A BRIEF PREVIEW

• The Sacramento State football team will play its final regular-season home game on Saturday, Nov. 15, when the team welcomes Idaho to Hornet Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff. Prior to the game, the University will recognize the team's seniors who will be competing on the home field for the final time during their careers.
• The Hornets have won four of their last four games and six of its past eight to stand at 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the Big Sky Conference. The team most recently dismantled Portland State, 52-24, last Saturday in Hillsboro, Ore.  Sacramento State has now scored 40-plus points in four of its last eight games and has 35 or more in all but one of those games.
• This week's game will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast locally on KMAX 31 with Jason Ross (play-by-play) and Darren Arbet (analyst)
• Hornet fans can tune in to ESPN 1320 AM to hear the radio call of Dave Lewis (play-by-play), Steve McElroy (analyst) and Danny Sullivan (sideline). Live audio streaming is also available via www.hornetsports.com and the Audacy app.

OPPONENT PREVIEW: IDAHO

• Idaho (4-6, 2-4) has endured an up-and-down season which has seen the team have to overcome numerous injuries to key contributors on its team. The team started the season with a pair of three-point losses to FBS Washington State and San Jose State during their first four games. After losses to Montana, Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington, Idaho earned wins over Portland State and Northern Arizona before falling to UC Davis.
• Quarterback Joshua Wood is the leading passer and rusher for the Vandals. The Fresno State transfer has thrown for 1,663 yards and 14 touchdowns with just three interceptions and has also rushed for 443 yards and six scores. Running back Elisha Cummings is also dangerous, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and 12.58 yards per reception.
• Dylan Layne is the team's leading tackler with 71 stops in the 10 games. Defensive end Matyus McLain has been the most disruptive defender with 11.0 TFLs and 3.5 sacks. The defense has also come up with six interceptions and four fumble recoveries during the season.
• Thomas Ford, Jr., is in his first season as the head coach at Idaho. Ford was previously an assistant for the Vandals  from 2022-23 before spending the 2024 campaign as the running backs coach at Oregon State.
• Idaho holds a narrow 3-2 lead in the all-time series. Saturday's game will be just the second all-time at Hornet Stadium between the two teams.

SENIOR SEND OFF

• Prior to the start of Saturday's game, Sacramento State will recognize 24 seniors who will be appearing at Hornet Stadium for the final time.
• Among the group are five players who have spent their entire collegiate career at Sacramento State and have been part of conference titles and NCAA FCS Playoff appearances. On the other side are 14 players who are in their first season with the team.
• Fifteen members of the class have already earned their bachelor's degree from Sacramento State.
• Below is a complete list of the 2025 senior class:

HAMMOND EARNS BIG SKY HONOR

• Rodney Hammond, Jr., continued to run through the Big Sky Conference as he had 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 17 carries at Portland State. He added one reception for 29 yards and a kickoff return to 20 yards to finish the game with 240 all-purpose yards. His performance earned him Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week.
• The previous week, Hammond cemented his name with some of the best running backs in school history with at Eastern Washington where he ran for a career-high 208 yards and scored two touchdowns, becoming the 11th Hornet to run for at least 200 yards in a game in school history.
• Hammond became the first Hornet to rush for 200 yards since Cameron Skattebo had 201 also at Eastern Washington on Oct. 15, 2022.
• Charles Roberts remains the NCAA FCS all-time leader with 13 career 200-yard games. Next on the Sacramento State list is Rob Harrison, Bryan Hilliard and Ryan Mole who each did it twice. Elijah Dotson, John Farley, Tyronne Gross, Troy Mills, Jordan Robinson and Skattebo each rushed for 200 yards once.
• Combined, the two performances made Hammond the first Hornet to rush for at least 150 yards in back-to-back games since Jordan Robinson had 262 against Portland State and 152 at UC Davis in 2016. Hammond has rushed for at least 100 yards in a quarter in both games. He started the EWU game with 145 in the first quarter to match his career game high. He followed with 131 yards in the third quarter at PSU. That total was aided by a career-long 87-yard run as well as a 41-yard touchdown run. The 87-yard run matches Ryan Mole for the longest in the school's Div. I era.
• Hammond enters this week's game with 953 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. If he is able to pick up 47 yards over the final two regular-season games, he would become the 16th 1,000-yard rusher in school single-season history and the first since Skattebo had 1,373 in 2022.
• The senior, who transferred from Pitt, already has 1,525 all-purpose yards and is averaging 152.5 all-purpose yards per game. Hammond's total is more than twice the amount of the next closest player on the team (Ernest Campbell, 707). He needs 100 yards to move into the school single-season top 10.  

