A BRIEF PREVIEW

• Fresh off a wild 51-48 double-overtime win, Sacramento State will look to get back to .500 when it travels to Idaho State on Saturday, Oct. 26. The game against the Bengals will start at 3 p.m. PT from ICCU Dome.
• The victory over Weber State raised the team's record to 3-4 overall and gave the team its first Big Sky win this season in three tries. The Hornets continued to receive votes in the both the AFCA Coaches and the Stats Perform top 25. 
• After starting the season playing four of its first five games on the road, the Hornets have enjoyed back-to-back home games and also had a bye before those contests. The last time the team played away from home came on Oct. 28 when it fell at Northern Arizona.
• Hornet fans can tune in to ESPN 1320 AM to hear the radio call of Jason Ross, Brian Berger 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+ with Scott Gross (play-by-play), former Idaho State linebacker Kody Graves (analyst) and Mitch Beckstead (sideline).

OPPONENT PREVIEW: IDAHO STATE

• Idaho State dropped to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the Big Sky following a heart-breaking and controversial 30-26 loss at Northern Arizona. The Bengals drove the Lumberjack 4-yard line but were flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty which backed the team up to the 19-yard line. The final play of the game ended with an NAU interception in the end zone. The game was the second-consecutive four-point loss by the Bengals following a 42-38 defeat to Portland State.
• Kobe Tracy and Hunter Hays have both played quarterback in all eight of the team's games. Tracy has averaged 226.75 passing yards per game while tossing 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. Hays has added six passing touchdowns and also rushed for five TDs.
• The Bengals have three players who have caught at least 35 passes led by 43 from Jeff Weimer and 42 from Christian Fredricksen. Both have caught five touchdowns this season.
• Cortland Horton and Logan George have been disruptive on defense. Horton has five sacks whole George has 9.5 TFLs.
• Cody Hawkins is in his second year as the ISU head coach. Hawkins previously was the offensive coordinator at UC Davis.

HORNETS EARN THREE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS

• Zelmar Vedder was named the Big Sky Co-Defensive Player of the Week and Zach Schreiner earned the Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week following the team's 51-48 overtime win over Weber State. In addition, quarterback Carson Conklin earned the Stats Perform FCS Freshman of the Week award.
• Vedder kept the Hornets on top through the third quarter by forcing a pair of turnovers on the Wildcats' first two drives of the second half. The junior cornerback made a leaping one-handed interception in the end zone for his first career pick. On the next drive he sacked Richie Muñoz on a blitz knocking the ball free and leading to a Hornet recovery. That turnover turned into a Sacramento State touchdown and gave the team a 41-24 lead.
• Vedder is the third Sacramento State player to be named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week this season following Will Leota against Nicholls and Elias Mullican at Texas A&M-Commerce. This year marks the first time the Hornets have had three defensive honorees since joining the conference in 1996.
• Schreiner matched his career high with three field goals and also had six extra points to give him 15 points. The senior made three field goals in a game for the third time in his career with makes 43, 41 and 36 yards. 
• Schreiner was previously named the Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week after making three field goals in the team's win at Stanford last season.
• Conklin completed 32-of-47 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns to set career bests in all three categories. The redshirt freshman hit Anderson Grover for a 54-yard pass in the second quarter, then had a 2-yard toss to Coleman Kuntz in the third to make the score 41-24. Conklin returned to Grover in the first overtime for a 9-yard TD to send the game into a second overtime. He has now thrown for at least three touchdowns in five games of his career.

