Sacramento State looks to entertain home crowd on and off the football field
The Sacramento State football team started the season as road warriors, dropping games at South Dakota State and Nevada. The Hornets now prepare for their second consecutive home game, eager to maintain momentum.
Ranked 21st in the FCS, Sac State hosts the University of Central Arkansas on Saturday night at Hornet Stadium on 916 Community Night. The nonconference contest will be followed by a fireworks show and a performance by rapper DDG. The Hornets are determined to offer an entertaining product on the field and off of it under spirited first-year coach Brennan Marion, he of the cowboy hat and animated sideline demeanor that includes high-fives, hugs and say-it-like-it-is postgame comments.
Marion has embraced his role as Sac State’s football leader, stressing a theme that, “One great year can change your life.” He did not take his first victory last week as a head coach for granted.
A highly regarded assistant coach for years at various stops across the country, Marion said he has been working for this opportunity since he was a little boy growing up in Pennsylvania, jotting down player names while he watched games on TV. He coaches because of what football provided him — a chance to play, graduate from college and become a mentor to players who share his vision.
The 38-year-old Marion was surrounded by equally giddy coaches and players for a postgame photo after the Hornets downed Mercyhurst of Pennsylvania last week in front of 12,231 fans. A sea of men in green and gold huddled before the scoreboard that marked the program’s first win of the season, everyone holding a pinkie finger up to back the school’s motto of “Stingers Up!”
The Hornets shook off a slow first half to roll the Lakers 49-28, an outcome that eased the frustration of an opening 20-3 loss at FCS No. 2 South Dakota State, a 1,711-mile trek, and a crushing 20-17 setback to Nevada in Reno, which made for a silent three-hour bus ride home.
Against Mercyhurst, Marion’s highly anticipated and versatile “Go-Go” offense got going after it sputtered in the opener and showed promise against Nevada, a game in which two game-winning touchdown runs in the final moment were negated due to holding calls.
The Hornets have 72 new players this season, a near-complete roster overhaul, making for Marion’s greatest challenge. It takes time to get everyone on the same page, but it’s happening, players and coaches said.
“We’re headed in the right direction,” Hornets quarterback Cardell Williams said. “If we stay positive and keep working, it’ll all work out.”
‘I need people to be dogs’
Marion did challenge his team after the last game, saying that the slow start could have derailed the game, adding, “they have to do a better job of coming out ready to play.”
He added that he is a dog as a coach, just as he was as a record-setting receiver at Tulsa, meaning a fierce competitor. He said that he needs to be surrounded by dogs.
“I just need people to be dogs,” the coach said. “I’m a dog, and it’s going to be uncomfortable if you’re around me and you’re not a dog. We did a good job of being dogs in the second half.”
Post-game vibes
The atmosphere after last week’s game included fireworks and a performance by rapper J Alvarez.
“I’m really grateful to (Sacramento State) President Luke Wood and Athletic Director Mark Orr for creating this atmosphere,” Marion said. “It’s one of the best on the West Coast. I mean, I’ve (coached) at San Jose State. I’ve (coached) at Fresno State. I feel like we have a really good atmosphere here. We need more fans to show up and support. We’ll get this to be a top winning program. We’ll get there as more people come.
“I really loved our fans that were there before the game for the Hornets walk. I thought that was a very special thing. That’s what college football is all about.”
Central Arkansas (1-2) at No. 21 Sacramento State (1-2)
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
On air: ESPN 1320 radio, KMAX 31 TV, ESPN+
Of note: This is the first meeting between the football programs and Sac State’s first against any school from the state of Arkansas in the 71-year history of the program ... Sac State outscored Mercyhurst 28-10 in the second half behind a strong running game that included three rushing touchdowns by Damian Henderson II and one each by Sam Adams II and quarterback Cardell Williams, who had 228 yards of total offense with three scores in his first Hornets start ... A week after racing for a 75-yard touchdown at Nevada, 5-foot-7 receiver Ernest Campbell had a 57-yard TD strike in the closing seconds of the first half against Mercyhurst, and the Texas A&M transfer and 2024 All-American track sprinter is averaging 33.4 yards per reception ... Sac State junior safety Kao Akui has been part of five takeaways this season, including three interceptions, tying him for the FCS lead .... Central Arkansas opened with a 61-6 loss at FBS-member Missouri, beat Arkansas Pine Bluff 41-17 and dropped a 56-10 contest last week against FCS-No. 3 Tarleton State of Texas .... Luther Richesson has passed for 519 yards and five touchdowns for Central Arkansas ... Nathan Brown is in his eighth season as coach at Central Arkansas, where he was a three-time FCS All-American, passing for 10,558 career yards and 100 touchdowns.