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ANOTHER TOUGH ROAD TEST AWAITS NO. 2 FOOTBALL AT NO. 5 WEBER STATE

A BRIEF PREVIEW
  • Sacramento State will face its third top 15 opponent in its last three games when the Hornets travel to Ogden, Utah to face No. 5/6 Weber State on Saturday, Nov. 5. The game will take place at Stewart Stadium and begin at 12 p.m. PT — marking the earliest start time of the year for Sacramento State.
  • The Hornets moved into a tie for first place in the Big Sky Conference after a come-from-behind 31-24 win over then-No. 14 Idaho on Oct. 29. Sacramento State is now 5-0 in the league which equals Montana State. The two teams are one game ahead of Idaho and Weber State.
  • Sacramento State remains second in the Stats Perform media poll and third in the AFCA FCS coaches poll. The Hornets have been ranked in the top 10 in each poll since the preseason.
  • Hornet fans can tune in to ESPN 1320 AM to hear the radio call of Dave Lewis, Steve McElroy and Danny Sullivan. Live audio streaming is also available via www.hornetsports.com and the Audacy app.
  • The game will also be streamed on ESPN+. Tony Parks will handle the play-by-play and will be joined by former Utah State quarterback Riley Jensen for analysis.
OPPONENT PREVIEW: WEBER STATE
  • Weber State improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Big Sky games with a 24-21 win over Montana last Saturday. The teams were tied, 10-10, at halftime before the Griz took the lead with a field goal midway through the third quarter. WSU scored the next 14 points and never relinquished the lead.
  • Like the Hornets, Weber State also owns a win over an FBS team this year. The Wildcats topped Utah State, 35-7, on Sept. 10. Sacramento State and the Wildcats each also have victories over Utah Tech, Eastern Washington and Montana.
  • WSU, which is the only school to defeat Sacramento State in conference play since the start of 2019, boasts the top defense in the Big Sky this year. The Wildcats lead the Big Sky in total defense, team pass efficiency defense, scoring defense, passes intercepted and third-down defense. Seven different players have recorded interceptions this year, including Maxwell Anderson who has five and ranks second in the FCS.
  • The Wildcat offense has been balanced this year, averaging 220.5 passing yards and 192.6 rushing yards per game.
  • Jay Hill is in his ninth year as the head coach at Weber State and owns a 65-37 overall record.
LET'S GO STREAKING
  • Sacramento State improved on its best start in school history getting to 8-0 with the win over Idaho. Prior to this season, the previous best start was 6-0 set in 1991.
  • This year's team became the 12th in school history to win eight games in a season. Three of those 12 seasons (2019, 2021 and 2022) have come under head coach Troy Taylor.
  • The record for victories in a year is 10 which came in the 1988 season. That year, the Hornets were 8-2 in the regular season before advancing to the NCAA Div. II semifinals with a pair of victories.
  • Sacramento State earned nine regular seasons wins in 2019 and 2021.
  • The Hornets have won 16 consecutive Big Sky Conference games. The team's last loss came against Weber State (36-17) at home on Nov. 2, 2019. That defeat is the only conference loss suffered by Troy Taylor in his three seasons.
  • Sacramento State became the last undefeated team in California at NCAA Div. I, II or III on Oct. 22 when UCLA lost at Oregon.
  • 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 Boise State (55th), Pitt (59th), BYU (64th), Nebraska (69th), Stanford (74th), Miami (76th), California (79th), Arizona (93rd), Fresno State (95th) and San Diego State.
THEY KEEP GOING AND GOING...
  • Sacramento State has faced two of the best rush defenses in the Big Sky the last two weeks and responded with a pair of impressive performances on the ground. The Hornets tallied 180 yards against a Montana defense which entered the game giving up 76.2 rushing yards per game. This past week, the Hornets rushed for 299 yards against an Idaho front which had only allowed 78 rushing yards per game against FCS opponents this  season. The challenge doesn't get any easier this week as Weber State currently ranks third in the Big Sky allowing 114.0 rushing yards per game. WSU has held four opponents to under 100 rushing yards in a game, including limiting Montana to 42 yards last week. The only team to exploit the Wildcats was Montana State which amassed 347 rushing yards with four TDs.
  • Sacramento State remains third in the FCS in rushing yards per game at 266.5 behind Davidson (375.5) and Montana State (289.4). The Hornets most recently rushed for 299 yards in the win against Idaho. The team was over 300 yards until taking a knee on the final two plays.  
  • 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 and Asher O'Hara were both over 100 yards against the Vandals. Skattebo earned his fourth straight game over the century mark with 134 yards on 17 carries. The last Hornet to rush for 100 yards in five consecutive games was Elijah Dotson in 2018. O'Hara earned his second 100-yard game this year with 129 yards on a Sacramento State-career best 26 carries.
  • Despite improving his per game average, Skattebo dropped to sixth in the FCS at 123.1 rushing yards per game. He now has 985 rushing yards this season leaving him 15 yards shy of becoming the school's first 1,000 yard rusher in a season since Elijah Dotson (1,154) in 2018. Since moving to NCAA Div. I in 1993, there has been only six 1,000 rushing season by Hornets.
  • 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 eight 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.
Career Rushing Yards    Total    Needs
9.    Garrett Safron (2011-14)    1,906    404
10. Ryan Mole (2004-05)    1,626    124
11. Mark Schulz (1984-85)    1,571    69
12. George Sula (1974-75)    1,541    39
13. BJ Perkinson (2017-21)    1,517    15
14. Cameron Skattebo (2021-pres.)    1,502    ---