Single-Season Rushing TDs 
5. Charles Roberts, 2000, 14 
T6. Jordan Robinson, 2016, 13
T6. John Farley, 1982, 13
T8. Kevin Thomson, 2019 (QB), 12
T8. Bryan Hilliard, 2010, 12
T8. Bryan Hilliard, 2008, 12
T11. Rodney Hammond, Jr., 2025, 11
T11. Donald Hair, 1985, 11
T13. Cardell Williams, 2025, 10
T13. Ricky Ray, 2000 (QB), 10
T13. Troy Gassaway, 1994, 10
T13. Mark Schultz, 1984, 10
T13. John Farley, 1983, 10
T13. George Sula, 1974, 10
T13. John Scorza, 1967, 10

MAKING THE MOST OF IT

• For the fourth time in the last five games, Sacramento State attempted 16 passes or fewer. Despite the limited number of throws, quarterback Cardell Williams was efficient as he completed 8-of-11 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Williams finished the game with a quarterback rating of 276.3 to set his career best. He averaged 23.5 yards per completion at PSU and was helped by a 65-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Campbell as well as a 50-yard completion to Jordan Anderson.
• During this streak, Williams completed 5-of-9 passes in miserable weather at Weber State, was 8-of-16 with a TD against Northern Colorado, and 3-of-6 for 15 yards in high winds at Eastern Washington.
• The 15 total passing yards are the second fewest in a game in the school's Div. I era. The only lower total came at Northern Colorado in 2011 when Sacramento State did not attempt a pass.
• The numbers were also in stark contrast to the week before where Williams set career highs against Montana. In that game, the junior completed 25-of-32 attempts for 332 yards. Williams became the 24th player in school history to throw for over 300 yards in a game.
• The Houston native ranks second on the team with 10 rushing touchdowns this season tie him for 12th in school single-season history. That list includes three quarterbacks comprised of Asher O'Hara (19, 2022), Kevin Thomson (12, 2019) and Ricky Ray (10, 2000).

LET'S GO STREAKING

• Sacramento State has won four of its last five games. Since moving to Div. I in 1993, this is only the eighth time a Hornet team has won four of five games. Five of the eight occurrences have come in the last six years.
• The team has guaranteed at least a .500 record this season — the 13th of the Div. I-era. A victory would give the team just its 11th winning record in the 32 Div. I seasons.
• The Hornets are now 37-6 when outrushing its opponent since the start of the 2019 season.
• The team is 23-1 when scoring at least 40 points during that same span. The only loss was the 66-63 loss to Incarnate Word in the quarterfinals of the 2022 FCS Playoffs.
• Sacramento State has scored 35 points or more in five straight points. This year's team joins the 1986, 1999 and 2022 squads as the only ones in school history to do so. The 1999 and 2022 teams each scored at least 35 points in six straight games.
• Ernest Campbell has caught at least one pass in each game he's appeared in this season. Campbell did not play in the season opener at South Dakota State but has catches in the last nine games.
• Rodney Hammond, Jr., has scored a touchdown in five-straight contests and has multiple rushing TDs in three-consecutive games.

HE'S GOT COMPANY

• While Hammond has deservedly garnered the majority of the rushing attention, he is not the only Hornet to have success running the ball this season. Sacramento State enters this week ranked third in the FCS in rushing yards per game (254.3) and is on pace to set the school single-season rushing average record.
• The team features three other players who have rushed for over 300 yards this season in Damian Henderson II (523), Jaquail Smith (390) and Cardell Williams (314). 
• Sacramento State is one of three FCS teams to have four different players rush for over 100 yards in a game this season joining Chattanooga and UT Martin.
• The Hornets have rushed for 300 yards in four games this season and just missed a fifth as the they finished with 295 rushing yards at Portland State.

