A BRIEF PREVIEW

• Set to make its first national television appearance, the Sacramento State football team will put its undefeated record on the line against Montana on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Hornet Stadium. The game will kick off at 8 p.m.
• The Hornets matched their best start in school history with a 52-28 win at Eastern Washington last Saturday. The victory lifted the team 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Sky Conference this season. The only other Hornet team to open the year by winning its first six games came in 1991. That team dropped its next two games before ending the year 8-2.
• Sacramento State jumped to second in the Stats Perform media poll and third in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. Those positions are the highest in school history.
• There will be multiple ways to follow this week's game. Hornet fans can tune in to ESPN 1320 AM to hear the radio call of Jason Ross, Steve McElroy and Danny Sullivan. Live audio streaming is also available via www.hornetsports.com.
• The game will also be broadcast on ESPN2 with Brian Custer handling the play-by-play, Dustin Fox providing the analysis and Jalyn Johnson in the sideline. The game will be streamed through ESPN.com but requires a subscription from a cable, satellite or streaming provider. An ESPN+ subscription will not grant access to this game.

OPPONENT PREVIEW: MONTANA

• Montana was upset by Idaho, 30-23, last Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The Griz were limited to 220 yards of total offense, including just 34 on the ground. Montana led 13-5 in the game before surrendering  18-unanswered points. The Vandals eventually extended their lead to 30-16 with just over two minutes to play before Montana scored a late touchdown.
• The loss was the first of the year for the Griz which fell to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in league games. UM enters this week ranked seventh in the Stats Perform media poll and AFCA coaches poll.
• Lucas Johnson has taken over as quarterback for Montana this season after transferring in from San Diego State. Johnson has completed 114-of-176 passes for 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. Mitch Roberts has been the leading target with 28 receptions for 346 and four scores.
• The defense is sparked by safety Robby Hauck who has 55 total tackles. Linebacker Patrick O'Connell ranks second with 50 stops and also has two interceptions.
• Montana is coached by Bobby Hauck who is in his second stint leading the Griz.

CHANCE TO MAKE HISTORY

• Sacramento State is 6-0 for just the second time in school history. The only other team to win its first six games of the year was the 1991 squad. That team opened the season 6-0 with wins over Div. I Pacific and Montana State while playing as a Div. II team. However, the 1991 team dropped its seventh game of the season, losing 22-19 to Southern Utah.
• With USC's loss at Utah last week, Sacramento State and UCLA are the only undefeated Div. I teams in California.
• The Hornets have also been well received by the computers as Sacramento State is currently ranked 56th in the Massey ratings. That makes the team the top ranked FCS program in the ratings and places them ahead of Missouri (62nd), Nebraska (66th), Arizona State (70th), Miami (71st), Cal (73rd), Stanford (79th), Arizona (89th), Fresno State (117th) and Nevada (143rd).

RANKINGS REHASH

• Saturday will mark the 19th time since the start of the 2019 season that Sacramento State will play as a team ranked in the top 25. Prior to Troy Taylor's arrival as head coach, the Hornets had only played seven games while ranked in the Div. I-era (1993-2018).
• The team was ranked second in the Stats Perform media poll and third in the AFCA FCS coaches poll this week, marking the highest ranking in school history. Sacramento State's previous high was No. 4 in the final week of the 2019 season.
• This week's game will mark just the second time the Hornets will play a top 10 opponent while also ranked in the top 10. The previous instance came on Nov. 2, 2019 when No. 3 Weber State defeated the sixth-ranked Hornets, 36-17, for the only Big Sky loss in Troy Taylor's tenure.
• Sacramento State opened the year in the FCS top 25 for just the second time in school history (2011). The Hornets were picked seventh in both the Stats Perform media poll and the AFCA Coaches poll.

MARCHING DOWN THE FIELD

• A week after setting the school Div. I-era record with 37 first downs against Northern Colorado, Sacramento State amassed 36 first downs at Eastern Washington which ranks as the second highest total by a Hornet team.
• Along with the 33 first downs in the season opener against Utah Tech, this year's team has produced three of the five highest totals all time at Sacramento State.
• One reason for the increase in the total is that the Hornets rank as one of the top offenses in the FCS but have not relied on the big play as much as in years past. Through the first six games of the year, Sacramento State has five rushes and 10 pass plays of 25 yards or longer. Last season, the team had 30 pass plays and seven rushing attempts of at least 25 yards.
• This season, the Hornets rank fourth in the FCS with 520.0 yards per game but are 19th in yards per play (6.49). The team's average of 80.17 offensive plays per game is tied for second in the FCS behind Brown (82.20).