A LOT TO UNPACK

• Saturday was the 32nd game in school history in which Sacramento State scored at least 50 points and the second under Andy Thompson's watch.
• The game was the first overtime contest for the Hornets since Oct. 22, 2022 and just the second since 2013. It was the first double overtime game played by Sacramento State since losing to Northern Arizona, 51-49, in triple overtime on Oct. 23, 1999 — a stretch of 273 games.
• Carson Conklin (357 passing), Elijah Tau-Tolliver (141 rushing) and Anderson Grover (136 receiving) became the first Hornet trio to surpass 300 passing/100 rushing/100 receiving yards in a game this year. The last instance came against Cal Poly on Nov. 11, 2023 with Conklin (313), Marcus Fulcher (121 rush) and Jared Gipson (154 rec.).
• The 99 combined points are tied for the eighth most in school history. The Hornets also defeated Montana in overtime, 51-48, in 2022.
• The 544 yards of total offense were the most for Sacramento State this season.
• Elijah Tau-Tolliver became the first Hornet to rush for three touchdowns in a half since Elijah Dotson had three in the first half at Montana on Sept. 22, 2018.
• Weber State's Damon Bankston rushed for 234 yards which is the 13th most by a Sacramento State opponent in school history. The total was the most against the Hornets since Portland State's DJ Adams had 249 on Nov. 16, 2013. Strangely, Sacramento State won both of those games.

STEPPING UP WHEN NEEDED

• It's hard to imagine a 51-48 game coming down to a defensive stand, but the Hornet defense made the plays  at the clutch time to secure a win.
• After surrendering 24 points in the first half, the Hornet defense could not have played better in the third quarter. The unit came up with an interception by Zelmar Vedder in the end zone on Weber State's first possession after the break. The pick was the first of Vedder's career.
• After a Hornet punt, Vedder sacked WSU quarterback Richie Muñoz and jarred the ball loose. Ben Ahio gathered the ball out of the air for the team's second forced turnover. Sacramento State turned the fumble into a touchdown to give the team a 41-24 lead.
• On the Wildcats' next series, the team drove the Hornet 32-yard line and faced a 4th-and-3. Muñoz was stopped by Brandon Knott and Anta'Veon McKenzie for a gain of two and gave the ball back to the Hornets.
• The biggest plays for the defense came at the end of regulation. After Weber State pulled within three, the Wildcats were on the move for a potential game-winning score. WSU had 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line but was unable to get into the end zone and had to kick a game-tying field goal to force overtime. Linebacker Will Leota and safety Eian Moore combined for a TFL of 1-yard on first down. Leota had a solo TFL of 2-yards on second down and Leota and Nakian Jackson combined to stop Damon Bankston after a 1-yard gain on third down.
• The defense also kept Weber State out of the end zone in the second overtime period, leading to the missed field goal which won the game. 

CONKLIN SETS CAREER BESTS

• Redshirt freshman Carson Conklin was named the Stats Perform FCS Freshman of the Week after completing 32-of-47 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns in the overtime win over Weber State. Each of those stats set career bests for Conklin breaking his previous marks of 22 completions, 37 attempts and 313 yards.
• Conklin's 32 completions tied him for 10th place in school single-game history and were the most since Asher O'Hara also had 32 completions against UNI on Sept. 11, 2021. The last Hornet QB with more than 32 completions in a game was Nate Ketteringham who had 34 against Montana State on Oct. 1, 2016.
• Conklin's yardage total was the 28th best in school history. He became the 16th Hornet quarterback to have multiple 300-yard games in their career.
• Conklin has now thrown a touchdown pass in all seven games this season and has multiple TDs in five games. He became the 14th player in school history to have four TD passes in a game when he did it against Eastern Washington on Oct. 12. Overall, Hornet QBs have had four or more touchdowns in a game 29 times. Garrett Safron holds the school record with seven touchdowns against Southern Oregon in 2013. Ryan Leadingham had six scores against Idaho State in 2003 and Kevin Thomson, Safron and Jeff Fleming each threw five TDs in a game.
• Conklin debuted with Sacramento State during the 2023 season, appearing in four games. During that run, he tossed three touchdown passes in home games against Idaho State and Cal Poly and finished the year with 744 passing yards.
• The Yorba Linda, Calif., native needs one more touchdowns this season to crack the school single-season top 10. There are currently four players tied for eighth place with 17 touchdown passes, including Leadingham who holds the school record for TD passes by a freshman in 2001.
• Among the 10 true and redshirt quarterbacks that qualify for the NCAA FCS statistics, Conklin leads the subdivision in completions, pass attempts, yards and touchdowns.

