SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State set school records for yards, plays and first downs but came up short in a 66-63 loss to Incarnate Word on Friday night at Hornet Stadium. The 129 combined points were the most in NCAA FCS Playoff history and the most in Sacramento State history.

The Hornets finished the season with a 12 -1 overall record and suffered their first loss of the year. The team set school records for victories and earned a share of their third Big Sky Conference title in as many seasons. UIW improved to 12-1 and will now play at North Dakota State in the FCS semifinals.

Sacramento State compiled 738 yards of total offense which broke the school record of 694 against Montana State which had stood since 2014. The team ran 109 plays in the game and earned a school single-game and FCS Playoff record 49 first downs. The Cardinals finished with 579 yards on 73 plays. UIW was also opportunistic, creating four turnovers which directly led to 21 points.

Incarnate Word entered the fourth quarter with a 38-34 lead and quickly built on it as quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. dashed 64-yards untouched on the first play of the period. Down 11, Sacramento State was not out. The team dug deep into the playbook as running back Cameron Skattebo caught a lateral and then threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Marshel Martin to cut the deficit to 45-41.

The Hornets then attempted an onsides kick which was recovered by Abel Ordaz at the Hornet 45. Six plays later, Martin caught a 14-yard pass from Jake Dunniway to put Sacramento State on top. 48-45, with 10:12 left in the contest.

The defense held the Cardinals on the first two plays of the next series but Marcus Cooper broke free for a 67-yard rush on 3rd-and-2 to swing the lead back to UIW, 52-48. Momentum swung further in favor of the Cardinals when Brandon Richard sacked Asher O'Hara and stripped the ball loose. Kelechi Anyalebechi scooped it up and raveled the remaining 55 yards to seemingly put the game away.

Once again, however, Sacramento State had answers. Dunniway found Pierre Williams for a 10-yard pass in  the front corner of the end zone and Marcus Fulcher added a two-point conversion to draw the Hornets within three, 59-56 with just under five minutes remaining. The ensuing onsides kick bounced off the foot of a UIW player and was recovered by Skattebo giving Sacramento State life.

The drive started with a 14-yard pass to Martin and then saw Williams haul in a 7-yard catch. With the offense slowing down the pace to take time off the clock, Fulcher busted free for a 10-yard gain to take the ball to the 2. Martin scored two plays later on a 4-yard sweep to move Sacramento State back ahead, 63-59, with 1:43 left on the clock.

Scott showed why he has a leading candidate to win the Walter Payton Award during the next drive. Facing 3rd-and-7, he scrambled for a 14-yard gain. Cooper picked up 14 yards two plays later to bring the ball into the Hornet half of the field. Following an 8-yard rush from Scott, UIW drew a pass interference call to move the ball to the Sacramento State 21. Scott then lofted a ball to the back left corner of the end zone where Taylor Grimes wrestled the ball free from the defender and was able to get a foot down for the eventual game-winning touchdown.

Sacramento State appeared to be set up for a game-tying field goal with one second remaining by a replay review overturned a completion to Pierre Williams at the UIW 37. Instead the team had one last attempt but Dunniway's pass was knocked down in the end zone as time expired.

The Hornets rushed for 333 yards and four touchdowns. Fulcher and Skattebo each surpassed 100 yards finishing with 108 and 101, respectively. The pair marked the first time two Hornet running backs each crossed the century mark since Ezekiel Graham and AJ Ellis in 2012. O'Hara was also close to joining the duo has he had 87 rushing yards.

Sacramento State added a season-high 405 passing yards. Dunniway was 19-of-32 for 228 yards and two scores while O'Hara completed 14-of-23 passes for 158 yards and a TD.

Martin and Williams each produced 100 receiving yards for the second consecutive game. Martin caught a career high 12 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Williams brought in eight passes for 102 yards and also had two touchdowns.

Scott threw for 219 yards and four touchdowns to set the FCS single-season touchdown record (58). The graduate student completed 19-of-31 passes to UIW the first team in the last 15 games to complete at least 60 percent of their passes against the Hornets. Scott also rushed for 166 yards and two TDs. Cooper led the team with 176 rushing yards and also scored twice.

NOTES

• There was at least 20 combined points in all four quarters, including 57 in the fourth quarter.
• Sacramento State's 29 fourth-quarter points were the most in school history in the period.
• The Hornets' 63 total points are tied for fourth most in school history.
• Sacramento State set single-season records for rushing yards (3,163), touchdowns (71) and points (558).
• Skattebo ended the year ranked fifth in school history with 1,373 rushing yards.
• Williams concluded his career ranked second in school history in receiving yards (2,971) and fourth in career receiving touchdowns (24) and receptions (182).
• Dunniway moved into fourth place with 5,575 career passing yards and fifth in career TD passes (36).
• Martin is now fifth in career receiving yards (2,078), third in career touchdowns (25) and fifth in career receptions (157). He also moved into a tie for fourth place with 12 receiving touchdowns.
• Kyle Sentkowski completed his career ranked second with 38 career field goals and 115 career PATs. He also set the school record with 73 single-season PATs and is second with 17 field goals — trailing only his 21 from last year.