PLAYING FROM THE TOP

• Sacramento State is the only team in the FCS or FBS to not trail in a game this season. The last time the Hornets were behind in a regular season contest came against Portland State on Nov. 13, 2021 — eight games ago. While the offense has been highly productive during that stretch (averaging 45.2 points per game), the defense has been doing its part allowing 18.1 ppg.
• This season the Hornets have scored in all 24 quarters which have been played, including 12 quarters with at least 14 points. Conversely, the defense has posted shutouts in 13 quarters and has only allowed 14 points or more in four quarters.
• Sacramento State had its streak of three staright games with a shutout half on defense come to an end at EWU but still managed to hold the Eagles scoreless in two of the four quarters. The Hornets previously blanked Colorado State in the second half and then carried that streak into the first half at Cal Poly. The team also did not give up a point in the first half to UNC.
• Under Troy Taylor (2019-pres.), Sacramento State is 20-0 when scoring first, 20-1 when leading at halftime and 21-0 when taking a lead into the fourth quarter.

ADDING UP FAST

• Sacramento State scored 52 points at Eastern Washington and is now averaging a Big Sky leading 48.3 points per game. That total ranks second in the FCS only trailing Fordham's 49.1.
• The Hornets have scored 50 points in back-to-back games for the first time since posting 50 against UC Davis and 63 at Chico State in 1991.
• The 52 points marked the first time Sacramento State has scored 50 or more in a road game since posting 54 at Idaho State on Sept. 29, 2012.
• The team's 290 points this season is already more than was scored during 52 of the 68 seasons in school history.
• Sacramento State has scored 50-plus points in three games this season. The only Hornet team to have four games with 50 or more came in 1997.
• The average of 48.33 is currently 10 points better than the current school record of 38.2 ppg which was set in 2014. The record for points in a season is 464 in 2019.

RUNNING DOWNHILL

• Sacramento State remains third in the FCS in rushing yards per game at 275.5 behind Davidson (378.4) and Montana State (281.1). The Hornets most recently rushed for a season high 385 yards in the win at Eastern Washington which ranked third in school history.
• Cameron Skattebo led the way with a career best 201 rushing yards on a career high 29 carries. Skattebo became the 10th Hornet to record a 200-yard game in school history and the first since Elijah Dotson had 234 at Montana on Sept. 22, 2018.
• Skattebo landed at #4 on ESPN Top 10 list last Saturday with a 37-yard touchdown reception which saw him hurdle a defender, juke another, tight rope the sideline and then plow through a third would-be tackler at the goal line.
• Skattebo is now fourth in the FCS with 123.3 rushing yards per game and has gone over the century mark four times this season, including the last two games.
• A lot of the credit can be pointed towards the offensive line where the Hornets have used the same starting five on the offensive line in all five games to start the year. The unit which is comprised of Troy Stiefel (LT), Jackson Slater (LG), Nathan Mejia (C), Brandon Weldon (RG) and Ivan Garza (RT).
• Skattebo was named third team all-Big Sky a year ago. He rushed for 520 yards and scored six touchdowns while averaging 9.12 yards per carry.
• Skattebo came to Sacramento State in the fall of 2020 following a stellar career at nearby Rio Linda HS. With the Knights, he rushed for 6,192 career yards and 69 touchdowns. As a junior he was named the area player of the year and was an all-state selection with 3,550 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns while leading Rio Linda to the CIF 5-A state title.

THIRD DOWN SUCCESS

• Sacramento State converted 9-of-13 third downs at Eastern Washington to raise its season total to 52.6 percent which ranks fourth in the FCS and leads the Big Sky.
• On one of the four instances where the team wasn't able to succeed against the Eagles, the Hornets moved the chains on fourth down.
• A good portion of the team's success can be attributed to a manageable situation on third down. Sacramento State is 17-of-21 on third down attempts between one and three yards.
• The defense has also done its job getting off the field. The Hornets rank 16th nationally and third in the Big Sky by holding opponents to 31.8 conversion rate.