BOUNCE BACK ABILITY

• Sacramento State is now  9-3 following a regular-season loss since the start of 2019.
• The team's first loss in 2019 came at Arizona State (19-7) and was followed by a 50-0 home win over Northern Colorado. The next week, the Hornets dropped a 34-20 game at Fresno State but responded with a 48-27 victory at home over Eastern Washington.
• In 2021, Sacramento State lost its home opener to UNI (36-14) and then fell at Cal (42-30) for a rare two-game losing streak in the last four seasons. The Hornets got back on track the following week with a 23-21 win at Idaho State.
• After extending its regular season winning streak to 23 games, Sacramento State lost at Idaho (36-27) last season. The Hornets then alternated wins and losses for the final six games of the year.
• This season, the team opened the year with losses at San Jose State and Fresno State before defeating Nicholls.
• The team started Big Sky play with losses to Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington, marking the first time the Hornets lost back-to-back league games since 2018.

FOUR IN DOUBLE DIGITS

• With Weber State running 85 offensive plays, including 47 rush attempts, there were plenty of opportunities for Hornet tackles. The team finished the game with four players in double-digits and had 99 total tackles as a team.
• Nakian Jackson led the team with 12 tackles and now has 10-plus tackles in three straight games. Jackson started his streak 11 tackles at NAU and added 10 against Eastern Washington. The sophomore is just the second Hornet player to post double-digit stops in three-straight games since 2017. Austin Clark had 10 tackles against Weber State, 12 against Southern Utah and 11 against EWU in 2017 and Armon Bailey had 11 at Stanford and Idaho and 10 against NAU last season.
• Will Leota has also cracked double figures in the last two games. Leota had a season-best 13 tackles against Eastern Washington and added 10 against Weber State. The senior now has nine career games with at least 10 tackles, including three games with the Hornets this season. Leota also set his career best with 3.5 TFLs against the Wildcats.
• Former high school teammates Brandon Knott and Davion Ross each set career highs in tackles against Weber State. Knott had 11 stops from his defensive tackle spot while Ross tallied 10 as a nickelback. Knott's previous high was five at Northern Arizona earlier this year while Ross' was six at Fresno State in 2019.

HE DID IT AGAIN

• Elijah Tau-Tolliver needed just one half to record his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season. Tau-Tolliver had 13 attempts for 127 yards in the first two quarters against Weber State and also scored a career-high three touchdowns. He finished the game with 141 rushing yards, highlighted by a career-long 70-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
• Tau-Tolliver now owns five 100-yard games in his career which ranks 13th in school history. His next game over the century mark would draw him into a four-way tie for 10th place.
• Against Weber State, the junior showed a new wrinkle, catching 11 passes for 85 yards. His 11 catches are tied for the 11th most in school single-game history and are the most by a running back. Prior to last week, Tau-Tolliver had never caught more than three passes for 50 yards in a game.
• Tau-Tolliver became the fifth Hornet to record three 100-yard games prior to the end of September as he had 110 yards at San Jose State, 111 yards against Nicholls and 127 at Texas A&M-Commerce. John Farley was the first to achieve the feat in 1982 and was followed by Troy Mills in 1991. Charles Roberts then took it to another level, rushing for four 100-yard games in September in 1998 and 1999 and then five in 2000. Tyronne Gross is the most recent Hornet before Tau-Tolliver with three 100-yard games in September of 2003. 
• Tau-Tolliver has already accounted for more yards this season (726) than he did a year ago (387). His six rushing TDs this season, however, are still shy of his team-leading seven touchdowns in 2023. He surpassed 1,000 career yards at Texas A&M-Commerce and entered the school top 20 list against Weber State.
• Sacramento State has played two games on national television in the last two seasons and both have been then-career efforts for Tau-Tolliver. Last season, the running back amassed 100 yards against Montana State in an ESPN2 game, including a 53-yard touchdown. This year, he rushed for 110 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns at San Jose State in the first college football game aired on TruTV.
• The Sparks, Nev., native has thrived in big games during his career. As a redshirt freshman, he returned the second half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown against Richmond in the second round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs. In last season's win at Stanford he had just one carry but made the most of it with a 1-yard touchdown.

