A BRIEF PREVIEW

• Sacramento State will remain at home for the second consecutive week and take on its second ranked opponent in as many games when the Hornets face Idaho on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. at Hornet Stadium. The contest will also serve as the University's Homecoming game.
• Sacramento State improved to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big Sky Conference with a 31-24 overtime victory over then-No. 7 Montana. The Hornets remained ranked second this week in the Stats Perform FCS medial poll and the third in the AFCA FCS coaches poll. The 7-0 start is the best in school history, bettering the previous best of 6-0 which came in 1991.
• The Hornets have won 15 consecutive Big Sky games dating back to 2019. A victory on Saturday would equal the win total from the first seven seasons combined that Sacramento State was in the Big Sky (1996-02).
• 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 and the Audacy app.
• The game will also be broadcast locally on CW31 and streamed on ESPN+. Dave Lewis will handle the play-by-play and will be joined by former Hornet and Arena Football League Hall of Famer Darren Arbet for analysis.

OPPONENT PREVIEW: IDAHO

• Despite a strong start to the season, Idaho hid below the national radar until a 30-23 win at Montana on Oct. 15 vaulted the team into the top 25. The Vandals most recently defeated Portland State, 56-21, to improve to 4-0 in conference play and 5-2 overall. That record has placed Idaho 14th in the Stats Perform poll and 23rd in the AFCA coaches poll. The nine position difference is the largest gap for any team ranked in both polls.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Gevani McCoy has had a spectacular start to the season, completing 71.4 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,607 with 16 touchdowns and three interceptions. Jermaine Jackson has averaged 96.7 receiving yards per game with four touchdowns and Hayden Hatten has five TDs with an average of 76.2 yards per game.
• Senior linebacker Fa'Avae Fa'Avae ranks third in the Big Sky with 63 total tackles. He is part of an Idaho defense which has recorded 11 interceptions and forced five fumbles in their first seven games.
• The Vandals are coached by Jason Eck who is in his first season leading the team. Eck is no stranger to Sacramento State as he faced the team in the second round of the 2021 FCS Playoffs as the offensive coordinator for South Dakota State. Eck also coached against the Hornets while at Montana State in 2015.

THE ONE AND ONLY

• The dramatic win over Montana made the 2022 Sacramento State team the sole owner of a couple of unique titles this season. First, the team's 7-0 start is the best in school history, surpassing the 1991 team which opened the year 6-0 before losing its next two games.
• Prior to the Hornet win, UCLA fell at Oregon. Those two factors made Sacramento State the only undefeated NCAA team in California at NCAA Div. I, II or III.
• The Hornets have also been well received by the computers as Sacramento State is currently ranked 54th in the Massey ratings. That makes the team the top ranked FCS program in the ratings and places them ahead of BYU (57th), Boise State (59th), Nebraska (66th), Stanford (67th), Arizona State (76th), Cal (79th), Miami (84th), Arizona (91st), San Diego State (93rd) and Fresno State (102nd).

THERE COULD BE MORE

• Prior to facing Montana on Saturday, Sacramento State had not had an overtime game since Nov. 2, 2013 when the team fell 51-48 also to the Griz.
• Since the inception of NCAA overtime in 1997, the nine years between overtime games is the longest stretch in school history.
• Counting this season, the Hornets have played overtime games in nine different years. In five of those years, Sacramento State has played multiple overtime games, including three in 2013.
• Overall, the Hornets are now 3-11 in overtime games. Their last win before Saturday night came against Southern Oregon on Sept. 14, 2013 (63-56).

RANKINGS REHASH

• Saturday will mark the 20th 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 for the second straight week. The ranking is the highest in school history. Sacramento State's previous high was No. 4 in the final week of the 2019 season.
• Since 2019, Sacramento State is 3-3 overall and 3-1 in the regular season when facing ranked teams.
• 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.

FLIPPING THE SCRIPT

• Sacramento State came into last week's game as the only team in the FCS or FBS that had not trailed. That came to an end when Montana scored a touchdown with 3:25 left in the first quarter. Dating back to last season, that score marked the first time the Hornets trailed in 470 minutes, 31 seconds of regular season play.
• Sacramento State had also scored in every quarter played prior to Montana and had posted at least one shutout quarter defensively in each game this season. Both of those streaks stopped when the Griz scored in each quarter and the Hornets were blanked in the first and third quarters.
• Sacramento State was able to continue a couple of streaks in the game against Montana. The team has compiled more yards and outrushed the opponent in all seven games.
• The Hornets also improved to 5-0 this year and 16-0 all-time under Troy Taylor when losing the coin toss.

THEY KEEP GOING AND GOING...

