A BRIEF PREVIEW

• Following a convincing 49-28 win over Mercyhurst, the Sacramento State football team will continue its stretch of home games when it welcomes Central Arkansas on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 6 p.m. The game will be 916 Community Night where numerous local organizations will be recognized.
• The Hornets picked up their first victory of the season against a scrappy Mercyhurst team. Sacramento State overcame an 11-point second-quarter deficit to take a three-point lead in halftime.  The team then outscored the Lakers, 28-10, in the second half behind a stellar rushing attacked and a pair of late takeaways. As a team, the Hornets rushed for 349 yards and five touchdowns on way to Brennan Marion's first victory.
• This week's game will be streamed on ESPN+ and aired locally on KMAX 31. The team of Jason Ross and former Sacramento State player and Arena Football Hall of Famer Darren Arbet return to call the action.
• Hornet fans can tune in to ESPN 1320 AM to hear the radio call of Dave Lewis, Steve McElroy and Danny Sullivan. Live audio streaming is also available via www.hornetsports.com and the Audacy app.

OPPONENT PREVIEW: CENTRAL ARKANSAS

• Central Arkansas dropped to 1-2 with a 56-10 home loss to No. 3 Tarleton State on Saturday. The Bears trailed 28-0 early in the second quarter and Tarleton built a 42-7 lead at the break. As a team, UCA had 294 yards of total offense with two turnovers.
• Luther Richesson has quarterbacked the team in all three games. The junior has completed 43-of-69 pass attempts for 519 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He is also the team's second-leading rusher with 134 yards and a score.
• Trevion Traylor has a team-high four TFLs for the defense while Gary Lewis leads the squad with three sacks. As a team, the Bears have not forced a turnover in the first three games.
• Nathan Brown is in his eighth year as the team's head coach. A former quarterback for UCA, Brown was a three-time All-American and a Walter Payton Award finalist as a senior. He finished his collegiate career with 10,558 passing yards and 100 touchdowns which set state collegiate records. Brown joined the Central Arkansas coaching staff in 2009, was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2014 and head coach prior to the 2018 season.
• This is the first meeting between the schools and Sacramento State's first game against a school from Arkansas in program history.

TRIPLE THREAT

• Sacramento State had three players find the end zone as part of their five rushing touchdowns against Mercyhurst. The trio was led by Damian Henderson II who had three rushing TDs while Sam Adams II and Cardell Williams each added one.
• The five rushing touchdowns were the most by the team since also rushing for five in the opening round of the 2023 FCS Playoffs at North Dakota. The last time the Hornets ran for more than five scores was against Portland State on Nov. 12, 2016 when they had six.
• Henderson became the sixth Sacramento State player to have three rushing touchdowns in a game in the last 10 years. The feat was most recently recorded by Elijah Tau-Tolliver who had three against Weber State last season. Others to do it since 2016 are Asher O'Hara (at Eastern Washington, at UNI) in 2022; Elijah Dotson (at Cal Poly in 2019; at Montana in 2018); Kevin Thomson (at EWU, vs. Southern Utah) in 2017; and Jordan Robinson vs. Portland State in 2016.
• Thomson (vs. SUU) and Robinson are the only players to rush for four scores in a game during that stretch.
• Henderson is one of 19 FCS players to have rushed for three TDs in a game through the first three weeks of the season.
• Henderson had not rushed for a touchdown in his two previous collegiate season. He began his collegiate career at Colorado State where he had 12 carries and 50 yards as a redshirt freshman in 2023 and nine carries for 41 yards in 2024. As a senior at Los Alamitos HS, Henderson rushed for 23 touchdowns and was a four-star recruit.
• Having three players rush for a touchdown in a game is not a rare occurrence for the Hornets. Since 2022, the team has had three players find paydirt in the same game six times. Most recently, it came against North Dakota in the 2023 playoffs when Tau-Tolliver, Coleman Kuntz and Kaiden Bennett each rushed for scores.