IT'S ALMOST AUTOMATIC

• Asher O'Hara matched his Sacramento State career high with three rushing touchdowns at Eastern Washington. O'Hara scored on runs of 1, 1 and 5 yards in the victory and now has 11 rushing touchdowns this season which moved him into a tie for 10th place in school single-season history.
• Dating back to last season, O'Hara has accounted for 32 touchdowns as a Hornet (20 rushing, 11 passing, 1 receiving). He now is just one rushing TD back of  the school record by a quarterback of 21 held by Kevin Thomson (2017-19).
• Counting his time at Middle Tennessee, O'Hara has rushed for 37 touchdowns and thrown for 40 scores in five seasons.
• This season, O'Hara has rushed for at least one touchdown in all six games and thrown for one or more in three games.
• O'Hara started 2022 with 101 rushing yards against Utah Tech and nearly had a second game over the century mark as he finished with 94 yards at Eastern Washington. He ranks second among Hornets with 433 yards this season and is averaging 5.0 yards per attempt.
• O'Hara has also been highly efficient through the air. He has completed 36-of-47 pass attempts this season, including a perfect 10-of-10 at Colorado State. He currently has a pass efficiency rating of 161.87 which would rank second in school history.

Career Rushing Touchdowns    Total    Needs
7. Elijah Dotson (2017-21)    22    2
8. Kevin Thomson (2017-19)    21    1
9. Asher O'Hara (2021-pres.)    20    ---

Single Season Rushing TDs    Total    Needs
4. Charles Roberts (2000)    14    3
T5. Jordan Robinson (2016)    13    2
T5. John Farley (1982)    13    2
T7. Kevin Thomson (2019)    12    1
T7. Bryan Hilliard (2010)    12    1
T7. Bryan Hilliard (2008)    12    1
T10. Donald Hair (1985)    11    ---
T10. Asher O'Hara (2022)    11    ---

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

• With his third passing touchdown against Eastern Washington, Jake Dunniway moved past current QB coach Bobby Fresques for 10th place in school career history with 28 career touchdowns. Dunniway now ranks among the top 10 in school history in career yards, completions and touchdowns. His career completions percentage of .632 ranks first.
• The senior has now thrown for a touchdown pass in all six games this season and eight straight dating back to last year. His three touchdowns against EWU were his most this season.
• Dunniway was named third team all-Big Sky as a quarterback in 2021. He played in all 12 games, earning the start in nine where he threw for 2,576 yards and 12 touchdowns. The senior's 63.2 completion percentage and 8.94 yards per pass placed him third in school single-season history while his pass efficiency of 148.6 ranked fourth in the Hornet record book. Dunniway had four 300-yard passing performances, including a career best 370 at Cal and 331 in the FCS Playoffs against South Dakota State. He was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week after a 328 yard, two touchdown effort against NAU.

Career Passing Yards    Total    Needs
7. Ricky Ray (1999-2000)    4,622    343
8. Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    4,279    ---

Career Pass Attempts    Total    Needs
10. Nate Ketteringham (2015-16)    535    30
11. Greg Knapp (1982-85)    524    19
12. Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    505    ---

Career Completions    Total    Needs
7. Ricky Ray (1999-2000)    347    28
8. Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    319    ---

Career TD Passes    Total    Needs
8. Greg Knapp (1982-85)    32    4
9.    Jeff Fleming (2010-11)    30    2
10. Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    28    ---