TERRIFIC TRIO

• The wide receiver trio of Anderson Grover, Jared Gipson and Danny Scudero combined to catch 17 passes for 262 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Weber State. Grover led the group behind a career night of eight receptions for 136 yards and two scores. His previous highs were six receptions and 96 yards and he had never had more than one touchdown in a game.
• Gipson posted his seventh game of his career with at least five catches as he had five grabs for 67 yards. Scudero added four catches for 59 yards with a long of 35 yards.
• Grover has caught at least two passes in the six games he's played this season and has five-plus receptions in three games. His four receiving touchdowns are tied for the team lead and he's second with 388 receiving yards and 14.9 yards per reception.
• Scudero also has at least one catch in each of his games this season and has four or more in five games. His 29 receptions are tied for the team lead and he ranks third with 329 receiving yards.
• Gipson has caught at least one pass in 37 career games, including the last 11. He moved into sole possession of eight place in career receptions against Weber State and is now sixth in career yards. For the first time in his career, Gipson caught touchdowns in three consecutive games, scoring against Texas A&M-Commerce, Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington.
• This season, Gipson has had at least three receptions in all seven games and has had 70 or more receiving yards in three contests. His season high of 138 yards came at Fresno State and was aided by a 78-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown.
• A year after leading the Big Sky with an average of 17.29 yards per catch and earning second team all-Big Sky honors, Gipson is fifth in the league this season with 70.7 receiving yards per game. His average of 17.1 yards per catch ranks ninth in the conference and is second among players with at least 20 receptions.
• Gipson is also a social media superstar. His football videos have garnered him over a million followers on TikTok and close to 700,000 subscribers on YouTube.

SCHREINER CONTINUES HIS CLIMB

• Kicker Zach Schreiner made all three of his field goal attempts against Weber State and also added six extra points for a career-high 15 points. Schreiner was successful on field-goal attempts of 43, 41 and 36 yards — marking the first time he made multiple 40-yard field goals in his Sacramento State career.
• Schreiner leads the team with 61 points this seasons. In just two years, Schreiner has scored 152 career points but is still 32 points shy of moving into the top 10 for scoring in school history.
• He is tied for fourth in the FCS this season with 1.71 field goals per game and is tied for third with 12 made field goals. One of the players he is tied with for made field goals is Idaho State's Gabe Panikowski who began his collegiate career with the Hornets and is 12-for-12 on the year.
• Schreiner led Sacramento State in 2023 with 91 total points which ranked 10th in school history. Schreiner made 14-of-19 field goals and was perfect on 49 extra points. His 14 field goals tied him for third place in a season at Sacramento State.
• Schreiner is now 18-of-20 on field goal attempts inside 40-yards as a Hornet. Dating back to 2019, three Sacramento State kickers have combined to make 207 consecutive PATs. The team's last missed extra point came at Montana State on Oct. 12, 2019.

TESTING THE DEPTH

• Through the first seven games of the season, Sacramento State has played 85 players with only 42 seeing action in all six games.
• The Hornets have started 18 players on both offense defense. The one constant on both sides of the ball has been the lines. Sawyer Hays, Aidan Meek , Kaden Richardson and Jackson Slater have started all seven games on the offensive line while Ben Ahio, Mason Brosseau and Josh Cashiola have started on the defensive line in each game. Other players to start each game this year include WR Jared Gipson, TE Coleman Kuntz, RB Elijah Tau-Tolliver, LB Nakian Jackson, S Murvin Kenion III and LB Will Leota.
• The Sacramento State offense has yet to use the same starting 11 in back-to-back games this season. 
• This season, the team has already played three quarterbacks (two starters), had 10 players with a rushing attempt, 12 catch at least one pass and 48 credited with a tackle.

SACK STATE

• With just one sack against Weber State, Sacramento State dropped from the national lead into a tie for third place in the FCS with 3.00 sacks per game.
• The Hornets have 21 sacks as a team and are led by Josh Cashiola who has four. Mason Brosseau is close behind at 3.5 while Nakian Jackson is third with 2.5. In all, 12 players have at least a half-sack this season.
• Sacramento State is tied for eighth in tackles-for-loss (7.4 per game).