EXTRA EFFICIENT

• Ernest Campbell showcased his speed, once again, with a 57-yard touchdown reception in the closing seconds of the first half against Mercyhurst. He added a 21-yard catch in the game and finished with an average of 39.0 yards per reception.
• The week earlier at Nevada, Campbell caught three passes for 89-yards, highlighted by a 75-yard touchdown reception.
• Campbell is currently averaging 33.40 yards per reception this season. That mark would place him second in the FCS but he's currently not eligible since he has not appeared in 75% of the team's games — he did not see action at South Dakota State.
• Campbell's pair of 50-plus yard touchdowns places him in rare company in Hornet history. Since 2013, only DeAndre Carter, Andre Lindsey and Pierre Williams have had a pair of touchdowns in the same season of at least 50 yards. Carter scored on catches of 78 and 51 yards in 2013, Lindsey had TDs of 69, 60, 56 and 53 in 2017 and Williams did it twice with grabs of 75 and 58 in 2019 and a pair of 51-yarders in 2022.
• 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 finished 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.

PICKING UP THE PACE

• A week after being named the co-Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week, Koa Akui added to his already impressive turnover tally with his third interception of the season. Akui has now been a part of five takeaways this season as he had a forced fumble and fumble recovery on separate plays at South Dakota State, intercepted two passes at Nevada and had another against Mercyhurst.
• His three interceptions (1.00 per game) ties him for the national FCS lead. Since moving to the FCS in 1993 only 30 Sacramento State players have had more than three interceptions in a season. The high mark during that time belongs to Marvin Brown who had seven in 1994.
• Akui did not have an interception in his first two seasons with the team. He played in seven games as a redshirt freshman in 2023 where he had seven total tackles. Last season, he had one tackle in the opener at San Jose State and then missed the remainder of the year due to an injury. He currently ranks third on the team with 16 total tackles.

THE NATION'S BEST

• Sophomore DeSean Watts has tallied 12 tackles, including 2.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks over the first three games of the season. Watts' performance has earned him a run defense grade of 92.9 from Pro Football Focus which is the best among all interior defensive linemen in the FBS and FBS. His overall defensive grade of 91.6 is the third-highest in the FCS for his position.
• Watts came to the Hornets in 2023 but did not appear in a game. He then returned home to play at Fresno City JC in 2024 where he had 21 total tackles, 8.5 TFLs and five sacks in 10 games before coming back to Sacramento State last spring.

FIRST-TIME FOES

• Sacramento State is in the midst of three consecutive home games against Mercyhurst,  Central Arkansas and Cal Poly. The matchups against the Lakers and Bears will be the first in school history for both schools.
• The Hornets last had two first-time opponents in the regular season in 2023 when the team began the year with wins at Nicholls and home against East Texas A&M. Sacramento State later added a third new opponent that year when it played at South Dakota in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
• Since 2000, this year will be the ninth season in which the schedule features two opponents for the first time. Sacramento State has only gone 2-0 in those games twice during the span. The first game with wins at Incarnate Word and home against Menlo in 2014 and again in 2023.
• Conversely, the Hornets have gone 0-2 just once. That came in 2013 when they were shut out by San Jose State and Arizona State to start the year.
• The team split the games in the remaining seven years. In four of those seasons, the loss came against an FBS program and the win was over a non-DI program. In 2012, the Hornets lost at New Mexico State and then won at Colorado. In 2021, the team was victorious at Utah Tech before falling at home to UNI.

HERE ARE THE KEYS

• Cardell Williams earned his first start at Sacramento State when he faced Mercyhurst. Williams combined for 228 yards of total offense and accounted for three touchdowns in the game.
• The junior finished the contest completing 8-of-17 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 52 yards and a score. The contest was the fourth of his career with multiple passing TDs but his first since 2023.
• Williams is no stranger to seeing game action as he played in 15 games for Tulsa over the past two years. During that time, he threw for 1,186 yards and 10 touchdowns and also rushed for 267 yards and seven scores.
• In 2023, he tied the Tulsa freshman record by accounting for 15 touchdowns (10 passing, five rushing).
• Williams was a three-year starter at Westfield HS in Houston. While there, he led the team to a 33-5 overall record and was the district offensive MVP as a senior.

