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American college football season
The 2023 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season . Led by first-year head coach Andy Thompson , the Hornets played home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California .
Previously the Hornets' defensive coordinator for four seasons under Troy Taylor , Thompson was promoted in December 2022 after Taylor left for Stanford University .[ 1]
On July 23, 2023, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Hornets were predicted to finish third in the Big Sky by the coaches and fourth by the media.[ 2]
Coaches poll
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Montana State
120 (10)
2
UC Davis
96 (1)
3
Sacramento State
94 (1)
4
Weber State
91
5
Idaho
89
6
Montana
84
7
Eastern Washington
52
8
Portland State
45
9
Northern Arizona
44
10
Northern Colorado
37
11
Cal Poly
25
12
Idaho State
15
Media poll
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Montana State
447 (26)
2
Idaho
410 (8)
3
Montana
359 (2)
4
Sacramento State
334 (3)
5
UC Davis
330
6
Weber State
320
7
Eastern Washington
216
8
Northern Arizona
178
9
Portland State
167
10
Northern Colorado
109
11
Cal Poly
103
12
Idaho State
69
Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance 4:00 p.m. at Nicholls * No. 10 ESPN+ W 38–24 5,134
September 9 7:00 p.m. Texas A&M–Commerce * No. 9 KMAX-TV /ESPN+W 34–612,316
September 16 5:00 p.m. at Stanford * No. 8 P12N W 30–2323,848
September 23 1:00 p.m. at No. 7 Idaho No. 4 KMAX-TV/ESPN+ L 27–36 9,433
September 30 6:00 p.m. Northern Arizona No. 8 Hornet Stadium Sacramento, CA KMAX-TV/ESPN+ W 31–3012,549
October 14 12:00 p.m. at Northern Colorado No. 4 ESPN+ W 21–134,783
October 21 7:30 p.m. No. 2 Montana State No. 3 Hornet Stadium Sacramento, CA ESPN2 L 30–4216,122
October 28 6:00 p.m. Idaho State No. 6 Hornet Stadium Sacramento, CA KMAX-TV/ESPN+ W 51–1613,733
November 4 5:00 p.m. at No. 4 Montana No. 7 KMAX-TV/ESPN+ L 7–3425,888
November 11 2:00 p.m. Cal Poly No. 9 Hornet Stadium Sacramento, CA KMAX-TV/ESPN+ W 41–3012,022
November 18 12:00 p.m. at UC Davis No. 8 ESPN+ L 21–3111,622
November 25 10:00 a.m. at No. 12 North Dakota * No. 15 ESPN+ W 42–356,522
December 2 11:00 a.m. at No. 3 South Dakota * No. 15 ESPN+ L 24–346,288
*Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Pacific time
[ 3] [ 4]
No. 10 Sacramento State Hornets (0–0) at Nicholls Colonels (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 10 Hornets
7
10
7 14 38
Colonels
0
3
7 14 24
at Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium , Thibodaux, LA
Date : Game time : 4:00 p.m. PST Game weather : SunnyGame attendance : 5,134Referee : James BrookhardTV announcers (ESPN+ ) : Play-by-Play: Jack Benjamin • Analysis: Wayde KeiserSources:[ 5] [ 6]
Game information
First Quarter
(10:01) SAC – Marcus Fulcher 5-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 4:59; Sacramento State 7–0 )
Second Quarter
(13:16) SAC – Marcus Fulcher 1-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 2:04; Sacramento State 14–0 )
(6:34) SAC – Zach Schreiner 23-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 2:46; Sacramento State 17–0 )
(0:21) NICH – Gavin Lasseigne 30-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 3:07; Sacramento State 17–3 )
Third Quarter
(7:16) NICH – Pat McQuaide 4-yard run (Gavin Lasseigne kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 12 yards, 1:12; Sacramento State 17–10 )
(1:05) SAC – Jared Gipson 40-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 1:58; Sacramento State 24–10 )
Fourth Quarter
(12:43) SAC – Kaiden Bennett 7-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:06; Sacramento State 31–10 )
(10:13) SAC – Anderson Grover 6-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 1 play, 6 yards, 0:06; Sacramento State 38–10 )
(7:26) NICH – Jaylon Spears 3-yard run (Gavin Lasseigne kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 2:06; Sacramento State 38–17 )
(1:40) NICH – Terry Matthews 84-yard pass from Pat McQuaide (Gavin Lasseigne kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 96 yards, 1:08; Sacramento State 38–24 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
SAC
NICH
First downs
22
18
Total yards
441
293
Rushing yards
185
97
Passing yards
