In a game where both teams combined for 1,132 yards, it was Weber State University?s football team that won by a matter of inches, beating the Hornets, 38-31.

On the game?s final play, wide receiver Gary Austin Jr. was tackled by Wildcat defenders Chris Boughton and Marcus Thurman one yard from the goal line as time expired. Austin was stopped short of the touchdown after completing a 37-yard pass play from quarterback Ryan Leadingham.

The play capped off a wild game in which both offenses marched up and down the field.

For the Hornet offense, Leadingham threw for 338 yards and two touchdowns. He was also in clear command of the team?s offense in the late, crucial stages of the game.

Leadingham also showed that he could move around the pocket, avoid the rush and run for key first downs. He finished second on the squad with 53 yards on nine carries.

“The offense has grown the past few weeks,” Hornet head coach John Volek said. “Ryan has been improving. He put 31 up for us, and seven for them.”

Leadingham threw one interception to Weber State linebacker Eric Lohnes, who returned the pick 29 yards to put his team up 21-17 with 1:41 remaining in the third quarter.

Running back Derard Barton ran hard all afternoon and ended the day with 137 yards on 24 attempts on the ground and a pair of touchdowns. With Barton taking some pressure off Leadingham, the young signal caller was able to spread the ball around some to the Hornet receivers.

Wide receiver Michael Johnson Jr. had a spectacular effort, grabbing eight balls for 174 yards.

While the Hornet offense had a breakout game, Weber State players were breaking Hornet tackles all game. The elusive halfback Johnnie Gray III ran for 240 yards on 37 carries, also finding the end zone twice. Weber State?s Tyler Gladwell racked up 293 yards throwing to lead a balanced attack.Gray opened the scoring by making tacklers miss en route to a 10-yard touchdown.

The Hornets answered that drive with a touchdown that came on a Leadingham-to-Johnson connection from 17 yards out. At the 3:40 mark of the second period, Sac State took the lead on a 6-yard run by Brett Collins.

But the lead was short-lived.

From the Wildcat 20-yard line, Gray took the team?s first play of the drive 80 yards down the right sideline to tie the game back up.

The Hornets? Jimmy Sanchez tallied a 21-yard field goal midway through the third, but Weber State would match that with a Jason Zur field goal.

The two teams went back and forth the rest of the way, matching touchdown for touchdown and turnover for turnover. There were five turnovers committed by both teams.

The fruitless trip to Ogden, Utah is nothing new for the Hornets. The team has yet to win a game at Stewart Stadium.This week the Hornets (1-1 in the Big Sky, 2-2 overall) will need all the help they can get from their home crowd as they take on the No. 2 ranked University of Montana at Hornet Stadium this Saturday at 6 p.m.