SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State scored the final 37 points, compiled 587 yards of offense and intercepted four passes in a 51-16 win over Idaho State on Saturday night on Homecoming at Hornet Stadium.
True freshman
Carson Conklin made his collegiate debut midway through the second quarter and completed 14-of-21 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Conklin came into the game with the Hornets trailing 16-14 and immediately led the team on a 7-play, 61-yard touchdown drive which was capped by 13-yard pass to
Devin Gandy to put Sacramento State on top for the remainder of the game.
Zach Schreiner gave Sacramento State a 24-16 halftime advantage with a 30-yard field goal as time expired and the team continued that momentum into the second half where the Hornets scored a season-best 20 points in the third quarter.
Conklin hit
Carlos Hill in stride for a 69-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter.
Elijah Tau-Tolliver added to the lead with a 4-yard rush — his fourth rushing TD of the season.
Michael Johnson finished the barrage with an 8-yard dash for his first carer score.
The Hornets drained the clock in the fourth quarter, using a 12-play, 53-yard drive to score the game's final points on a 6-yard pass to Marshel Martin for the All-American's first touchdown of the year and the 26th receiving TD of his career.
Sacramento State played 71 players in the game and saw 11 players earn a carry and seven catch a pass. The Hornets rushed for 273 yards while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Redshirt freshman
Zeke Burnett led the team with nine attempts for 143 yards. Burnett had rushes of 55 and 50 yards to account for over 70 percent of his output.
The receivers were led by Martin who caught six passes for 103 yards for his sixth career 100-yard game. Hill had three grabs for a career-high 91 yards.
Jared Gipson and Gandy added receiving scores. Gipson's catch came on the opening drive of the game on a 23-yard pass from
Kaiden Bennett.
Bennett threw for 79 yards and a touchdown while completing 7-of-11 passes with an interception.
Idaho State entered the game as the most prolific passing team in the FCS. The Bengals threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns in the first half but were slowed in the second half. The Hornets limited ISU to just 137 passing yards in the final two quarters and held a team scoreless in a half for the first time this season.
Brock Mather,
Kylen Ross,
Cameron Broussard and
Mitchell Wolfe each had interceptions for the defense. The four picks tied the school record which has now occurred 11 times. The most recent occasion came against Southern Oregon on Aug. 31, 2019.
Armon Bailey led the team with eight tackles and earned his 200th career tackle during the game. His 201 career stops now rank 20th in Hornet career history.
Sacramento State, which was ranked sixth in the Stats Perform FCS media poll and seventh in the AFCA FCS coaches poll this week, will next play at No. 7/5 Montana on Saturday, Nov. 4. The game will be a rare night game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, starting at 5 p.m. PT.
NOTES
- The 51 points scored were a season best and the most since 63 against Incarnate Word in last year's FCS Playoffs.
- The team has now scored 50+ points seven times since the start of 2019.
- The total was the second most all-time against ISU falling behind 54 in 2012.
- The Hornets are now 6-0 against Idaho State on Homecoming.
- Conklin, Curron Borders and Nova Kebeli each earned their first career rushing attempt.
- Michael Johnson and Marshel Martin each scored touchdowns giving the team 15 different players with a TD this year.
- The team's 587 yards of offense were a season best and the most since accumulating 738 against UIW last season.
- Mason Brosseau recorded his third sack of the season.
