Inside UC Davis’ incredible comeback win over Portland State

UC Davis football could hardly have drawn up a worse first half to begin the 2026 season.

The Aggies went into halftime trailing Portland State 21-0 on the road Saturday, but head coach Tim Plough’s team never panicked. UC Davis responded by outscoring the Vikings 31-3 after halftime, completing a remarkable 31-24 comeback to open the season 1-0.

Plough joined Carmichael Dave and Jason Ross this week and explained that he didn’t need to deliver some dramatic halftime speech. His players were already doing the talking.

“When I got in the locker room, the truth was I was sitting there by myself, kind of looking at the game plan, and all I could hear was our team was talking to each other,” Plough said. “They kept telling each other, ‘Hey, you got to believe we’re going to win this game. This is what we’re capable of doing.’”

Plough was struck by the confidence coming from his players despite the three-touchdown deficit.

“They were the ones that were telling each other that they were gonna win the game,” he said. “I remember sitting there listening to that in the other room, just thinking, man, even if we don’t win, I already feel like we’ve done a great job as a staff because these guys believe.”

UC Davis football

More on UC Davis football’s comeback win

Plough’s message when he finally addressed the team was simple: They weren’t getting 21 points back at once.

“I don’t have a play worth 21 points on the sheet,” Plough recalled telling his players. “So let’s just see if we can score one drive at a time, make some plays, and if we get back into the game and it gets close, I know we’ll win.”

That confidence extended to quarterback Treynor Cleeland, who was making his first start for UC Davis. While Cleeland’s first-half numbers weren’t pretty, Plough felt the young quarterback was executing the offense better than the results suggested.

“We just kept telling him, like, hey man, if you keep doing this the right way, like you’re doing, eventually it’s going to go your way,” Plough said.

Cleeland eventually found his rhythm, finishing with 287 passing yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning 22-yard strike to Laviel Pickett with 27 seconds remaining.

Plough believes UC Davis’ offseason work also showed up as the game progressed.

“This has been the hardest-working team I’ve ever coached,” Plough said. “We’ve worked so hard. Eventually, this is going to go our way.”

The Aggies stayed the course–and were rewarded with one of the most memorable season-opening victories imaginable.

Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PDT, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.

More UC Davis football content from Sactown Sports

• What A Comeback! UC Davis Wins Opener At Portland State, 31-24
• Position Preview: Inside the 2026 Aggie Offense
• Position Preview: Defensive Leaders Return for UC Davis

2026 UC Davis Football Schedule

• Saturday, September 5th – @ San Diego – 7:00 PM PT
• Saturday, September 12th – @ SMU – 1:00 PM PT
• Saturday, September 19th – vs. Stetson – 7:00 PM PT
• Saturday, September 26th – vs. Montana – 7:00 PM PT
• Saturday, October 3rd – vs. Eastern Washington – 7:30 PM PT

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