Sacramento State stays close with heavily favored Cal in Troy Taylor’s return
In the bowels of Memorial Stadium, there are warning signs in case of an earthquake, each displayed on concrete walls.
The reminder if the place starts to rock is to drop, cover and hold. The football game that played out on Saturday afternoon here also had some pregame reminders: block, tackle, convert.
Sacramento State came in as a 25-point underdog to Cal, often the norm when a smaller FCS-level program plays up against the big boys of the FBS, and the Hornets didn’t come to the Bay Area to gawk at the tree-lined hills and the fog creeping in from the Pacific. They came to give it a go, to compete, and, as coach Troy Taylor said, “to win. We expected to win.”
Cal won 42-30 to earn its first victory in three attempts this season, but the point spread took a beating, and the Hornets bound into the Big Sky Conference schedule against teams of comparable size looking to win a share of the crown, much like they did in 2019.
Sac State (1-2) suffered on special teams, missing two first-half field goals that would have cut Cal’s lead to 21-12. Instead, it was 21-6 Bears at the break, and then Cal’s Nikko Remigio returned the second-half kickoff 99 yards for a sudden 28-6 lead.
But per the norm for any Taylor-coached team, the Hornets kept pushing. Asher O’Hara had a 2-yard scoring run, and Jake Dunniway had a 34-yard touchdown pass to Martin Marshel and a 9-yarder to Pierre Williams for the final score as Sac State refused to buckle. Sac State produced 467 yards, the most ever against an FBS program, and the 32 points are tied for the most against an FBS team. The double bonus is Sac State also collected a check of some $450,000 for its efforts. FBS teams in effect shell out big dollars to clobber FCS programs, or at least try.
“We played hard, were right there with a good team, but special teams hurt,” Taylor said. “We’ve got to be solid in all phases of the game. We’ve got to play better but we’re not far off.”
Taylor told his team in the tunnel after the game, not far from those earthquake reminders, that he was proud of their effort and resolve. He said later that it will all pay off in the Big Sky, the most talented, most prolific and most deep FCS conference in the country.
Dunniway passed for 370 on 25 of 43 passing. He played hurt and he played inspired. The Hornets came to play, going for it on a two-point conversion early (getting stuffed in the process) and going for it in fourth down at midfield, which was a success. Sac State players wanted to showcase what they could do. Idaho State will take notice. It hosts the Hornets next.
Dunniway and O’Hara have split time this season as Taylor wanted to give both a fair chance to win the job heading into the Big Sky fun. It appears to be Dunniway’s job, though nothing is confirmed. It’s college football. Nothing is every for certain. O’Hara is capable, and he had good moments in opening victory at Dixie State. He also owned his five turnovers in a frustrating loss to Northern Iowa last week.
What Sac State does not have is a quarterback controversy. The passers are united. They are friends. Third-string quarterback Kaiden Bennett was beaming after the game, not because he didn’t feel the sting of defeat. He had fun. All of his teammates did. For every point spread, the game is still rooted in fun.
Dunniway enjoyed his time, right on down to the fat lip he received from a blasting hit by the Bears.
He said, “This game was a great experience, a lot of fun. We expected to compete, to win. It was a helluva experience, and we’re excited to show who we are and to compete.”
Saturday was a mixed day for Taylor. He played his college ball here, got his face blasted to bits while a Bear, was a four-year starter for to close out the 1980s as a record-setting passer and three-time team MVP. Taylor cherished his time here, including a stint as assistant coach, and he was moved by the well wishers who came up for pregame hugs.
This was Taylor’s first game at Cal as an opposing coach. He wanted a victory, certainly, but coaches can live with the results if the effort is there. The effort was there. Taylor also knows that as much as he’s pained by losses, he cannot let it sour him, or the team will reflect it. Get up, dust off, move on. Prepare for anything, just like those earthquake reminder signs.
The Hornets bused back home on Saturday night, looking ahead to Big Sky games.
“I love our team, I really do,” Taylor said. “The Big Sky is a great conference. We’ll be ready.”
Chase Garbers, the most experienced quarterback in the Pac-12 Conference, completed his first 10 passes and finished 22 of 34 for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Damien Moore rushed for 87 yards for Cal and had two touchdowns as the Bears moved to 3-0 against the Hornets, winning previous meetings 41-3 in 2005 and 55-14 in 2014. .
Granite Bay High School products Will Craig and Evan Tattersall started for Cal, at left tackle and linebacker, respectively.
This story was originally published September 19, 2021 at 5:43 AM.