2025 FCS Rushing Offense Rush YPG
1. Delaware State 284.7
2. Jackson State 267.4
3. Sacramento State 254.3
4. Lehigh 235.0
5. Montana State 232.7
6. North Dakota State 222.8
7. Tennessee Tech 219.5
8. Alabama State 219.0
9. Tarleton State 214.4
8. The Citadel 210.8

Sac State Single-Season Rushing Yards
1. 2022 (13 games) 3,163
2. 1999 (11 games) 2,584
3. 1995 (11 games) 2,564
--- 2025 (10 games) 2,543

Sac State Single-Season Rushing YPG Avg.
1. 2025 (10 games) 254.3
2. 2022 (13 games) 243.3
3. 1991 (10 games) 240.5
4. 1999 (11 games) 234.9

Sac State Single-Season Rushing TDs
1. 2022 (13 games) 36
2. 2025 (9 games) 34
3. 1999 (11 games) 30
4. 2000 (11 games) 29

Sacramento State Rushing Yards (Div. I-era)
1. vs. Idaho State (11/6/99) 470
2. at Weber State (10/11/25) 397
3. vs. Cal Poly (9/9/00) 392
4. at Eastern Washington (10/15/22) 385
5. vs. Utah Tech (9/3/22) 378
6. at Eastern Washington (11/1/25) 376

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

• For the first time since 2019, Sacramento State has tallied at least five sacks in consecutive games. The Hornets recorded five sacks at Eastern Washington and followed with six at Portland State. The last time that occurred the team had six against Montana and at Cal Poly.
• Sacramento State now has 37 sacks on the team and its average of 3.70 per game is tied for third in the FCS. The only team with more total sacks is Tennessee Tech which has 40 on the year.
• The team set a season-best eight sacks against UCA which were the third-most by a Hornet team during the Div. I-era. The only games with more sacks by Sacramento State came against Idaho State (Nov. 12, 2011) and at Portland State (Sept. 15, 2007 where the team had 10.
• Sixteen players have recorded at least a share of a sack this season. The group is led by Dylan Hampsten with 8.0. Jayland McGlothen (7.0) and Xavier Williams are second and third, respectively. 
• Hampsten's and McGlothen's totals are the most by a Hornet since Josiah Erickson had 10 in 2021. Twelve players have had at least 10 sacks in a season for Sacramento State, led by 14 from George Obinna in 2019.
• Sacramento State's school single-season sack record of 53 came during the 1986 season. The Div. I-era record of 44 came in 2019. 

Sacramento State Single-Season Sacks (FCS era)
Year, Sacks - Individual Leader
1. 2019, 44 - George Obinna (14)
2. 2017, 43 - Sorensen/Obinna (10)
3. 2025, 37 - Jayland McGlothen (7)

• Sacramento State added 10 TFLs at PSU and now has 81 this season. The school single-season record for TFLs in a season in the Div. I-era is 110.0 in 2019. The next closest is 93 in 2017. 
• Sacramento State's current leaders in TFLs are Hampsten (13.0), Deven Wright (10.0) and McGlothen (9.5). Hampsten needs two more TFLs to join the school single-season top 10 list. Zack Nash currently owns 10th place on the list with 15.0 TFLs in 2011.

CAUTION: EXPLOSIVE

• Sacramento State added six more plays of at least 25 yards at Portland State and now has 37 this year. Rodney Hammond, Jr., accounted for half the plays as he had rushes of 87 and 41 yards and a 29-yard reception. His 87-yard run tied Ryan Mole for the longest in the school's Div. I era.
• Overall, 12 players have plays of at least 25 yards for Sacramento State in 2025.

THE FLASH

• In what is becoming a regular occurrence, Ernest Campbell posted another long touchdown last week at Portland State. Campbell scored on a 65-yard pass and run against the Vikings to give him six touchdowns of at least 50 yards this season.
• Prior to this year, no player in the school history Div. I history had more than four catches of at least 50 yards in a season. In fact, Campbell is now just one long grab shy of matching Andre Lindsey's career record of seven catches of at least 50 yards.
• Campbell leads the Hornets in every receiving category as he has 30 receptions for 683 yards and seven receiving touchdowns. His average of 22.77 yards per reception leads the Big Sky places him fifth in the FCS. The FCS leader is UTRGV's Xayvion Noland at 24.74 ypr.
• Campbell came to the Hornets from Texas A&M where he redshirted in 2024 and did not appear in a game. He did, however, run track for the Aggies and earned honorable mention All-America honors after finishing 22nd at the NCAA Div. I Outdoor Championships in the 100-meter dash. Campbell reached the championships after setting a personal-best at the West Preliminary with a blistering time of 10.02 seconds.
• Campbell's biggest game came against Montana where he started the evening with a 63-yard touchdown and finished the night with nine grabs for 206 yards. He became just the fifth player in school history to have 200 receiving yards in a game and the first freshman to do so.

