SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento State football team earned its first victory of the season behind a punishing ground attack which amassed 349 yards and scored five touchdowns in a 49-28 win over Mercyhurst on Saturday night at Hornet Stadium.
 
With the win, the No. 21 Hornets improved to 1-2 on the season while the Lakers fell to 1-2.
 
Sacramento State was led by sophomore Damian Henderson II who rushed for a career-high 98 yards and scored three touchdowns. Rodney Hammond, Jr. added 81 while quarterback Cardell Williams (52 yards, TD) and running backs Sam Adams II (44 yards, TD) and Savion Red (36 yards) each had healthy contributions. The team's 349 rushing yards were the most since gaining 385 at Eastern Washington in 2022 and were just 17 yards shy of cracking the school top five.
 
While the Hornets did most of their damage on the ground it was a passing play that provided the biggest swing in the game. With Mercyhurst leading 18-14 late in the first half, the Lakers attempted a fake punt which was sniffed out by Jason Oliver who stopped the ball carrier short of the line to gain. One play later, Williams found Ernest Campbell for a 57-yard touchdown to put the team on top with 19 seconds left in the half.
 
Sacramento State never relinquished the lead as both teams scored a touchdown in the third quarter beginning with a 15-yard run from Adams. Henderson scored his second TD early in the fourth quarter but Mercyhurst would not go away, pulling within seven (35-28) after a 24-yard field goal.
 
The Hornets gained some separation with a 30-yard touchdown run from Henderson and capped the game with a 24-yard run from Williams.
 
The defense also did its part late in the game with interceptions from Koa Akui and Oscar Moore on the Lakers' final two possessions. Akui now has three interceptions in four games and has also forced and recovered a fumble on separate plays.
 
Williams finished 8-of-17 through the air for 176 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Along with the strike to Campbell, he found tight end Jordan Williams for 19-yard TD pass on the opening drive of the game.
 
Moore shined on defense with a team-high eight tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a sack, an interception and a pass breakup.
 
Mercyhurst was guided by quarterback Adam Urena who returned to his home state to complete 27-of-44 passes for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The game marked the first time this season that the Lakers were held to under 300 passing yards.
 
Sacramento State will continue its three-game homestand by welcoming Central Arkansas on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 6 p.m.
 
NOTES

• Head coach Brennan Marion earned his first victory as a collegiate head coach.
• The 49 points were tied for the second most in a coach's first victory leading the Hornets. The team tallied 77 against Southern Oregon in Troy Taylor's debut in 2019 and the 2014 also scored 49 at Incarnate Word to give Jody Sears his first win.
• Campbell scored a touchdown just before halftime for the second-consecutive week. The redshirt freshman is now averaging 33.4 yards per reception on five catches this year.
• Sacramento State entered the game with 170 team rushing yards through two games and more than doubled that total against Mercyhurst.
• The win was the first for the Hornets against a school from Pennsylvania in program history.