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

• Nickelback Davion Ross and safety Eian Moore are both back and playing for the team after missing all of last season due to injuries. 
• Ross arrived on campus in 2018 and redshirted that season. He saw action in eight games, starting five in 2019 and then sat out the 2020 season when the Hornets opted not to play in the spring. Ross appeared in seven games in 2021 before missing all of 2022 (knee) and 2023 (Achilles). During his time at Sacramento State, he has played with 338 different players.
• Moore has also had a winding path to his career. He played 2018 and 2019 at Sierra JC in nearby Rocklin, Calif. The safety transferred to Sacramento State ahead of the 2020 season and then redshirted in 2021 following a knee injury. Moore played in 12 games in 2022, starting four and then missed all of last year with a shoulder injury.

HE'S A FREAK

• Senior Jackson Slater had his name thrown around a lot over the summer. Slater was a consensus preseason FCS All-American and, as expected, was named to the preseason all-Big Sky team. The senior also landed on the Shrine Bowl 1000 and the Senior Bowl Watch List.
• His most unique honor may be being named to The Athletic's annual Freak List. The list of 101 players which is comprised by Bruce Feldman features players who have stood out with their performances in the weight room. The 6-foot-3, 316-pound Slater made the list following a power clean of 405 pounds, squatting 635 pounds and running 19.96 mph. 

QUICK HITTERS 

• Sacramento State has several new additions to the coaching staff this season. Keyshawn Colmon serves as the wide receivers coach after spending 2023 at Fresno State. Misi Tupe takes over at linebackers coach. Tupe was previously the defensive coordinator at Utah Tech. Brandyn Thompson will coach cornerbacks and returns to his hometown after spending time at Cal Poly.
• The Hornets will wear a "Q" decal on their helmets this season in tribute to former Sacramento State player, coach and longtime supporter Gary Quattrin who passed away on July 2. Quattrin was a two-time all-Far Western Conference selection and was named to the College Division All-America team his senior season as a linebacker. He played professionally and then coached at Sacramento State from 1968-72 and returned for the 1985 and 1986 seasons.
• Sacramento State's schedule through the first six games of the season was ranked as the seventh-toughest in the FCS based on the Massey rankings.
• Nickelback Gavin Davis-Smith was nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Established in 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team recognizes college football athletes for their unwavering commitment to community service and their "good works" off the field. 
• Sacramento State head coach Andy Thompson earned his 10th career victory in the win over Texas A&M-Commerce. Thompson's milestone came in his 17th game as a head coach. Troy Taylor holds the school record as the fastest coach to 10 wins (14 games). The next fastest was Ray Clemons who needed 23 games from 1961-63.
• The Hornet roster boasts 15 players who have already earned their degree. That list is comprised of QB Kaiden Bennett, S Dejuan Butler, NB Gavin Davis-Smith, WR Anderson Grover, TE Austin Jarrrard, S Murvin Kenion III, DL Brandon Knott, S Eian Moore, OL Kaden Richardson, NB Davion Ross, TE Jay Rudolph, DL Will Schalde, DL Colby Warkentin, DL Xavier Williams and OL Joey Wright.

SERIES NOTES

• Sacramento State has won the last three meetings, four of the last five and eight of the past 10 against Idaho State. However, ISU has been victorious in two of the last three games played in Pocatello.
• Charles Roberts set the then-NCAA Div. I rushing record with 409 yards against the Bengals on Nov. 6, 1999. Roberts had 39 carries in the game and averaged 10.5 yards per attempt.
• Idaho State's Kevin Yost threw of 529 yards against the Hornets on Sept. 29, 2012. The total is still the most by a Sacramento State opponent. Yost was 44-of-73 in the game with four TDs passes and two interceptions.
• Zach Nash had five sacks and six TFLs in games against ISU in 2010 and 2011. Both remain school single-game records.

CONNECTIONS

• No players on the Hornet roster are from Idaho.
• Idaho State's offensive line coach John Hughes was a Hornet assistant from 2013-15 and is married to former Sacramento State golfer Kercia Brakel.
• ISU kicker Gabe Panikowski was on the Sacramento State roster during the 2022 season.