256
196
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
16–27–1
15–29–1
Time of possession
33:11
26:49
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Sacramento State
Passing
Kaiden Bennett
11/16, 221 yards, 2 TD
Rushing
Marcus Fulcher
19 carries, 71 yards, 2 TD
Receiving
Devin Gandy
3 receptions, 82 yards
Nicholls
Passing
Pat McQuaide
15/29, 196 yards, TD, INT
Rushing
Collin Guggenheim
16 carries, 74 yards
Receiving
Terry Matthews
1 reception, 84 yards
Texas A&M–Commerce Lions (0–1) at No. 9 Sacramento State Hornets (1–0) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Lions
0
6
0 0 6
No. 9 Hornets
10
17
7 0 34
at Hornet Stadium , Sacramento, CA
Date : September 9, 2023Game time : 7:00 p.m. PST Game weather : 85 °F (29 °C) • NE 7 mph • SunnyGame attendance : 12,316Referee : Scott RootTV announcers (KMAX-TV /ESPN+) : Play-by-Play: Jason Ross • Analysis: Darren ArbetSources:[ 7] [ 8]
Game information
First Quarter
(10:01) SAC – Kaiden Bennett 8-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:45; Sacramento State 7–0 )
(4:13) SAC – Zach Schreiner 33-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 3:50; Sacramento State 10–0 )
Second Quarter
(11:16) SAC – Chris Miller 16-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 5:51; Sacramento State 17–0 )
(7:17) SAC – Kaiden Bennett 40-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 83 yards, 1:53; Sacramento State 24–0 )
(0:41) TAMC – Peter Parrish 1-yard run (Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 0:25; Sacramento State 24–6 )
(0:00) SAC – Zach Schreiner 40-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 0:36; Sacramento State 27–6 )
Third Quarter
(8:47) SAC – Marcus Fulcher 5-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:59; Sacramento State 34–6 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
TAMC
SAC
First downs
13
28
Total yards
216
503
Rushing yards
144
311
Passing yards
72
192
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
13–27–1
17–26–1
Time of possession
29:08
30:52
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Texas A&M–Commerce
Passing
Peter Parrish
12/25, 63 yards, INT
Rushing
Reggie Branch
14 carries, 65 yards
Receiving
Micaelous Elder
6 receptions, 33 yards
Sacramento State
Passing
Kaiden Bennett
14/22, 176 yards, TD, INT
Rushing
10 carries, 101 yards, 2 TD
Receiving
Coleman Kuntz
4 receptions, 68 yards
No. 8 Sacramento State Hornets (2–0) at Stanford Cardinal (1–1) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 8 Hornets
3
14
3 10 30
Cardinal
7
7
3 6 23
at Stanford Stadium , Stanford, CA
Date : September 16, 2023Game time : 5:00 p.m. PST Game weather : 72 °F (22 °C) • W 15 mph • SunnyGame attendance : 23,848Referee : Justin ElliottTV announcers (P12N ) : Play-by-Play: Elise Woodward • Analysis: Greg CamarilloSources:[ 9] [ 10] [ 11]
Game information
First Quarter
(6:34) STAN – Casey Filkins 1-yard run (Joshua Karty kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:30; Stanford 7–0 )
(0:44) SAC – Zach Schreiner 24-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 5:50; Stanford 7–3 )
Second Quarter
(13:07) STAN – Elic Ayomanor 51-yard pass from Ashton Daniels (Joshua Karty kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 2:31; Stanford 14–3 )
(6:01) SAC – Elijah Tau-Tolliver 1-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:33; Stanford 14–10 )
(0:35) SAC – Kaiden Bennett 2-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 4:21; Sacramento State 17–14 )
Third Quarter
(10:35) STAN – Joshua Karty 41-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:19; Tied 17–17 )
(2:25) SAC – Zach Schreiner 22-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 2:31; Sacramento State 20–17 )
Fourth Quarter
(13:30) STAN – Joshua Karty 40-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:55; Tied 20–20 )
(8:53) STAN – Joshua Karty 39-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 2:51; Stanford 23–20 )
(4:13) SAC – Zach Schreiner 44-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:40; Tied 23–23 )
(1:32) SAC – Marcus Fulcher 49-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 0:51; Sacramento State 30–23 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
SAC
STAN
First downs
23
18
Total yards
448
387
Rushing yards
169
180
