Kaiden Bennett passes test as No. 8 Sacramento State beats Nicholls State in season opener
Kaiden Bennett didn’t start Sacramento State’s season opener Thursday night, but he sure finished with a bang.
In his finest effort as a collegiate player, the former Folsom High School star and Bee Player of the Year dazzled in leading FCS No. 8-ranked Sacramento State past Nicholls State 38-24 in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The victory gave Andy Thompson his first win as Hornets head coach after serving as the program’s defensive coordinator since 2019.
A junior who has seen time as a reserve over the past two seasons, Bennett took over after South Dakota transfer Carson Camp started the game, the first for the Hornets in Louisiana since 1977. The plan was to play both quarterbacks as both impressed in fall camp.
Bennett completed 11 of 16 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for the Hornets, who will host Texas A&M Commerce in their home opener Sept. 9. Marcus Fulcher rushed for 71 yards on 19 carries with two scores.
Winning streak
The Hornets, who return 17 starters in their quest for a fourth consecutive Big Sky Conference championship, have won 20 regular-season games in a row.
“Man, it felt great,” a jubilant Bennett told Sacramento State media relations director Brian Berger after the game. “Everybody stepped up. We got the dub.”
Said Thompson in a text to The Sacramento Bee: “I was fired up for (Bennett). He has been waiting for this opportunity. Kid loves the bright lights.”
Fulcher scored on runs of 5 and 1 yards. Bennett provided the aerial attack with a nifty on-the-money 40-yard touchdown strike to Jared Gipson for a 24-10 lead and a 6-yarder to Anderson Grove for a 38-10 advantage. The speedy Bennett also had a 7-yard touchdown run to make it 31-10.
Camp and Bennett embraced each other after big plays, a show of team unity.
Road warriors
Thompson was pleased with his team’s effort. This was the program’s 15th consecutive road win over FCS teams and 11th consecutive road win against all opponents. The overall road win streak is the longest active streak in the FCS and is tied with Georgia for the longest in NCAA Division I.
But like any head coach, Thompson said he he’d like to see his defense clean some things up, such as surrendering big plays after taking a big lead.
“It’s a long way from Sacramento, got a win,” Thompson said. “It’s good to be 1-0. There’s things we can take from this game and things we can build on. I’m excited about the future.”
This story was originally published September 1, 2023 at 5:00 AM.