SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Cardell Williams capped a 14-play game-winning scoring drive with a 2-yard run to give Sacramento State a 23-20 victory over Idaho on Saturday at Hornet Stadium.
 
The Hornets won their third game in a row and have been victorious in five of its last six. The team is now 7-4 overall and 5-2 in Big Sky Conference play which is tied for third place. The Vandals dropped to 4-7 overall and 2-5 in league games.
 
Sacramento State led throughout the contest, building a 10-point advantage on two occasions. The Vandals trimmed the score to 16-13 early in the fourth quarter when Nate Thomas scored on a 7-yard run. The Hornets attempted to match the score on the ensuing drive, moving to the Idaho 9-yard line before being stopped on 3^rd-and-1 and 4^th-and-1 for no gain.
 
The Vandals took their first lead of the game with 3:17 left to play when quarterback Joshua Wood tucked the ball and cut up the middle of the field for a 10-yard touchdown. The score ended an efficient 11-play, 91-yard series which saw Idaho need just one third-down attempt.
 
Kicking into the wind and avoiding the Hornets' dangerous kick returners, the Vandals pooched the kickoff and Michael Johnson returned it to the Sacramento State 33-yard line. The Hornets ran the ball on six of the first seven plays of the drive and crossed midfield with a 4^th-and-2 conversion from Rodney Hammond, Jr. Facing 4^th-and-14, Cardell Williams connected with tight end Jordan Williams in the middle of the field for a 20-yard gain.
 
Onterrio Smith, Jr., followed with a diving 8-yard catch before the Williams-to-Williams connection struck again with an 18-yard throw down the right sideline. On the play, the tight end outjumped the defender and was ruled to come down in bounds at the 2-yard line. After an official review, the call was upheld and set up Cardell Williams' winning score with nine seconds remaining.
 
Idaho's final attempt was knocked down just in front of the end zone to preserve the Sacramento State playoff hopes.
 
The Hornets compiled 458 yards of offense with 282 coming on the ground and 176 through the air. Jaquail Smith (122 yards) and Hammond (120) each had over 100 rushing yards in the game. Cardell Williams completed 14-of-18 passes, including a 26-yard TD to Ernest Campbell for his eighth receiving score of the year.
 
Wood had 279 yards of total offense to lead Idaho as he rushed for a team-leading 117 yards and threw for 162 on 15-of-26 passing.
 
Sacramento State will play its final game of the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 22, at UC Davis in the Causeway Classic. The game will begin at 1 p.m. at UC Davis Health Stadium.
 
NOTES

• Sacramento State recognized its senior class prior to the game.
• Hammond became the 16^th 1,000 yard rusher in school single-season history. His 1,073 rushing yards this season leaves him 30 yards shy of the single-season top 10.
• Grant Meadors made field goals of 30, 33 and 31 yards. He had a fourth attempt blocked in a rushed sequence in the final seconds of the first half. Meadors also made both of his extra points and finished with 11 points in the game.
• Oscar Moore led the team with 10 tackles.
• Lamont Johnson-Burrell recorded his second interception of the season and is the third Hornet to have multiple picks this season.
• The 23 points scored were the fewest by the Hornets in a win this season and the lowest since a 21-13 win at Northern Colorado on Oct. 14, 2023.
• Brennan Marion's seven wins this season are tied for the third-most in school history by a first-year head coach.
• Cardell Williams and Hammond are tied for 11^th in school history with each rushing for 11 touchdowns.
• The all-time series against Idaho is now tied, 3-3, and the Hornets are 2-0 at home.