Passing yards
279
207
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
21–33–2
11–24–2
Time of possession
30:57
29:03
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Sacramento State
Passing
Kaiden Bennett
21/33, 279 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing
13 carries, 100 yards, TD
Receiving
Devin Gandy
5 receptions, 64 yards
Stanford
Passing
Justin Lamson
7/17, 138 yards, INT
Rushing
E. J. Smith
9 carries, 71 yards
Receiving
Elic Ayomanor
4 receptions, 89 yards, TD
No. 4 Sacramento State Hornets (3–0) at No. 7 Idaho Vandals (2–1) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 4 Hornets
3
7
7 10 27
No. 7 Vandals
3
10
14 9 36
at Kibbie Dome , Moscow, ID
Date : September 23, 2023Game time : 1:00 p.m. PST Game weather : Sunny, IndoorsGame attendance : 9,433Referee : Jake IversonTV announcers (KMAX-TV/ESPN+) : Play-by-Play: Dennis Patchin • Analysis: Ryan PhillipsSources:[ 12] [ 13]
Game information
First Quarter
(7:02) IDHO – Ricardo Chavez 29-yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 49 yards, 7:58; Idaho 3–0 )
(2:19) SAC – Zach Schreiner 36-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 4:39; Tied 3–3 )
Second Quarter
(7:19) IDHO – Anthony Woods 2-yard run (Ricardo Chavez kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 7:03; Idaho 10–3 )
(1:26) IDHO – Ricardo Chavez 50-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 4:08; Idaho 13–3 )
(0:31) SAC – Austin Jarrard 5-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 0:55; Idaho 13–10 )
Third Quarter
(10:39) IDHO – Turon Ivy Jr. 52-yard pass from Gevani McCoy (Ricardo Chavez kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 3:00; Idaho 20–10 )
(7:35) SAC – Marcus Fulcher 2-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:04; Idaho 20–17 )
(0:18) IDHO – Terez Traynor 60-yard pass from Gevani McCoy (Ricardo Chavez kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 91 yards, 3:04; Idaho 27–17 )
Fourth Quarter
(11:00) SAC – Zach Schreiner 44-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 4:12; Idaho 27–20 )
(4:54) SAC – Marcus Fulcher 11-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 2:13; Tied 27–27 )
(0:01) IDHO – Ricardo Chavez 30-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 4:46; Idaho 30–27 )
(0:00) IDHO – Turon Ivy Jr. 6-yard fumble return (Idaho 36–27 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
SAC
IDHO
First downs
18
21
Total yards
305
412
Rushing yards
69
178
Passing yards
236
234
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
15–29–0
15–21–0
Time of possession
21:21
38:39
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Sacramento State
Passing
Kaiden Bennett
15/29, 236 yards, 2 TD
Rushing
Marcus Fulcher
10 carries, 44 yards, TD
Receiving
Jared Gipson
3 receptions, 91 yards
Idaho
Passing
Gevani McCoy
15/21, 234 yards, 2 TD
Rushing
Anthony Woods
24 carries, 117 yards, TD
Receiving
Hayden Hatten
7 receptions, 72 yards
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (1–3) at No. 8 Sacramento State Hornets (3–1) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Lumberjacks
7
14
7 2 30
No. 8 Hornets
14
10
0 7 31
at Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, CA
Date : September 30, 2023Game time : 6:00 p.m. PST Game weather : 67 °F (19 °C) • 0 mph • CloudyGame attendance : 12,549Referee : Gregg WilsonTV announcers (KMAX-TV/ESPN+) : Play-by-Play: Jason Ross • Analysis: Darren ArbetSources:[ 14] [ 15]
Game information
First Quarter
(11:54) NAU – Chase Belcher 3-yard run (Marcus Lye kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 1:37; Northern Arizona 7–0 )
(8:36) SAC – Carlos Hill 16-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:18; Tied 7–7 )
(1:32) SAC – Elijah Tau-Tolliver 3-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 4:58; Sacramento State 14–7 )
Second Quarter
(14:29) NAU – Devon Starling 8-yard run (Marcus Lye kick failed) (Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 1:58; Sacramento State 14–13 )
(8:08) NAU – Coleman Owen 19-yard pass from Adam Damante (Adam Damante pass to Devon Starling for two-point conversion) (Drive: 8 plays, 98 yards, 4:05; Northern Arizona 21–14 )
(5:25) SAC – Zeke Burnett 7-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 2:38; Tied 21–21 )
