UC Davis is back in the national DIAA final after beating Arkansas 32-15 Sunday in the national semifinal.

This was a hugely intense game with both sides hitting hard and fighting tooth and nail.

“Last year we were too beat up by the time the playoffs came,” said Arkansas Coach Warren Fyfe. “But this year, they knew they were in a game, for sure.”

Davis Coach Kal Incendy agreed.

“Arkansas are a rugged, rugged team and they made us fight for it all,” said Incendy.

David took an early lead, and in fact led throughout the game. Using their snappy kicking game and some solid play from Bryce Ackerman, Maia Silva, and Christian Lonsky, Davis led 20-10 at halftime. Ackerman, Silva, and Lonsky, the deep three of the Aggies, contributed four tries on the day.

The halftime score, said Incendy, was too close for comfort, and it was even less comfortable after Arkansas scored once more to make it 20-15.

“But we dug deep,” said Incendy. “That’s been a hallmark of this team. Their competitive excellence, digging deep when they need to, is something that’s seen them through. We are a very cohesive team, and even when we get a yellow card, we keep working and playing together.”

Fyfe said his Razorbacks had some good scoring opportunities, but took too long to score, and missed a few. If they had converted on a couple in the first half, he said, Arkansas might have pulled it out. The halfback combo of Alec Rees and Jack Casey continued to play well for Arkansas, and center Vinnie Osmun also had a big day.

As it was, the teams were close at 25-15 late in the game when the Aggies worked from their own 22 and sent hooker Colten Collings on a long run to seal the game 32-15.

It was an exhausting game for both teams, and Arkansas can be rightly proud of a season that saw them finish undefeated in the Heart of America and beat Utah State to get to this stage.

“The problem for us is the lack of competition near us,” said Fyfe, whose Razorbacks can play Arkansas State on occasion, but don’t have other teams nearby. “So we play Utah State and they have a huge pack - huge - and it’s something new for us. Then UC Davis comes with their kicking game, and we don’t see that in the Heart of America, either. We work hard to get competition, but it’s tough, and that competition allows us to see different ways of playing the game.”

Davis now returns to the DIAA for the second year in a row, and this time will face Notre Dame College, which beat AIC 24-14 Sunday in Bowling Green.