Sac State wins a must-have game over Weber State behind record rushing night
The Hornets have regained their mojo.
Two weeks after an upset loss to visiting Cal Poly and a week after having a off-night bye to think about a season that could go either way, Sacramento State delivered a resounding 55-27 victory over Weber State on Saturday night in chilly Ogden, Utah.
The game did not kick off until after a 2-hour weather delay because of nearby lightning strikes and started with sheets of rain, which played right into the Hornets’ hands.
In piling up a season-high point total, the Hornets produced three 100-yard rushers to steamroll the Wildcats, the first such feat for Sac State in a single game for a program that fielded its first team in 1954. The 397 rushing yards ranks second in program history, as Sac State won a contest it had to have to salvage any hopes of remaining in the Big Sky Conference championship race.
Hornets first-year coach Brennan Marion said during the week that the Cal Poly loss was humbling for a much-hyped team that brought in 72 new players and that the only way to save face was to win. Sac State evened its overall record to 3-3 and to 1-1 in Big Sky action and will play upstart Northern Colorado on Oct. 18 at Hornet Stadium on homecoming night.
After struggling against Cal Poly, including throwing three interceptions, Sac State quarterback Cardell Williams had a game-high 139 yards rushing on 12 carries and three touchdowns, including a 51-yard burst for a 20-3 second-quarter Hornets lead.
The Tulsa transfer attempted just nine passes, completing five, for 53 yards.
Working behind an offensive line that is the anchor to the team’s “Go-Go” scheme and coached by longtime position coach Kris Richardson, the Hornets rushed 50 times in averaging nearly 8 yards a carry.
Rodney Hammond carried 15 times for 108 yards and two scores, and the 5-foot-9, 195-pound Pittsburgh transfer added an electrifying 99-yard kickoff return to the end zone after Weber State had pulled to within 41-27 with 8:36 left to play. Freshman JaQuail Smith in his Hornets rushing debut had 17 rushes for 137 yards and two scores.
“I’m proud of our O-line for being physical up front,” Marion told Sac State sports information guru Brian Berger after the game. “We were able to be explosive in the run game.”
The coach added that there was a dose of added motivation for the “Go-Go” offense that is at its best when the run game is in high gear.
“There was a comment made about (Weber State) was going to play Midwest football or whatever, but we had a little Pennsylvania football,” Marion said, referring to his native state and roots.