(1:22) SAC – Zach Schreiner 31-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 32 yards, 3:09; Sacramento State 24–21 )
Third Quarter
(7:55) NAU – Devon Starling 8-yard run (Szymon Gawlick kick) (Drive: 16 plays, 99 yards, 6:54; Northern Arizona 28–24 )
Fourth Quarter
(8:31) SAC – Coleman Kuntz 2-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 18 plays, 81 yards, 6:54; Sacramento State 31–28 )
(0:02) NAU – Team Safety (Drive: 4 plays, -13 yards, 1:34; Sacramento State 31–30 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
NAU
SAC
First downs
21
25
Total yards
450
418
Rushing yards
195
161
Passing yards
255
257
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
24–34–1
18–27–0
Time of possession
30:13
29:47
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Northern Arizona
Passing
Adam Damante
23/33, 196 yards, TD, INT
Rushing
Devon Starling
21 carries, 117 yards, 2 TD
Receiving
Elijah Taylor
2 receptions, 73 yards
Sacramento State
Passing
Kaiden Bennett
18/27, 257 yards, TD
Rushing
22 carries, 76 yards
Receiving
Jared Gipson
5 receptions, 108 yards
at Northern Colorado [ edit ]
No. 4 Sacramento State Hornets (4–1) at Northern Colorado Bears (0–5) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 4 Hornets
14
0
7 0 21
Bears
3
7
0 3 13
at Nottingham Field , Greeley, CO
Date : October 14, 2023Game time : 12:00 p.m. PST Game weather : SunnyGame attendance : 4,783Referee : Jim CrowleyTV announcers (ESPN+) : Play-by-Play: Jason Alvine • Analysis: Mik HagerSources:[ 16] [ 17]
Game information
First Quarter
(12:19) UNC – Hunter Green 39-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:50; Northern Colorado 3–0 )
(8:44) SAC – Devin Gandy 15-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:35; Sacramento State 7–3 )
(0:34) SAC – Ezra Moleni 8-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 3:56; Sacramento State 14–3 )
Second Quarter
(7:47) UNC – Brayden Munroe 41-yard pass from Jacob Sirmon (Hunter Green kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 92 yards, 2:29; Sacramento State 14–10 )
Third Quarter
(0:00) SAC – Carlos Hill 20-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:41; Sacramento State 21–10 )
Fourth Quarter
(8:31) UNC – Hunter Green 19-yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 3:50; Sacramento State 21–13 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
SAC
UNC
First downs
23
17
Total yards
334
332
Rushing yards
151
75
Passing yards
183
257
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
25–31–0
20–39–0
Time of possession
30:57
29:03
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Sacramento State
Passing
Kaiden Bennett
25/31, 183 yards, 3 TD
Rushing
Ezra Moleni
16 carries, 93 yards
Receiving
Marshel Martin
7 receptions, 52 yards
Northern Colorado
Passing
Jacob Sirmon
20/39, 257 yards, TD
Rushing
David Afari
10 carries, 36 yards
Receiving
Brayden Munroe
3 receptions, 66 yards, TD
No. 2 Montana State [ edit ]
No. 2 Montana State Bobcats (5–1) at No. 3 Sacramento State Hornets (5–1) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 2 Bobcats
0
14
7 21 42
No. 3 Hornets
7
0
10 13 30
at Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, CA
Date : October 21, 2023Game time : 7:30 p.m. PST Game weather : SW 9 mph • SunnyGame attendance : 16,122Referee : Jim CrowleyTV announcers (ESPN2 ) : Play-by-Play: John Schriffen • Analysis: Rocky Boiman • Sideline: Dawn DavenportSources:[ 18] [ 19] [ 20]
Game information
First Quarter
(0:58) SAC – Danny Scudero 16-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:20; Sacramento State 7–0 )
Second Quarter
(12:47) MTST – Jon Johnson 16-yard interception return (Brendan Hall kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:32; Tied 7–7 )
(3:46) MTST – Ty McCullouch 21-yard pass from Sean Chambers (Brendan Hall kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:44; Montana State 14–7 )
Third Quarter
(10:10) MTST – Tommy Mellott 11-yard run (Brendan Hall kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 1:16; Montana State 21–7 )
(8:48) SAC – Elijah Tau-Tolliver 53-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:22; Montana State 21–14 )
(6:09) SAC – Zach Schreiner 26-yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 2:30; Montana State 21–17 )
Fourth Quarter
