UC Davis, the No. 5 seed, triumphed over 12th-seeded Illinois State with a decisive 42-10 victory in the second round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday.

This marks the Aggies’ first playoff win since 2018 and the inaugural postseason victory for head coach Tim Plough.

With this win, UC Davis, now with a record of 10-2, is set to face No. 4 seed South Dakota, also sporting a 10-2 record, in the upcoming quarterfinal match.

Illinois State started strong with quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse connecting an 8-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Kasper during their opening drive.

However, UC Davis quickly took charge with four consecutive touchdowns, establishing a comfortable 28-10 lead by halftime.

In a strong showing, Miles Hastings threw two more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, completing 25 of 33 attempts for a remarkable 403 yards and three touchdowns to different receivers.

C.J. Hutton was a standout for the Aggies, catching seven passes for a total of 104 yards, including a notable 10-yard touchdown reception.

Lan Larison also made significant contributions, rushing for 104 yards on seven carries, which featured a standout 27-yard touchdown run amidst his shorter scoring runs.

For Illinois State, Rittenhouse completed 30 of 48 passes for 233 yards, with Kasper making 11 receptions for 73 yards and Daniel Sobkowicz catching 10 passes for 111 yards.