BACKING UP

• The linebacking duo of Oscar Moore and Derek Houston combined for 14 tackles against Mercyhurst.
• Moore enjoyed his best game in a young Sacramento State career as he led the team with eight stops, including a sack and 1.5 TFLs. He also intercepted a pass in the final minutes and had a pass breakup.
• The transfer from UTEP matched his career high in tackles, recorded his first sack and intercepted a pass for the third time in his career. Moore's last interception came at Middle Tennessee during the 2023 season.
• Houston tallied six tackles and remains the team leader with 29 on the season. He started the year with a career-high 14 at South Dakota State before being credited with nine at Nevada. Houston also has a sack and two TFLs in the first three games.
• Dating back to the final four games of last year, Houston has 61 tackles (8.7 per game). He started that streak with eight tackles against Portland State, four at Montana State, nine at Cal Poly and 11 against UC Davis. 
• His total at South Dakota State to start the 2025 season, total included 11 solo stops and gave Houston his second double-digit tackle game of his career. 
• Houston has been a fixture on the field as he has played 238 defensive snaps this season. The next closest players are safety Koa Akui (224) and corner Ricky Lee III (185).

BY AIR AND BY LAND

• Punter Cal McGough was needed just one time against Mercyhurst as the Hornet offense had its best game of the season. McGough faced a short field and recorded a 35-yard punt which pinned the Lakers inside their own 20-yard line.
• McGough is averaging 44.3 yards on 10 punts this season with three downed inside the 20. As a team, the Hornets rank third in the FCS with a net punting average of 43.40.
• Against Nevada, the Geelong, Australia native posted his third successful fake punt of his career. He is now averaging 14.3 yards per carry on those three attempts.
• McGough remains third in school history with a career punting average of 42.25 yards per attempt. That mark trails Justin Weldon who averaged 44.16 from 2012-13 and Doyle Brunson (42.27, 1968-69). McGough is also eighth in school history in career punting yards and ninth in career attempts.

Career Punt Attempts Total Needs
6. Smith Heath, 2011-15, 144
T7. Jerry Angelich, 1973-74 128
T7. Doyle Brunson, 1968-69 128
9. Cal McGough, 2022-25 124

Career Punt Yards Total Needs
6. Smith Heath, 2011-15, 5,660
7. Doyle Brunson, 1968-69, 5,410
8. Cal McGough, 2022-25, 5,239

Career Punt Average Avg.
1. Justin Weldon, 2012-13 44.16
2. Doyle Brunson, 1968-69 42.27
3. Cal McGough, 2022-25 42.25

THIRD DOWN IMPROVEMENT

• Sacramento State was successful on 5-of-9 third-down attempts Mercyhurst. The 55.5% conversion rate was a significant improvement for the team which entered the game at 16.7%. The defense also played the Lakers into 18 third-down scenarios in which Mercyhurst converted eight.
• On the year, the Hornets are now 9-of-32 on third down (.281) while the opposition is 17-of-44 (.386). The biggest difference between the two teams has been where the chances are coming from. Sacramento State is 1-of-4 on third-and-short (1-3 yards) while its opponents are 8-of-14 from the same distance.
• In third-down attempts of four yards or longer the two are much closer with the Hornets 7-of-29 (.241) and their opponents 9-of-31 (.290).

IT ADDS UP

• Jamar Curtis came to Sacramento State as one of the top FCS-to-FCS transfers in the offseason. Curtis was named preseason second team All-America by Stats Perform, and FCS Football Central and was a third-team selection by Phil Steele. In addition, Curtis was named to the Walter Payton Award watch list.
• Curtis had a decorated three years at Lafayette where he was the 2024 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, a two-time Walter Payton Award finalist, two-time FCS All-American and two-time first team all-Patriot League selection.
• Last season, he rushed for 1,139 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. Curtis added receptions for 232 yards and ranked 19th in the FCS with 115.7 all-purpose yards per game.
• As a sophomore, he was named second team FCS All-American by the Associated Press and Stats Perform after rushing for 1,460 yards and 15 scores.
• Curtis is one of two current FCS players with over 3,000 career rushing yards and is one of only two to have at least 30 rushing touchdowns.