(14:53) MTST – Tommy Mellott 9-yard run (Brendan Hall kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 6:11; Montana State 28–17 )
(10:02) SAC – Elijah Tau-Tolliver 10-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:51; Montana State 28–24 )
(8:26) MTST – Julius Davis 1-yard run (Brendan Hall kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 1:31; Montana State 35–24 )
(5:05) MTST – Jared White 12-yard run (Brendan Hall kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 28 yards, 2:31; Montana State 42–24 )
(1:27) SAC – Devin Gandy 7-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (two-point pass conversion failed) (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:38; Montana State 42–30 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
MTST
SAC
First downs
26
25
Total yards
448
434
Rushing yards
328
200
Passing yards
120
234
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
10–16–1
26–42–2
Time of possession
32:40
27:20
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Montana State
Passing
Tommy Mellott
9/14, 99 yards
Rushing
Julius Davis
12 carries, 110 yards, TD
Receiving
Ty McCullough
4 receptions, 53 yards, TD
Sacramento State
Passing
Kaiden Bennett
26/42, 234 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing
Elijah Tau-Tolliver
8 carries, 100 yards, 2 TD
Receiving
Devin Gandy
5 receptions, 59 yards, TD
Idaho State Bengals (3–4) at No. 6 Sacramento State Hornets (5–2) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Bengals
0
16
0 0 16
No. 6 Hornets
14
10
20 7 51
at Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, CA
Date : October 28, 2023Game time : 6:00 p.m. PST Game weather : 65 °F (18 °C) • N 14 mph • SunnyGame attendance : 13,733Referee : Jeff RinkTV announcers (KMAX-TV/ESPN+) : Play-by-Play: Jason Ross • Analysis: Darren ArbetSources:[ 21] [ 22]
Game information
First Quarter
(11:17) SAC – Jared Gipson 23-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:43; Sacramento State 7–0 )
(0:45) SAC – Coleman Kuntz 1-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 86 yards, 4:12; Sacramento State 14–0 )
Second Quarter
(14:05) ISU – Chedon James 25-yard pass from Hunter Hays (Thomas Kopcho kick failed) (Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 1:36; Sacramento State 14–6 )
(7:14) ISU – Thomas Kopcho 27-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:14; Sacramento State 14–9 )
(5:46) ISU – Alfred Jordan Jr. 16-yard pass from Hunter Hays (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 1:28; Idaho State 16–14 )
(3:13) SAC – Devin Gandy 13-yard pass from Carson Conklin (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 2:27; Sacramento State 21–16 )
(0:00) SAC – Zach Schreiner 30-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 1:12; Sacramento State 24–16 )
Third Quarter
(7:53) SAC – Carlos Hill 69-yard pass from Carson Conklin (two-point run conversion failed) (Drive: 2 plays, 73 yards, 0:34; Sacramento State 30–16 )
(3:04) SAC – Elijah Tau-Tolliver 4-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:34; Sacramento State 37–16 )
(1:17) SAC – Michael Johnson 8-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:16 ; Sacramento State 44–16 )
Fourth Quarter
(8:30) SAC – Marshel Martin 6-yard pass from Carson Conklin (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 6:57; Sacramento State 51–16 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
ISU
SAC
First downs
16
26
Total yards
334
587
Rushing yards
42
273
Passing yards
292
314
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
30–56–4
21–32–1
Time of possession
24:55
35:05
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Idaho State
Passing
Hunter Hays
17/31, 193 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing
7 carries, 22 yards
Receiving
Chedon James
10 receptions, 77 yards, TD
Sacramento State
Passing
Carson Conklin
14/21, 235 yards, 3 TD
Rushing
Zeke Burnett
9 carries, 143 yards
Receiving
Marshel Martin
6 receptions, 103 yards, TD
No. 7 Sacramento State Hornets (6–2) at No. 4 Montana Grizzlies (7–1) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 7 Hornets
7
0
0 0 7
No. 4 Grizzlies
7
14
0 13 34
at Washington–Grizzly Stadium , Missoula, MT