RANKINGS REHASH
  • Saturday will mark the 21st 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 is ranked second in the Stats Perform media poll and third in the AFCA FCS coaches poll for the third 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 4-3 overall and 4-1 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.
RETURN OF SACK STATE
  • Despite putting heavy pressure on the quarterback, sacks had eluded Sacramento State in the last three games. That streak was stopped against Idaho where linebacker Armon Bailey accounted for all three sacks for the team. Bailey's biggest sack came on 4th-and-11 with just over a minute remaining when he dropped Gevani McCoy and forced a fumble which was recovered by Ayodele Adeoye to secure the victory.
  • Bailey, who has twice been named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week this season, finished the game with nine tackles to match his season high. He now has a team-leading 56 tackles this season, including 9.5 TFLs and four sacks.
  • Bailey debuted for the Hornets in 2018 where he played in seven games. The next year he was in the lineup for eight of the first nine before missing the last three contests of the season. After having the 2020 season canceled, he returned in 2021 and started the year with three TFLs at Dixie State. However, he would play in just two more games during the season after suffering another injury.
  • This year, Bailey has played in all eight games and has recorded at least four tackles in each contest. He has nine stops in three straight games and has had at least eight in five of the last six.
JOIN THE CLUB
  • Sophomore wide receiver Chris Miller became the 11th Sacramento State player to score a touchdown this season when he caught a 31-yard pass from Jake Dunniway on the opening drive of the game.
  • Miller, who had two touchdowns as a freshman last season, has caught at least one pass in the last five games. He set season highs against Idaho with three grabs for 45 yards.
  • Miller is the seventh Hornet to catch a TD in 2022. The group is balanced with only Marshel Martin (six), Pierre Williams (four) and Cameron Skattebo (three) catching more than two scores this year.
IT'S ALMOST AUTOMATIC
  • Asher O'Hara again waited until the final minutes of a game to continue his touchdown streak in dramatic fashion. A week after scoring with 3:39 remaining and  adding the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Montana, O'Hara twisted over the top of the pile to score with 1:46 left against Idaho.
  • The quarterback has now had a rushing touchdown in all eight games this year and has scored in 11 consecutive regular season games dating back to last year. In his two years at Sacramento State, O'Hara has rushing touchdowns in 15 of 20 games played.
  • O'Hara also showcased his skills outside the goal line as he rushed for 129 yards on 26 carries against the Vandals. The game marked his eighth career 100-yard rushing performance and his third as a Hornet.
  • Against Montana, O'Hara set a pair of school records during as he passed Kevin Thomson for single-season and career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. O'Hara now has 14 rushing scores this season and 23 during his two years with the Hornet. His single-season total leaves him trailing a pair of Hornet royalty in Charles Roberts (22 in 1999; 18 in 1998; 14 in 2000) and Troy Mills (17 in 1991).
  • Dating back to last season, O'Hara has accounted for 36 touchdowns as a Hornet (23 rushing, 12 passing, 1 receiving). Counting his time at Middle Tennessee, O'Hara has rushed for 40 touchdowns and thrown for 41 scores in five seasons.
  • O'Hara currently ranks second on the team with 609 rushing yards while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. The school single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback is 751 by Garrett Safron in 2014.
  • O'Hara has also been highly efficient through the air. He has completed 40-of-53 pass attempts this season, including a perfect 10-of-10 at Colorado State. He currently has a pass efficiency rating of 161.4 which would rank 10th in school history if he met the minimum.
Career Rushing Touchdowns    Total    Needs
5.    Jordan Robinson (2013-16)    25    2
    Troy Mills (1990-91)    25    2
7. Asher O'Hara (2021-pres.)    23    ---