Active FCS Career Rushing Yards Total Needs
1. Julius Loughridge (Fordham/SDSU) 3,463
2. Jamar Curtis (Lafayette/Sac St.) 3,112
3. Mari Adams (Davidson) 2,424
4. Eli Gilman (Montana) 2,416
5. Roland Dempster (Stony Brook) 2,392
6. Wengers Wright (Illinois State) 2,245
7. Ryan Ingram (Chattanooga) 2,204
8. Mason Sheron (Davidson) 2,075
9. Elijah Howard (CCSU) 2,012
10. Kendric Rhymes (Tenn. State) 1,990

Active FCS Career Rushing TDs Total Needs
1. Jamar Curtis (Lafayette/Sac St) 32
T2. Mari Adams (Davidson) 31
T2. Eli Gilman (Montana) 31
4. Julius Loughridge (Fordham/SDSU) 29
T5. Mason Sheron (Davidson) 25
T5. Beau Brungar (Youngstown St.) 25
7. Kendric Rhymes (Tenn. State) 24
8. Roland Dempster (Stony Brook) 22
9. Charles Pierre (South Dakota) 21
10. Ryan Ingram (Chattanooga) 20

BACK ON TRACK

• Sacramento State started the year with an impressive seven sacks as part of 11 TFLs at South Dakota State but was unable to record a sack against Nevada. The Hornets were able to add to their total against Mercyhurst with seven TFLs and three sacks against the Lakers. 
• Sacramento State is currently tied for 10th in the FCS with 7.7 TFLs per game. Valparaiso remains the national leader with 29 TFLs. However, 27 came against Virginia-Lynchburg and Adrian (both non-NCAA DI members). Tarleton State ranks second with 35 TFLs (8.8 per game) while playing four NCAA Div. I opponents. The Texans had 11 TFLs last week against Central Arkansas.
• The Hornets' seven sacks at South Dakota State is even more impressive when you consider that the Jackrabbits surrendered just eight sacks all of last season.
• The total was the most by the team since also having seven in last season's home opener against Nicholls on Sept. 14. The school record of 10 sacks came at Portland State in 2007 and was later matched against Idaho State in 2011. Saturday's effort is tied for third in the school's Div. I-AA/FCS era and marked sixth time the team finished the game with seven sacks.
• This season 14 Sacramento State players have recorded at least a half-TFL and eight have at least a half-sack. Defensive tackle Jayland McGlothen leads the team with 3.5 TFLs and three sacks. Defensive end Deven Wright ranks second on the team with three TFLs and three QB hurries.

QUICK HITTERS

• Jaden Rashada became the 33rd quarterback and Cardell Williams the 34th to start a game for the Hornets in the school's Div. I-AA/FCS era.
• The Hornets had scored a touchdown in 83 consecutive games until finishing with three points at SDSU. The last time Sacramento State did not have a TD was in a 28-6 loss at Idaho on Aug. 31, 2017.
• The team's 18:54 time of possession at South Dakota State was the lowest in the school's Div. I era.
• The Hornets scored touchdowns on six consecutive possessions against Mercyhurst. The streak began in the final seconds of the second quarter and continued until the team took a knee to run out the clock in the fourth.
• The 2025 season will be the team's final in the Big Sky Conference. Sacramento State will move the majority of its sports to The Big West in the fall of 2026. At this time, football will compete as an FCS independent next season.
• Five players with Sacramento State ties made opening day NFL rosters. The group is comprised of WR/KR DeAndre Carter who begins his 10th NFL season, and first with the Cleveland Browns, LB Marte Mapu (New England), OL Jackson Slater (Tennessee), CB Daron Bland (Dallas) and RB Cameron Skattebo (New York Giants).

SERIES NOTES

• This is the first meeting between the schools and the first against a team from Arkansas.

• Sacramento State has no players from the state of Arkansas and UCA has no players on its roster from California.
• The two teams combine for 31 players from Texas with the Bears having 17 and the Hornets 14.
• There are limited connections between the two squads: Hornet DL Miles Bailey and UCA RB Cam Young both played last season at Murray State; QB Cardell Williams and UCA DB DaMari Smith are both transfers from Tulsa; Hornet LB Mike Taylor and UCA LB Elmo Gilliam are both graduates of East St. Louis HS.