WHAT MORE CAN HE DO

• Tight end Marshel Martin was held to three catches for 20 yards but still managed to play a large role in the game. Martin caught his team leading fifth touchdown of the season with 22 seconds left in the first half to give Sacramento State a 14-point lead.
• In the two weeks prior to the EWU game, Martin set season bests with 90 yards on four receptions at Cal Poly and six grabs for 103 yards against Northern Colorado.
• Martin leads the team with 28 receptions for 362 yards and five touchdowns. He has caught at least one pass in all 30 games of his career and has 15 games with five or more grabs.
• Martin started the season with two TD grabs against Utah Tech giving him four scores against the Trailblazers in the last two seasons. He added six receptions for 76 yards at UNI before being held to one catch for 18 yards at Colorado State.
• The junior has now accumulated more receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns than any other non-wide receiver in school history.
• Martin was named first team all-Big Sky in 2021 and was a second team All-American by the AFCA. He was recognized by HERO Sports as a Freshman All-American in 2019 and a Sophomore All-American in 2021. Martin was also a preseason all-Big Sky choice and preseason All-American heading into 2022.
• Martin set the school single-season record for touchdowns by a tight end in 2019 with seven. He added six TD grabs in 2021 and also rushed for a score.

Career Receiving Yards    Total    Needs
11. Scott Towne (1997-2000)    1,646    106
12. Marshel Martin (2019-pres.)    1,561    ---

Career Receiving Touchdowns    Total    Needs
2. Fred Amey (2001-04)    27    9
3. Morris Norrise (2010-13)    19    1
4. Marshel Martin (2019-pres.)    18    ---

Career Receptions    Total    Needs
6. Shane Harrison (2011-15)    134    14
7. Marshel Martin (2019-pres.)    120    ---

FILLING THE VOID

• Sacramento State entered 2022 needing to find replacements for starting linebackers Marcus Hawkins and Taylor Powell. The team turned to senior Armon Bailey and junior college transfer Brock Mather as the starters with Jeremy Harris and Dylan Jorge each receiving extensive reps as backups.
• Bailey leads the team with 38 total tackles, including 5.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack. He has also forced and recovered a fumble during the season. Currently in his fifth year with the team, Bailey entered the year with 44 career stops.
• Mather tied his Hornet career high with five tackles against Eastern Washington. The Bakersfield JC transfer sparked the team's 21-point first quarter with a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown. This year, he has 24 total tackles to rank fifth on the team.
• The touchdown was the second defensive score for Sacramento State this year. Caleb Nelson had the first TD with a 98-yard score against Utah Tech in the opener.
• Harris had eight stops at EWU to set his season high. He now has 122 tackles in his three years with the team.
• Jorge has four tackles on the year but made a huge play at Cal Poly, intercepting a pass and returning it 80 yards late in the fourth quarter.

AMONG THE GREATS

• Pierre Williams tied for the team lead with three receptions at EWU. Williams has caught at least two passes in every game this season and remains fourth in school history for career receptions.
• In 2021, Williams led the team with 764 yards and ranked second with 50 receptions. His average of 73.8 yards per game was easily the best among Hornets. If you remove the Northern Colorado game (where he was limited to the first series and didn't catch a pass), Williams averaged 83.0 yards per game.
• During the year he had a three-game stretch where he went over the century mark with 122 yards against UNI, 121 at Cal and 130 at Idaho State.
• Williams is one of three players in program history to have at least eight 100-yard receiving games in his career. The other two are Fred Amey (14 games) and DeAndre Carter (10)  who both were named FCS All-Americans during their career and played in the NFL.

Career Receiving Yards    Total    Needs
3. Morris Norrise (2010-13)    2,650    188
4. Pierre Williams (2018-pres.)    2,462    ---

Career Receiving Touchdowns    Total    Needs
3. Morris Norrise (2010-13)    19    2
4. Marshel Martin (2019-pres.)    18    1
T5. Mike Carter (1968-69)    17    ---
T5. Pierre Williams (2018-pres.)    17    ---

Career Receptions    Total    Needs
3. DeAndre Carter (2011-14)    207    53
4. Pierre Williams (2018-pres.)    154    ---

SENTKOWSKI NAMED POTW

• Kicker Kyle Sentkowski was named the Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance at Eastern Washington. The honor was the second for Sentkowski during his career. Against the Eagles, Sentkowski made a 36-yard field goal and also converted all seven of his extra points. He finished the game with 10 points and has now scored in double figures four times this year.
• After missing his first two field goal attempts of the season, the senior has made his last eight, including his last four from 40-plus yards.
• With the Hornet offense scoring touchdowns at an unprecedented rate, Sentkowski has already moved into the school single-season top 10 with 38 PATs this season.
• He ranks second on the team this season with 62 points, trailing only Asher O'Hara's 72.
• In 2021, he earned first team all-Big Sky honors after setting the school single-season record with 21 made field goals and ranking seventh in the Hornet record book with 39 PATs.