Date : November 4, 2023Game time : 5:00 p.m. PST Game weather : 47 °F (8 °C) • NE 15 mph • CloudyGame attendance : 25,888Referee : Scott RootTV announcers (KMAX-TV/ESPN+) : Play-by-Play: Jay Kohn • Analysis: Marty Mornhinweg • Sideline: Kyle HansenSources:[ 23] [ 24] [ 25]
Game information
First Quarter
(6:45) SAC – Marcus Fulcher 1-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 1:44; Sacramento State 7–0 )
(0:39) MONT – Eli Gillman 8-yard run (Nico Ramos kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:06; Tied 7–7 )
Second Quarter
(13:35) MONT – Nick Ostmo 9-yard run (Nico Ramos kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 33 yards, 0:34; Montana 14–7 )
(8:00) MONT – Aaron Fontes 9-yard pass from Clifton McDowell (Nico Ramos kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:45; Montana 21–7 )
Fourth Quarter
(11:03) MONT – Keelan White 97-yard pass from Clifton McDowell (Nico Ramos kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 99 yards, 0:48; Montana 28–7 )
(7:11) MONT – Nick Ostmo 10-yard run (Nico Ramos kick failed) (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:18; Montana 34–7 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
SAC
MONT
First downs
17
21
Total yards
268
547
Rushing yards
149
305
Passing yards
119
242
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
15–39–0
12–22–1
Time of possession
24:19
35:41
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Sacramento State
Passing
Carson Conklin
7/22, 67 yards
Rushing
Marcus Fulcher
11 carries, 87 yards, TD
Receiving
Carlos Hill
4 receptions, 53 yards
Montana
Passing
Clifton McDowell
11/21, 218 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing
Eli Gillman
16 carries, 113 yards, TD
Receiving
Keelan White
2 receptions, 103 yards, TD
Cal Poly Mustangs (3–6) at No. 9 Sacramento State Hornets (6–3) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Mustangs
10
13
7 0 30
No. 9 Hornets
14
17
7 3 41
at Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, CA
Date : November 11, 2023Game time : 2:00 p.m. PST Game weather : 69 °F (21 °C) • NW 3 mph • SunnyGame attendance : 12,022Referee : Kelly HolmanTV announcers (KMAX-TV/ESPN+) : Play-by-Play: Jason Ross • Analysis: Darren ArbetSources:[ 26] [ 27]
Game information
First Quarter
(10:14) CP – Noah Serna 26-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:43; Cal Poly 3–0 )
(7:55) SAC – Elijah Tau-Tolliver 34-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 2:12; Sacramento State 7–3 )
(5:41) SAC – Devin Gandy 7-yard pass from Carson Conklin (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 1:10; Sacramento State 14–3 )
(2:37) CP – Michael Briscoe 29-yard pass from Sam Huard (Noah Serna kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:04; Sacramento State 14–10 )
Second Quarter
(8:27) CP – Noah Serna 44-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 4:17; Sacramento State 14–13 )
(6:27) SAC – Marshel Martin 39-yard pass from Carson Conklin (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 1:38; Sacramento State 21–13 )
(2:27) SAC – Carlos Hill 15-yard pass from Carson Conklin (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:10; Sacramento State 28–13 )
(1:39) CP – Michael Briscoe 52-yard pass from Sam Huard (Noah Serna kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 0:42; Sacramento State 28–20 )
(0:18) CP – Noah Serna 23-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 0:52; Sacramento State 28–23 )
(0:00) SAC – Zach Schreiner 32-yard field goal (Drive: 2 plays, 47 yards, 0:12; Sacramento State 31–23 )
Third Quarter
(11:13) SAC – Elijah Tau-Tolliver 4-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 1 play, 4 yards, 0:04; Sacramento State 38–23 )
(3:27) CP – Paul Holyfield Jr. 3-yard run (Noah Serna kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:04; Sacramento State 38–30 )
Fourth Quarter
(12:28) SAC – Zach Schreiner 22-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:54; Sacramento State 41–30 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
CP
SAC
First downs
24
23
Total yards
539
538
Rushing yards
45
225
Passing yards
494
313
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
38–59–2
17–26–1
Time of possession
29:37
30:23
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Cal Poly
Passing
Sam Huard
37/58, 483 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing
Paul Holyfield Jr.
