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Battle for the Golden Horseshoe

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Battle for the Golden Horseshoe
SportFootball
First meetingNovember 4, 1939
Northern Branch, 28–0
Latest meetingOctober 12, 2024
UC Davis, 56-10
Next meetingOctober 4, 2025
TrophyThe Golden Horseshoe
Statistics
Meetings total50
All-time seriesUC Davis leads 28–20–2
Trophy seriesUC Davis leads 14–7
Largest victoryUC Davis: 73–24 (2021)
Longest win streak8 - UC Davis
Current win streakUC Davis, 8 (2017–present)
Locations of Cal Poly and UC Davis
The present-day Battle for the Golden Horseshoe trophy is shown in San Luis Obispo, California in 2023 before the annual college football rivalry game between Cal Poly and UC Davis.
The present-day Battle for the Golden Horseshoe trophy is shown in San Luis Obispo, California in 2023 before the annual college football rivalry game between Cal Poly and UC Davis.

The Battle for the Golden Horseshoe is an annual rivalry college football game played between the UC Davis Aggies and the Cal Poly Mustangs.[1]

History

[edit]

Although the two teams have met on the gridiron since 1939, the rivalry officially began in name with the 2004 game at Cal Poly. The winner of the game receives the Golden Horseshoe Trophy, which was also created in 2004 for the inaugural game.[2]

Due to a misunderstanding, both schools constructed a trophy for the rivalry and brought it to the inaugural game. The teams decided that the rivalry would adopt the trophy created by the winner of that game; UC Davis won 36–33 and was therefore allowed to make its trophy the official one to be exchanged in all subsequent meetings.[3][4]

UC Davis won the trophy in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, March 2021, October 2021, 2022, and 2023 while Cal Poly took it in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. UC Davis leads the all-time series 27–20–2.

There is also controversy regarding the addition of gems to the trophy after each win. The Mustang Maniacs (today known as the Stang Gang after a student vote[5]), the student group who holds the trophy while it is under Cal Poly's control, added blue and green gems to the trophy from 2006 to 2008. But when the Aggie Pack regained control of the trophy in 2009, they removed the gems, wishing to keep the trophy in its original condition.[6]

Both programs are based in California, and both are primarily members of the non-football sponsoring Big West Conference, while their football teams both play within the Big Sky Conference.

Additionally, there are many key differences between the two institutions: UC Davis is located in northern California and is a member of the University of California system, while Cal Poly is located in southern California and is part of the California State University system, giving the rivalry an element of culture clash.

The initial game in 1939 in Davis was broadcast all the way back to the Central Coast via Sacramento-area radio station 1500 AM KFBK.[7] Some 200 Cal Poly supporters, including the band, made the trip north for the first matchup between the "so-called brother institution(s)".[8]

Upon resumption of the rivalry in 1976, the first post-World War II installment in the series was initially billed as the Aggie Bowl,[9] given the "strong agriculture-oriented curriculums at both universities," per the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

This balance of similarities and differences has given the rivalry a basis in respect between both institutions for their academic statures as well as often recruiting the same players.[10] After being hired by Army, former Cal Poly head coach Rich Ellerson compared the spirit of the Mustangs' rivalry with UC Davis to the rivalry between Army and Navy, commenting to the Times Herald-Record: "We had a rivalry at Cal Poly with UC Davis, and I always would try to invoke the kind of rivalry we have with Army-Navy: a rivalry that's founded on respect as opposed to disdain."[11]