• Sacramento State remains third in the FCS in rushing yards per game at 261.9 behind Davidson (375.5) and Montana State (289.4). The Hornets most recently rushed for 180 yards in the win against Montana. That total was the most allowed by the Griz this season, surpassing the previous high of 101 by Indiana State.
• Sacramento State has rushed for over 300 yards in three games this season: Utah Tech (378), Northern Colorado (332) and Eastern Washington (385). The EWU and UT games rank third and fourth in school Div. I history and are the most by a team which did not include All-American running back Charles Roberts.
• Cameron Skattebo paced the Hornets against Montana with 111 rushing yards. Prior to the game, the Griz had not allowed more than 88 rushing yards to an individual this season. The game was Skattebo's third straight 100-yard performance and his fifth of the season.
• Skattebo remains fourth in the FCS with 121.6 rushing yards per game and is second with 7.81 yards per carry. He now has 851 rushing yards this season making him 149 yards shy of becoming the school's first 1,000 yard rusher in a season since Elijah Dotson (1,154) in 2018.
• 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.

ADDING UP FAST

• The 31 points scored against Montana was the lowest total scored by the team this season. However, the team's average of 45.9 points per game still leads the Big Sky and ranks third in the FCS. The national lead currently belongs to UIW at 51.0.
• The Hornets had scored 50-plus in back-to-back games before facing Montana. Sacramento State posted 55 against Northern Colorado and 52 at Eastern Washington. Prior to those games, the team had not achieved the feat since posting 50 against UC Davis and 63 at Chico State in 1991.
• The 52 points at EWU 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 321 points this season is already more than was scored during 55 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 45.86 is currently eight 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.

ALL OR NOTHING

• One of the biggest inconsistencies for Sacramento State this season has been penalties. Most recently, the Hornets were flagged nine times for 80 yards against Montana. Nearly half of those infractions came in the first quarter where the team was penalized four times for 32 yards. The game against Montana marked the fourth time this season that the team has been flagged seven or more times.
• The Hornets have also shown the ability to stay out of the officials eyes, as the team had just one penalty for five yards in the win at Colorado State and only two penalties at Eastern Washington.

IT'S ALMOST AUTOMATIC

• It took a little while longer than usual for Asher O'Hara to find the end zone in the team's win over Montana. O'Hara tied the game with 4-yard rush with 3:39 to play in the fourth quarter and then put the Hornets on top with a 7-yard carry in overtime. The performance marked the second consecutive time O'Hara rushed for multiple touchdowns and the fourth time this season.
• O'Hara also set a pair of school records during the game as he passed Kevin Thomson for single-season and career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. O'Hara now has 13 rushing scores this season and 22 during his two years with the Hornets, placing him one above Thomson in both categories.
• Dating back to last season, O'Hara has accounted for 34 touchdowns as a Hornet (22 rushing, 11 passing, 1 receiving). Counting his time at Middle Tennessee, O'Hara has rushed for 39 touchdowns and thrown for 40 scores in five seasons.
• This season, O'Hara has rushed for at least one touchdown in all seven 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 38-of-51 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
T5. Jordan Robinson (2013-16)    25    3
T5. Troy Mills (1990-91)    25    3
T7. Elijah Dotson (2017-21)    22    ---
T7. Asher O'Hara (2021-pres.)    22    ---

Single Season Rushing TDs    Total    Needs
3. Troy Mills (1991)    17    4
4. Charles Roberts (2000)    14    1
T5. Jordan Robinson (2016)    13    ---
T5. John Farley (1982)    13    ---
T5. Asher O'Hara (2022)    13    ---

A HEAVY WORKLOAD

• Jake Dunniway had his busiest day of the year, completing 19-of-36 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns against Montana.
• The senior has now thrown for a touchdown pass in all seven games this season and nine straight dating back to last year. His three touchdowns at 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
6. Tony Corbin (1995-96)    4,866    303
7. Ricky Ray (1999-2000)    4,622    59
8. Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    4,563    ---

Career Pass Attempts    Total    Needs
6. Mike Sullivan (1981-83)    663    122
7. Drew Wyant (1986-89)    563    22
8. Ricky Ray (1999-2000)    561    20
9. Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    541    ---

Career Completions    Total    Needs
5. Mike Sullivan (1981-83)    365    25
6. Tony Corbin (1995-96)    351    13
7. Ricky Ray (1999-2000)    347    9
8. Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    338    ---

Career TD Passes    Total    Needs
4. Jason Smith (2007-09)    38    8
T5. Tony Corbin (1995-96)    34    4
T5. Mike Sullivan (1981-83)    34    4
7. Ricky Ray (1999-2000)    33    3
8. Greg Knapp (1982-85)    32    2
T9. Jeff Fleming (2010-11)    30    ---
T9. Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    30    ---