7 carries, 27 yards, TD
Receiving
Michael Briscoe
3 receptions, 124 yards, 2 TD
Sacramento State
Passing
Carson Conklin
17/26, 313 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing
Marcus Fulcher
20 carries, 121 yards
Receiving
Jared Gipson
5 receptions, 154 yards
No. 8 Sacramento State Hornets (7–3) at UC Davis Aggies (6–4) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 8 Hornets
0
0
7 14 21
Aggies
14
3
0 14 31
at UC Davis Health Stadium , Davis, CA
Date : November 18, 2023Game time : 12:00 p.m. PST Game weather : SunnyGame attendance : 11,622Referee : Jeff ReidTV announcers (ESPN+) : Play-by-Play: Scott Marsh • Analysis: Scott GordonSources:[ 28] [ 29]
Game information
First Quarter
(10:00) UCD – Lan Larison 3-yard run (Hunter Ridley kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:00; UC Davis 7–0 )
(0:46) UCD – Lan Larison 7-yard run (Hunter Ridley kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 3:54; UC Davis 14–0 )
Second Quarter
(8:27) UCD – Hunter Ridley 42-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 3:58; UC Davis 17–0 )
Third Quarter
(0:55) SAC – Anderson Grover 16-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 1:55; UC Davis 17–7 )
Fourth Quarter
(9:54) UCD – Lan Larison 47-yard pass from Miles Hastings (Hunter Ridley kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:58; UC Davis 24–7 )
(5:46) SAC – Jared Gipson 14-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 4:07; UC Davis 24–14 )
(3:30) UCD – Lan Larison 12-yard run (Hunter Ridley kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 18 yards, 0:53; UC Davis 31–14 )
(2:26) SAC – Carlos Hill 35-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 0:57; UC Davis 31–21 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
SAC
UCD
First downs
22
17
Total yards
388
308
Rushing yards
27
133
Passing yards
361
175
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
32–53–2
16–23–0
Time of possession
28:07
31:53
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Sacramento State
Passing
Kaiden Bennett
19/28, 232 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing
Marcus Fulcher
10 carries, 23 yards
Receiving
Carlos Hill
10 receptions, 144 yards, TD
UC Davis
Passing
Miles Hastings
16/23, 175 yards, TD
Rushing
Lan Larison
28 carries, 121 yards, 3 TD
Receiving
3 receptions, 54 yards, TD
at No. 12 North Dakota – First Round[ edit ]
FCS Playoffs First Round: No. 15 Sacramento State Hornets (7–4) at No. 12 North Dakota Fighting Hawks (7–4) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 15 Hornets
14
14
0 14 42
No. 12 Fighting Hawks
7
7
14 7 35
at Alerus Center , Grand Forks, ND
Date : November 25, 2023Game time : 10:00 a.m. PST Game weather : 72 °F (22 °C) • IndoorsGame attendance : 6,522Referee : James BrookhartTV announcers (ESPN+) : Play-by-Play: David Saltzman • Analysis: Jay WalkerSources:[ 30] [ 31]
Game information
First Quarter
(11:55) SAC – Kaiden Bennett 1-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:05; Sacramento State 7–0 )
(9:59) UND – Gaven Ziebarth 7-yard run (C.J. Elrichs kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:51; Tied 7–7 )
(5:51) SAC – Anderson Grover 14-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:08; Sacramento State 14–7 )
Second Quarter
(12:51) SAC – Coleman Kuntz 1-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 84 yards, 5:24; Sacramento State 21–7 )
(6:54) UND – Gaven Ziebarth 14-yard run (C.J. Elrichs kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:51; Sacramento State 21–14 )
(2:49) SAC – Coleman Kuntz 1-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:05; Sacramento State 28–14 )
Third Quarter
(8:10) UND – Bo Belquist 7-yard pass from Tommy Schuster (C.J. Elrichs kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 6:44; Sacramento State 28–21 )