Game results

[edit]
Cal Poly victoriesUC Davis victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinning teamLosing team
1 November 4, 1939 Davis, CA UC Davis28 Cal Poly0
2 November 16, 1940 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly20 UC Davis 7
3 November 20, 1976 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly26 UC Davis 14
4 November 11, 1978 Davis, CA #6 UC Davis 29 #3 Cal Poly22
5 September 29, 1979 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly31 UC Davis 10
6 September 28, 1980 Davis, CA Cal Poly28 UC Davis 25
7 October 17, 1981 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly 30 UC Davis 0
8 October 9, 1982 Davis, CA UC Davis 24 Cal Poly 0
9 October 8, 1983 San Luis Obispo, CA #4 UC Davis 24 #9 Cal Poly 14
10 September 29, 1984 Davis, CA UC Davis 10 Cal Poly 6
11 September 28, 1985 San Luis Obispo, CA #7 UC Davis 34 Cal Poly 21
12 September 20, 1986 Davis, CA #4 UC Davis 32 Cal Poly 21
13 October 3, 1987 San Luis Obispo, CA #18 Cal Poly 41 #12 UC Davis 0
14 October 29, 1988 Davis, CA Tie21Tie21
15 October 28, 1989 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly 28 #12 UC Davis 21
16 October 6, 1990 Davis, CA Cal Poly 19 UC Davis 0
17 September 14, 1991 San Luis Obispo, CA UC Davis 31 #17 Cal Poly 28
18 October 10, 1992 Davis, CA Tie31Tie31
19 September 11, 1993 Davis, CA UC Davis 37 Cal Poly 26
20 October 15, 1994 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly 32 #16 UC Davis 31
21 November 11, 1995 Davis, CA UC Davis 34 Cal Poly 31
22 November 12, 1996 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly 17 #12 UC Davis 13
23 September 6, 1997 Davis, CA Cal Poly 20 #7 UC Davis 19
24 October 3, 1998 San Luis Obispo, CA #7 UC Davis 34 Cal Poly 24
25 October 23, 1999 Davis, CA #8 UC Davis 31 Cal Poly 24
26 October 21, 2000 San Luis Obispo, CA #1 UC Davis 63 Cal Poly 28
No.DateLocationWinning teamLosing team
27 October 20, 2001 Davis, CA Cal Poly 31 #10 UC Davis 28
28 October 26, 2002 San Luis Obispo, CA #5 UC Davis 28 Cal Poly 14
29 November 8, 2003 Davis, CA Cal Poly 18 UC Davis 14
30 October 30, 2004 San Luis Obispo, CA UC Davis 36 #11 Cal Poly 33
31 October 29, 2005 Davis, CA UC Davis 20 #10 Cal Poly 13
32 October 7, 2006 San Luis Obispo, CA #5 Cal Poly 23 #16 UC Davis 17
33 October 13, 2007 Davis, CA #22 Cal Poly 63 UC Davis 28
34 November 15, 2008 San Luis Obispo, CA #3 Cal Poly 51 UC Davis 28
35 November 6, 2009 Davis, CA UC Davis 23 Cal Poly 10
36 November 13, 2010 San Luis Obispo, CA UC Davis 22 #19 Cal Poly 21
37 November 5, 2011 Davis, CA UC Davis 24 Cal Poly 17
38 September 22, 2012 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly 28 UC Davis 20
39 November 2, 2013 Davis, CA Cal Poly 34 UC Davis 16
40 November 15, 2014 San Luis Obispo, CA UC Davis 48 Cal Poly 35
41 November 13, 2015 Davis, CA Cal Poly 55 UC Davis 38
42 October 22, 2016 San Luis Obispo, CA #17 Cal Poly 21 UC Davis 16
43 October 28, 2017 Davis, CA UC Davis 31 Cal Poly 28
44 October 20, 2018 San Luis Obispo, CA #10 UC Davis 52 Cal Poly 10
45 October 12, 2019 Davis, CA #24 UC Davis 48 Cal Poly 24
46 March 20, 2021 Davis, CA #21 UC Davis 73 Cal Poly 24
47 October 23, 2021 San Luis Obispo, CA #10 UC Davis 24 Cal Poly 13
48 October 29, 2022 Davis, CA UC Davis 59 Cal Poly 17
49 September 30, 2023 San Luis Obispo, CA #20 UC Davis 31 Cal Poly 13
50 October 12, 2024 Davis, CA #6 UC Davis 56 Cal Poly 10
Series: UC Davis leads 28–20–2

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bill Paterson (October 31, 2013). "UC Davis-Cal Poly rivalry intense". Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  2. ^ Milne, Brian (October 13, 2007). "College Notebook: Battle for the Horseshoe Continues". The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA). pp. S3.
  3. ^ "Battle for the Golden Horseshoe". Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  4. ^ "Cal Poly SLO Mustangs Official Athletics Website". Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  5. ^ "Stang Gang". Cal Poly. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "Football Looks to Reclaim the Golden Horseshoe from UC Davis". Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  7. ^ "Poly-Aggie Game Will Be Broadcast". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. November 2, 1939. p. 9.
  8. ^ Kaime, Dick (November 6, 1939). "Cal Aggies Defeat Cal Poly 28 to 0: Annual Contest May Develop Between Schools". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. p. 5.
  9. ^ "Poly eleven still has bowl hopes". The San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. November 17, 1976. pp. B-2.
  10. ^ AmandaSedo (September 16, 2010). "Football looks to reclaim the 'Golden Horseshoe' from UC Davis". Mustang News. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  11. ^ Army football's new head coach: Rich Ellerson, retrieved July 6, 2022