WHAT MORE CAN HE DO

• Tight end Marshel Martin led the team with six receptions for 75 yards and also had a 38-yard touchdown against Montana.
• Martin leads the team with 34 receptions for 437 yards and six touchdowns. He has caught at least one pass in all 31 games of his career and has 16 games with five or more grabs.
• The Vallejo, Calif., native has had at least 75 receiving yards in four games this season, including three of the last four. He set a season high with six grabs for 103 yards against Northern Colorado.
• 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
7.    Jaelin Ratliff (2015-18)    1,749    113
8.    Nnamdi Agude (2012-15)    1,712    76
9.    Tony Washington (2007-08)    1,693    57
10. Shane Harrison (2012-15)    1,669    33
11. Scott Towne (1997-2000)    1,646    10
12. Marshel Martin (2019-pres.)    1,636    ---

Career Receiving Touchdowns    Total    Needs
2. Fred Amey (2001-04)    27    8
T3. Morris Norrise (2010-13)    19    ---
T3. Marshel Martin (2019-pres.)    19    ---

Career Receptions    Total    Needs
5. Isiah Hennie (2014-17)    139    13
6. Shane Harrison (2011-15)    134    8
7. Marshel Martin (2019-pres.)    126    ---

DOUBLE DOUBLE DIGITS

• With Montana running 95 plays, there were plenty of opportunities for tackles for the Hornet defense. The unit responded with both Brock Mather and Jett Stanley recording 13 and 10 tackles, respectively, to set career highs.
• Along with the pair, the Hornets also had Prince Washington, Marte Mapu, Armon Bailey and Killian Rosko each be credited with nine tackles. Those were career highs for all but Mapu who was one shy of his best.
• Bailey remains the team leader with 47 tackles this season. He has eight or more tackles in four games this year and has twice been named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week. Bailey is also the only player on the team to have a forced fumble and a fumble recovery this year.
• Mather has had breakout performances the last two weeks. At Eastern Washington, he intercepted a pass in the first quarter and weaved his way into the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown. His 10 stops against Montana doubled his previous best which had come against UNI and EWU.

AMONG THE GREATS

• Pierre Williams caught three passes for 68 yards against Montana with 45 of those coming on a touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter. Williams has now 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    120
4. Pierre Williams (2018-pres.)    2,530    ---

Career Receiving Touchdowns    Total    Needs
T3. Morris Norrise (2010-13)    19    1
T3. Marshel Martin (2019-pres.)    19    1
5. Pierre Williams (2018-pres.)    18    ---

Career Receptions    Total    Needs
3. DeAndre Carter (2011-14)    207    50
4. Pierre Williams (2018-pres.)    157    ---

SENTKOWSKI INTO TOP FIVE

• Kicker Kyle Sentkowski had a quiet week against Montana but still finished with seven points on four PATs and a field goal. Sentkowski also moved into the top five in school career history for field goals and PATs and also in single season PATs.
• 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 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 nine, 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 42 PATs this season.
• He ranks second on the team this season with 69 points, trailing only Asher O'Hara's 84.
• 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    4
4. Kyle Sentkowski (2019-pres.)    30    ---

Career PATs    Total    Needs
3. Juan Gamboa (2005-08)    95    9
4. Brad Cornish (2012-15)    89    3
5. Kyle Sentkowski (2019-pres.)    86    ---

Single Season PATs    Total    Needs
3. Devon Medeiros (2019)    49    7
T4. Scott Brown (1999)    42    4
T4. Jim Gill (1988)    42    4
T4. Kyle Sentkowski (2022)    42    ---

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 .781 (25-7) 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 20 of the last 21 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 three straight winning (2019, 21-22) seasons for just the first time since 1984-86.
• 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

• This week's game will be just the third meeting all-time between the two schools and the first in Sacramento. Idaho won the first 45-3 in 1989 when future NFL quarterback John Friesz tied his own school and Big Sky record with six touchdown passes.
• The teams also met in the Kibbie Dome to open the 2017 season with Idaho winning, 28-6. That game was the first in a Hornet uniform for Kevin Thomson.
• Sacramento State picked up its first win in the series with a convincing 31-7 win.
• Idaho was a member of the Big Sky Conference from 1963-1995. The team then moved to the FBS before returning last season.

CONNECTIONS

• Sacramento State does not have any players from the state of Idaho.
• Idaho has 23 players from California. Included in that group is WR Michael Graves who played at Sheldon HS and American River College in Sacramento.