(2:07) UND – Quincy Vaughn 1-yard run (C.J. Elrichs kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:31; Tied 28–28 )
Fourth Quarter
(11:52) SAC – Marcus Fulcher 4-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 1:18; Sacramento State 35–28 )
(8:10) UND – Quincy Vaughn 2-yard run (C.J. Elrichs kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:37; Tied 35–35 )
(4:54) SAC – Kaiden Bennett 4-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:16; Sacramento State 42–35 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
SAC
UND
First downs
26
21
Total yards
458
358
Rushing yards
244
221
Passing yards
212
137
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
18–23–0
11–18–1
Time of possession
26:36
33:24
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Sacramento State
Passing
Kaiden Bennett
17/22, 207 yards, TD
Rushing
13 carries, 126 yards, 2 TD
Receiving
Anderson Grover
6 receptions, 96 yards, TD
North Dakota
Passing
Tommy Schuster
11/17, 137 yards, TD, INT
Rushing
Gaven Ziebarth
18 carries, 96 yards, 2 TD
Receiving
Bo Belquist
5 receptions, 90 yards, TD
at No. 3 South Dakota – Second Round[ edit ]
FCS Playoffs Second Round: No. 15 Sacramento State Hornets (8–4) at No. 3 South Dakota Coyotes (9–2) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 15 Hornets
0
14
0 10 24
No. 3 Coyotes
3
21
7 3 34
at DakotaDome , Vermillion, SD
Date : December 2, 2023Game time : 11:00 a.m. PST Game weather : 72 °F (22 °C) • IndoorsGame attendance : 6,288Referee : Tim BarkerTV announcers (ESPN+) : Play-by-Play: Jack Benjamin • Analysis: Craig HaubertSources:[ 32] [ 33]
Game information
First Quarter
(0:59) USD – Will Leyland 37-yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 8:12; South Dakota 3–0 )
Second Quarter
(14:55) USD – Javion Phelps 18-yard pass from Aidan Bouman (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 0:54; South Dakota 10–0 )
(14:17) USD – Mi'Quise Grace 56-yard fumble return (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 31 yards, 0:38; South Dakota 17–0 )
(9:31) SAC – Marcus Fulcher 2-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:46; South Dakota 17–7 )
(8:38) USD – JJ Galbreath 75-yard pass from Aidan Bouman (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:53; South Dakota 24–7 )
(0:14) SAC – Marcus Fulcher 2-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 3:46; South Dakota 24–14 )
Third Quarter
(0:20) USD – Travis Theis 3-yard run (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:14; South Dakota 31–14 )
Fourth Quarter
(11:54) SAC – Zach Schreiner 28-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:26; South Dakota 31–17 )
(5:06) USD – Will Leyland 34-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:42; South Dakota 34–17 )
(1:37) SAC – Jared Gipson 3-yard pass from Carson Camp (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 3:19; South Dakota 34–24 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
SAC
USD
First downs
18
15
Total yards
350
368
Rushing yards
148
194
Passing yards
202
174
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
17–30–1
11–17–0
Time of possession
27:13
32:47
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Sacramento State
Passing
Carson Camp
14/23, 168 yards, TD
Rushing
Marcus Fulcher
13 carries, 67 yards, 2 TD
Receiving
Anderson Grover
3 receptions, 79 yards
South Dakota
Passing
Aidan Bouman
11/16, 174 yards, 2 TD
Rushing
Charles Pierre Jr.
13 carries, 123 yards
Receiving
JJ Galbreath
1 reception, 75 yards, TD
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Final STATS FCS 10 9 8 4 (1) 8 4 4 3 6 7 9 8 15 13 Coaches 8 8 6 4 9 7 5 4 7 7 11 10 16 16
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^ "Football Season Comes To A Close With 34–24 Loss To #3 South Dakota" . December 2, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023 .
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