remaining before jumping into the meat of the Big Sky Conference schedule.
Weber State would be in great shape if the second half was all that concerned McBride. The Wildcats rolled up more than 300 yards and 17 points.
However, when McBride watches film, he'll also relive a lackluster first half as well as the Wildcats' overall poor performance in the red zone. Three times Weber State (2-2) had a first down inside the Aggies' (1-3) 10-yard line. All the Wildcats could muster was two field goals and an interception.
As good as Higgins was overall, completing 19 of 33 passes for 248 yards, his first-half performance amounted to only 41 passing yards.
McBride saw players jogging from the huddle to the offensive line. So, the Wildcats went no-huddle in the second half. If made all the difference.
"It felt like we had no rhythm," Higgins said about the first half. "We had single plays instead of a big concept."
Once WSU upped the tempo, "We started to control the tempo on both sides of the ball," McBride said.
Meanwhile, UC Davis, which gained 186 yards in the first two quarters, most of that on the ground, was pretty much shut down in the second half.
Weber State, which came out defending the Aggies' passing game, went back to its run defense. It forced UCD quarterback Randy Wright to win the game. He couldn't.
"Our guys held up real well," Davis coach Bob Biggs said. "We just didn't capitalize on the opportunities we had. It ended up being the difference in the game."
The tale of the first half was field position. Each score was more the result of where the drive started than the quality of offense. The Wildcats' lone scoring drive began on the Aggies' 41-yard line, thanks to a UCD gift on fourth down.
Nick Aprile, lined up in the wildcat and 1 yard to go for a first down, was flattened by his own teammate, Anthony Soto, who was in motion.
"Any time you can keep a team out of the end zone it's a credit to your defense not giving in," McBride said.
Weber State 20, UC Davis 9
UC Davis 0 6 0 3 — 9
Weber St. 3 0 7 10 — 20
First Quarter
Web • FG McClain 22, 8:04.
Second Quarter
UCDa • FG Kelley 42, 12:00.
UCDa • FG Kelley 24, :28.
Third Quarter
Web • Hoke 2 run (McClain kick), 6:53.
Fourth Quarter
UCDa • FG Kelley 42, 13:19.
Web • FG McClain 21, 8:10.
Web • Collins 60 pass from C.Higgins (McClain kick), 6:25.
Attendance • 10,221.
UCDa Web
First downs 16 18
Rushes-yards 34-106 36-158
Passing 192 248
Comp-Att-Int 19-39-0 19-33-1
Return Yards (-1) (-2)
Punts-Avg. 7-38.4 6-41.8
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 5-40 8-71
Time of Possession 33:44 26:16
Individual Statistics
Rushing • UC Davis, Reese 16-75, Aprile 9-28, Cutshaw 3-13, Soto 2-10, Wright 4-(minus 20). Weber St., Bolen 17-88, Booker 6-49, Tafuna 7-22, Hoke 1-2, Eldridge 1-(minus 1), Team 4-(minus 2).
Passing • UC Davis, Wright 19-39-0-192. Weber St., C.Higgins 19-33-1-248.
Receiving • UC Davis, Creadick 9-100, Rogers 4-40, Reese 3-24, Cody 1-11, Soto 1-9, Dunstan 1-8. Weber St., Bolen 4-24, Collins 3-73, Phillips 3-49, Kaimikaua 3-46, E.Walker 2-19, Eldridge 2-13, Raught 1-13, Booker 1-11. —
Highlights
R Weber State scores two touchdowns and gains 319 total yards in the second half.
• WSU ices the game when receiver Joe Collins hauls in a 62-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.
• Weber State holds UC Davis without a touchdown and just three field goals.