Big Sky is not falling on No. 9 Sacramento State despite losses, but Hornets need a win
If you bought into any of the gloom of social media posts that floated throughout the region, then Nov. 4, 2023, was darn-near a tragic day on the sporting front.
Sactown Sports morning radio host Carmichael Dave is a backer and a fan of all things local, a man who wears his emotions on his sleeve and in his vocal cords. He posted on X, or Twitter for us old timers, of Saturday’s long day and night: “What an absolutely HORRIFIC day for Sacramento sports.”
The Kings didn’t move, nor did Sacramento Republic FC close up shop. Sacramento State football did not turn in its gear. Those three teams did lose games on Saturday, the Kings in an early-season contest at Houston, Republic FC at home in a USL semifinal match and the Hornets at Montana in an FCS top-10 showdown, but the gear and goals remain as No. 9 Sacramento State hosts Cal Poly on Saturday at Hornet Stadium in an effort to make things right again.
“Man,” wondered Sacramento State media relations guru Brian Berger during Sacramento State’s Tuesday practice. “Was it the worst day ever?”
No, but the social media discussion of disappointment speaks to the expectations of area teams. The Republic is used to winning. The Kings won last season after 16 years of defeat. The Hornets swarmed into this season expecting a Big Sky Conference four-peat. That won’t happen after three top-10 FCS losses within the Big Sky Conference this season with setbacks to No. 3 Montana, No. 4 Idaho and No. 5 Montana State, but the Hornets’ goal of a fourth consecutive FCS playoff berth is alive and well.
Hornets coach Andy Thompson said after the 34-7 setback in Missoula on Saturday night that, as painful as that loss was: “The sun will rise tomorrow.”
It did. But the sun will set on the season if the Hornets don’t at least split their last two Big Sky games. That in itself is something given that Sacramento State had only qualified for one playoff berth from the time the program was founded in 1954 until the 2019 campaign.
Still, the Hornets flew back to Sacramento late Saturday in a quiet plane. This is a veteran lot that played well enough earlier this season to rise to No. 2 in the FCS rankings, but then the Hornets lost in the final seconds at Idaho, had the game snowball in the fourth quarter at home against Montana State and could not overcome an avalanche of bad breaks and big Grizzlies plays last week.
Thompson knows he has to get the train back on the track. The mistakes are correctable, he said, including pre-snap penalties and blown assignments. The Big Sky does not allow for such mistakes. At 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the Big Sky, the magic number for the FCS playoff committee is seven wins, though that’s not a guarantee to secure a postseason bid. Eight wins would be an unwritten lock.
“You get back to work, get here around the guys and try to help them and our coaches,” Thompson said of how to bounce back. “I really think we’ve done that. But I’m good and we’re good.”
He added: “When you don’t play your best, you want that next opportunity. You want to get that corrected quickly. I think that was a message from our seniors, from our coaches, to everybody, that we’re going to improve.”
The Hornets got used to winning all the close games from 2019 through earlier this campaign, and Sacramento State was at its best during a 30-23 victory at FBS-level Stanford, a victory that helps the team’s playoff cause.
Sacramento State has not been at full strength this season, and no one in the power-packed Big Sky will weep for the Hornets. Football doesn’t work that way.
All-American tight end Marshel Martin has been slowed since the season opener with a leg injury, though he grinds on. Leading running back Marcus Fulcher has been in and out of the lineup with a lingering ankle problem. Quarterback Kaiden Bennett has winced through a tender shoulder. The offensive line, a team strength since 2019, has not had its projected starting lineup together yet this season. It all adds up, but the Hornets do have depth, and losing two of the last three games has not been for a lack of effort.
Hornets athletic director Mark Orr said he has received calls, emails and texts from people wondering what’s wrong with the Hornets. That’s because expectations for the program have risen — and that’s a good thing.
And there’s this: Since the start of 2019, Sacramento State is 6-1 following a regular-season loss.
“We’re fine,” Orr said at Hornets practice. “It’s a great conference. We have a really good team. We’re ranked ninth nationally. I think we’re just fine. It’s football. It happens.”
It’s also what competition is all about. Thompson said one of his sons lost a youth championship game on Saturday, and father and son spoke about how one cannot win them all.
“It’s part of sports and part of life, and how you deal with it is what matters,” Thompson said. “We want to be resilient and we are. We talk about that. We want to be mindful. So, if you win, you’ve got to be able to move on. If you lose, you’ve got to move on. You have to be really consistent when you’re the leader, and I’m trying to be consistent with my message and with my approach, and our guys have a great attitude and work ethic.”
Cal Poly coached by Paul Wulff
Saturday is Senior Day for the Hornets, and quite likely the final time they will play at home in 2023. If the Hornets do qualify for the playoffs, they likely will hit the road.
Before kickoff, the team will recognize 17 seniors, five who have earned All Big-Sky honors, including: Martin of Vallejo, linebacker Armon Bailey of Vallejo, defensive tackle Jett Stanley of Brentwood, cornerback Caleb Nelson of Folsom and Fulcher of Fresno.
Cal Poly is 3-6 overall and has one Big Sky victory, but first-year coach Paul Wulff can jam up the Hornets’ season with an inspired effort.
Wulff was a football star in the early 1980s at Davis High School. He went on to star at Washington State as a center and coached Eastern Washington to success in the Big Sky, earning two Coach of the Year honors. He later was an assistant at Sacramento State and UC Davis. Cal Poly co-defensive coordinator Will Plemmons had two tenures as a Hornets assistant coach.
The Mustangs of San Luis Obispo are led by quarterback Sam Huard, who has passed for 1,565 yards and 14 touchdowns. Cal Poly has the attention of Hornets coaches and players.
“Our guys have worked extremely hard for their opportunity to go out and play good football, and when you don’t do it, it does sting,” Thompson said. “But you get another shot. We have a lot to play for, and I have no doubt that these guys will do well this week.”
This story was originally published November 10, 2023 at 5:00 AM.