Career Field Goals    Total    Needs
3. Devon Medeiros (2015-19)    34    5
4. Kyle Sentkowski (2019-pres.)    29    ---

Career PATs    Total    Needs
4. Brad Cornish (2012-15)    89    7
5. Kyle Sentkowski (2019-pres.)    82    ---

Single Season PATs    Total    Needs
3. Devon Medeiros (2019)    49    11
T4. Scott Brown (1999)    42    4
T4. Jim Gill (1988)    42    4
6. Chris Diniz (2010)    40    2
7. Kyle Sentkowski (2021)    39    1
8. Kyle Sentkowski (2022)    38    ---

THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY

• The victory at Colorado State not only was the first against an FBS team for head coach Troy Taylor, it also moved him into fifth place in school history for total victories with 21 at the time. Taylor, who now has 24 wins, trails just Bob Mattos (84 wins), Ray Clemons (70), Marshall Sperbeck (35) and John Volek (31).
• However, Taylor's winning percentage of .774 (24-7) is easily the best in program history. He earned his 20th victory in his 27th game at the helm of the Hornets. Ray Clemons had held the record for the fastest Sacramento State coach to 20 wins, needing 39 games between 1961 and the first game of the 1965 season.
• Part of Taylor's success has been the ability for his team's to win on the road. Sacramento State is 12-0 in road games against FCS teams and 13-3 against all opponents with the only losses coming at Arizona State, Fresno State and Cal.
• The Hornets are 10-0 in Big Sky road games since 2019. Prior to that season, Sacramento State won just 24 Big Sky road games in 23 seasons in the conference.

JUST THE FACTS

• Dating back to 2019, the Hornets have now defeated 19 of the last 20 Big Sky teams it has faced.
• Sacramento State's eight-game winning streak last year was the longest in the school's NCAA Div. I era and tied for the longest in school history. The last time the Hornets won eight straight games came in 1966 when the team won its final eight games after starting the year 0-2.
• Sacramento State has posted back-to-back winning seasons for just the second time since moving to Div. I in 1993. The previous time came in 1999 (6-5) and 2000 (7-4).
• Strangely, Sacramento State is 15-0 when losing the coin toss over its last three seasons played.
• The two lowest points allowed averages in the school's Div. I history have come in the last two seasons. The Hornets have allowed 19.5 points per game in the last 25 games played.

SERIES FACTS

• Montana leads the all-time series, 20-3, but Sacramento State has won the past two matchups.

CONNECTIONS

• There are several ties to Montana on the Hornet coaching staff as assistants Andy Thompson, Kraig Paulson and Jeremy Lapan all played at Montana.
• Thompson was part of the 2001 National Championship team at Montana.
• Paulson is credited with starting the tradition of the #37 jersey being passed to a player who is a Montana native.
• UM CB TraJon Cotton and Sacramento State CB Davion Ross and DL Brandon Knott are all graduates of Inderkum HS in Sacramento.

SERIES LEADERS
Sacramento State
Rushing:
234, Elijah Dotson (30 att., 3 TD), 2018
177, Ryan Mole (23 att., TD), 2004

Passing
412, Garrett Safron (25-33-0-5), 2014
369, Kevin Thomson (24-34-1-4), 2019

Receiving
165, DeAndre Carter (12 rec., TD), 2013
153, Pierre Williams (8 rec., TD), 2019

Tackles
19, Jimmy Ellingson (9-10, TFL), 2004
18, Peter Buck (6-12), 2009

Montana
Rushing:
206, Dalton Sneed (16 att., 3 TD), 2018
187, Josh Brannen (14 att., 3 TD), 1997

Passing
453, Brian Ah Yat (24-40-4-4), 1996
381, Jordan Johnson (19-38-0-2), 2013

Receiving
225, Joe Douglass (8 rec., 2 TD), 1996
180, Ellis Henderson (5 rec., TD), 2013

Tackles
17, Jace Lewis (10-7), 2019
16, Vince Huntsberger (8-8, PBU), 1998