Sacramento State Single-Game Receiving Yards
1. DeAndre Carter vs. Southern Utah (2014) 273
2. Alex Estrada vs. Southern Utah (1995) 228
3. Ron Weaver at Santa Clara (1989) 220
4. Ernest Campbell vs. Montana (2025) 206
5. Tyrone Taylor vs. Weber State (1996) 201

STAY SPECIAL

• The Hornets are currently ranked in the top five of two FCS special teams stats and in the top 20 of another. The unit is second in the FCS and leads the Big Sky in punt return defense as its held the opposition to an average of 1.71 yards per return.
• As expected, that performance has boosted the net punting average of 41.65 yards per attempt which ranks second in the Big Sky and fifth in the FCS. 
• Sacramento State is also 20th nationally with a kick return average of 23.79 yards per attempt. Individually, Hammond ranks second in the Big Sky and fifth in the FCS with an average of 29.47 yards per attempt. That average would set the school single-season record of 28.54 ypr which was set by Brian Allred in 1991. The best average in Sacramento State Div. I-era belongs to Kris Daniels (27.53) in 2005.
• Punter Cal McGough is currently averaging 42.00 yards per punt and would be the first Hornet to have three seasons with an average of at least 42 yards. The Geelong, Australia native moved into fourth for career punt yards at Sacramento State in the game against Montana.

Career Punt Attempts
4. Chris Pappas, 1975-77, 158
5. Augie Heath, 2009-11, 153
6. Cal McGough, 2022-25, 148

Career Punt Yards Total 
3. Mitch Lively, 2003-06, 8,370
4. Cal McGough, 2022-25, 6,224

Career Punt Average Avg.
1. Justin Weldon, 2012-13, 44.16
2. Doyle Brunson, 1968-69, 42.27
3. Cal McGough, 2022-25, 42.05

Single-Season PATs
2. Brad Cornish, 2014, 56
3. Devon Medeiros, 2017, 52
T4. Zach Schreiner, 2023, 49
T4. Devon Medeiros, 2019, 49
6. Grant Meadors, 2025, 46

SERIES NOTES

• Sacramento State has faced Idaho the fewest amount of times of any Big Sky opponent. This week will be just the fourth conference matchup between the two schools.
• After three blowouts to begin the series, the last two matchups have been decided in the final minute.

CONNECTIONS

• Sacramento State does not have any players from the state of Idaho.
• The Vandals roster features 14 players from California, including three from the Sacramento area (WR Michael Graves, Sheldon HS/American River JC; S Kamari Baker, Rocklin HS/Sierra JC; OL LeRonn Nelson, Destiny Christian HS).

SERIES LEADERS

Sacramento State
Rushing
134, Cameron Skattebo (17 att.), 2023
129, Asher O'Hara (26 att., TD), 2023
109, Elijah Dotson (16 att, 2 TD), 201

Passing
187, Kevin Thomson (17-36, 0 TD, 1 INT), 2019
112, Drew Wyant (15-33, 0 TD, 0 INT), 1989

Receiving
91, Jared Gipson (3 rec.), 2023
73, BJ Perkinson (4 rec.), 2019

Tackles (1980-pres.)
11, Armon Bailey (3-8, FR), 2023
9, Armon Bailey (7-2, 3 TFL, 3 sacks), 2022
8, Marcus Bruce (5-3), 2017

Idaho
Rushing
142, Aaron Duckworth (19 att., TD), 2017
118, Anthony Woods (24 att., TD), 2023
97, Devon Pearce (11 att.), 1989

Passing
375, John Friesz (20-32, 6 TD), 1989
234, Gevani McCoy (15-21, 2 TD), 2023
207, Gevani McCoy (18-33, 3 TD), 2022

Receiving
181, David Jackson (6 rec., 2 TD), 1989
113, Hayden Hatten (7 rec., 3 TD), 2023
100, Leland Allen (7 rec., 2 TD), 1989

Tackles (1980-pres.)
16, Tre Walker (5-11, 0.5 TFL), 2019
11, Mathias Bertram (10-1), 2023
9, Two times