Single Season Rushing TDs    Total    Needs
3.    Troy Mills (1991)    17    3
4.    Charles Roberts (2000)    14    ---
    Asher O'Hara (2022)    14    ---

Career Rushing Yards    Total    Needs
16. Tyronne Gross (2002-04)    1,448    177
17. John Scorza (1967-68)    1,357    86
18. Asher O'Hara (2021-22)    1,271    ---

AMONG THE GREATS
  • Pierre Williams had just one reception against Idaho but it proved to be a big one as Williams brought in an 8-yard touchdown pass to give the team a 24-7 lead in the third quarter.
  • The senior has caught at least one pass in all eight games this season and has scored a touchdown in the last two games and four of the last six.
  • This year, Williams ranks second on the team with four receiving touchdowns and 290 receiving yards and is third with 23 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    112
4.    Pierre Williams (2018-pres.)    2,538    ---

Career Receiving Touchdowns    Total    Needs
2.     Fred Amey (2001-04)    27    8
3.    Morris Norrise (2010-13)    19    ---
    Marshel Martin (2019-pres.)    19    ---
    Pierre Williams (2018-pres.)    19    ---

Career Receptions    Total    Needs
3.    DeAndre Carter (2011-14)    207    49
4.    Pierre Williams (2018-pres.)    158    ---

READY TO BOUNCE BACK
  • A week after setting his season high with 36 attempts and finishing one completion off his season best with 19 against Montana, Jake Dunniway had a season low six completions on 17 attempts against Idaho.
  • Against the Vandals, Dunniway completed his first four throws, including a 31-yard touchdown strike to Chris Miller.
  • The senior has now thrown for a touchdown pass in all eight games this season and 10 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    222
7.    Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    4,644    ---

Career Pass Attempts    Total    Needs
6.    Mike Sullivan (1981-83)    663    105
7.    Drew Wyant (1986-89)    563    5
8.    Ricky Ray (1999-2000)    561    3
9.    Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    558    ---

Career Completions    Total    Needs
5.    Mike Sullivan (1981-83)    365    21
6.    Tony Corbin (1995-96)    351    6
7.    Ricky Ray (1999-2000)    347    3
8.    Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    344    ---

Career TD Passes    Total    Needs
4.    Jason Smith (2007-09)    38    7
5.    Tony Corbin (1995-96)    34    3
    Mike Sullivan (1981-83)    34    3
7.    Ricky Ray (1999-2000)    33    2
8.    Greg Knapp (1982-85)    32    1
9.    Jake Dunniway (2019-pres.)    31    ---

