Sac State uses ground-and-pound in season-salvaging win at Eastern Washington
Needing a season-saving victory to keep their FCS playoffs alive, the Sacramento State Hornets delivered on Saturday afternoon in the wind and rain of Cheney, Washington.
In rushing for a season-high 376 yards behind speedsters Rodney Hammond Jr. and Jaquail Smith and in playing inspired defense, Sac State ran past Eastern Washington 35-13 in a Big Sky Conference game on the electric red turf at Roos Field.
Hammond Jr. rushed 22 times for 208 yards and two touchdowns, including a 61-yard sprint, and Smith had 12 carries for 117 yards and two scores, the highlight being a 45-yard burst for a 28-10 lead in the second quarter. The freshman’s 29-yard touchdown run capped the scoring 9:47 left to play.
Hornets coach Brennan Marion in a postgame chat with Sac State sports information director Brian Berger praised the offensive line under position coach Kris Richardson. The first-year head coach also lauded the Hornets defense, a unit he took to task verbally after last week’s 49-35 home loss to FCS No. 3-ranked Montana.
“We adapted well to the weather,” Marion said. “Our O-line did a really good job of opening up holes, and then our running backs did a really good job of being explosive and making big plays.”
Eastern Washington came in with a three-game winning streak and now sit at 4-5 overall and 3-2 in the Big Sky. Sac State is 5-4 and 3-2.
The Hornets averaged nearly 7 yards a carry, with Hammond Jr. and Smith averaging nearly 10.
The Hornets defense produced five sacks and 11 tackles for losses of 84 yards, and they turned three turnovers into 13 points. Cardell Williams attempted just six passes for 15 yards, and he rushed for a touchdown as the revived Hornets scored all of their touchdowns on the ground.
As for the defense, Marion said, “I told them at the end right there, ‘Welcome back, defense! It was good to see you.’ That’s how we to play defense. That’s our brand of ball, no excuses.”
Sac State also played a clean game. The Hornets were penalized three times for 25 yards. Marion earlier in the week was fined $10,000 by the Big Sky Conference for commenting about referees, including his frustration of having eight touchdowns called back this season.