{
  "id": 11334776,
  "title": "Why UC Davis game has become must win for Eastern Washington",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/why-uc-davis-game-has-become-must-win-for-eastern-washington",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-02T02:09:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-uc-davis-game-become-020900885.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For Eastern Washington, this weekend's game against UC Davis is a must-win situation. The Aggies defeated EWU twice during Smith's time at Texas A&M-Commerce, with a 48-10 win in 2023 and a 36-22 victory in 2024. Both teams recognize this win is crucial, with Smith expecting the Aggies to be motivated to rectify their past loss, while EWU aims to overcome their recent struggles. The Eagles have suffered a five-year playoff drought and dropped to 1-4 overall, including a 31-27 defeat to Cal Poly. UC Davis, on the other hand, suffered their most lopsided loss in a 62-22 defeat to Montana. Both teams are desperate for a victory, with EWU hoping to end their losing streak and UC Davis aiming to maintain their Big Sky Championship aspirations. The offensive issue for EWU has been scoring points, with the team punting twice and being intercepted twice in their last four drives against Cal Poly. Meanwhile, UC Davis allowed itself to be outgained 607-392 by Montana and failed to reach the red zone twice while converting on only 6 of 17 third downs. The stakes are high, as the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2, and both coaches emphasize the need for their teams to perform at their best.",
  "summary": "Oct. 1—During his four years on the coaching staff at Texas A&M-Commerce, Mike Smith twice coached against UC Davis, the program he and Eastern Washington will face this weekend in California. The Aggies won both games — 48-10 in 2023 and 36-22 in 2024 — and that was enough to leave an impression on Smith, now the defensive line coach at EWU. \"I expect, based on the coaching staff they have ...",
  "key_points": [
    "Eastern Washington must win against UC Davis to avoid playoff drought.",
    "UC Davis seeks to maintain Big Sky Championship aspirations.",
    "Game broadcast nationally on ESPN2, emphasizing teams' performance."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}