A NEW BEGINNING
  • Marshel Martin was available for situational use last Saturday against Idaho while nursing a minor injury. With freshman tight end Coleman Kuntz catching two passes for 25 yards and the team leading by 17 points, the Hornets were holding their own with the All-American out of the lineup. However, after the Vandals took the lead, Martin was summoned to play one snap during the game-winning drive. That play ended his streak of catching at least one pass in all 31 games of his career.
  • Despite playing one fewer games than most players on the team, Martin still leads the team with 34 receptions for 437 yards and six touchdowns.
  • 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
3.     Morris Norrise (2010-13)    19    ---
    Pierre Williams (2018-pres.)    19    ---
    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    ---

SENTKOWSKI INTO TOP FIVE
  • Kicker Kyle Sentkowski has produced identical efforts the last two weeks, kicking four extra points and making a field goal against Montana and Idaho.
  • After missing his first two field goal attempts of the season, the senior has made his last 10, including his last four from 40-plus yards.
  • Sentkowski was named the Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance at Eastern Washington. He finished the game with 10 points and has scored in double figures four times this year.
  • With the Hornet offense scoring touchdowns at an unprecedented rate, Sentkowski has already moved into the school single-season top five with 46 PATs this season.
  • He ranks second on the team this season with 76 points, trailing only Asher O'Hara's 90.
  • 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    3
4. Kyle Sentkowski (2019-pres.)    31    ---

Career PATs    Total    Needs
3.    Juan Gamboa (2005-08)    95    5
4.    Kyle Sentkowski (2019-pres.)    90    ---

Single Season PATs    Total    Needs
1.    Brad Cornish (2014)    56    10
2.    Devon Medeiros (2017)    52    6
3.    Devon Medeiros (2019)    49    3
4.    Kyle Sentkowski (2022)    46    ---

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 26 wins, trails just Bob Mattos (84 wins), Ray Clemons (70), Marshall Sperbeck (35) and John Volek (31).
  • However, Taylor's winning percentage of .788 (26-7) 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 21 of the last 22 Big Sky teams it has faced.
  • Sacramento State has had three games this season with at least seven penalties and three games with three or less. The team had a high of 12 flags for 105 yards at Cal Poly and a low of one for five yards at Colorado State.
  • Sacramento State's current eight-game winning streak is tied with last season and 1966 for the longest in school history.
  • 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
  • Sacramento State had faced Weber State every season between 1996 and 2019. The Hornets opted out of the 2020-21 season and the two teams were not paired on the 2021 schedule.
  • Weber State has won the past five meetings, the longest stretch by either team in the series. Those five wins follow a three-game streak by Sacramento State.
CONNECTIONS
  • Both Sacramento State head coach Troy Taylor and Weber State head coach Jay Hill coached at Utah before taking the job at their current schools. The two, however, were never on the same staff.
  • WSU has 16 players from California. Included in that group is senior DB Marque Collins from Cosumnes Oaks HS and freshman QB Jakob Hollinghaus from Vista Del Lago HS.
SERIES LEADERS
Sacramento State
Rushing:
220, Charles Roberts (27 att., 2 TD), 1999
166, Daimon Shelton (29 att., TD), 1996

Passing
338, Ryan Leadingham (20-35, 1 TD, 2 INT), 2001
305, Ryan Leadingham (22-40, TD), 2002

Receiving
201, Tyrone Taylor (9 rec., 2 TD), 1996
169, Michael Johnson (8 rec., TD), 2001

Tackles
27, Darnell Sankey (9-18, BPU), 2015
20, Shane Scott (6-14, TFL), 1998

Weber State
Rushing:
240, Johnnie Gray (37 att., 3 TD), 2001
223, Nick Chournos (27 att., 3 TD), 2002

Passing
380, Cameron Higgins (21-33, 4 TD), 2008
380, Jadria Clark (25-35-1, TD), 2016

Receiving
175, Cam Livingston (10 rec.), 2014
154, Tim Toone (8 rec., 3 TD), 2009

Tackles
15, Spencer Sigoda (5-10, TFL), 2001
15, Cory Pantuso (4-11, INT), 2001
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