Coming off a disappointing season last year, Sacramento State head coach Steve Mooshagian has turned up the temperature in order to produce wins.

“It only takes one degree of heat to make water boil” said Mooshagian.

Some players left the team after being turned off by Mooshagian’s demanding conditioning and strength training programs.

After revising his coaching staff, Mooshagian and his assistants recruited possibly the best freshman class in Big Sky Conference. Not to mention, starters Fred Amey, Ryan Leadingham and Tyronne Gross will all return this season, injury-free.

This year 47 first time freshmen and transfer students will collectively suit up in Hornet green and gold.

Mooshagian said these new players add depth, speed, and athleticism, while also boosting competitiveness. Up to seven true freshmen will start the season as part of the second string, with a chance of working into a starting spot.

Arguably the best recruit of the bunch is a 160 lb. 5’8″ kicker named Juan Gamboa. Gamboa looks to start his freshman year for Mooshagian, and has the reputation to do so. Playing high school ball at Bellarmine Prep in San Jose, Gamboa nailed all thirty of his extra points his senior year, plus a personal record field goal from 55 yards out.

An early quadriceps injury kept Gamboa from most of the physical practice this fall. Despite the injury, Gamboa expects to be healthy before the start of the season.

The Hornets even managed to recruit a player from a national championship team, not from LSU, but Chris Samuels did help Reedly Junior College to a 2002 junior college National Championship.

“I’m just happy to be here,” Samuels said. “The program has been what I expected, high intensity.”

Samuels played for Reedley for two seasons, where he earned All Central Valley Selection for two consecutive seasons. At Sac State, Samuels has earned himself a starting position at guard and will see a lot of playing time this year according to coaches.

Another first year player expected to see their share of playing time this year is James Cummings, a transfer student from Fresno State.

“The program has to be intense, it’s football,” Cummings said. “I try my hardest to prepare all summer long.”

Cummings spent 3 years in Fresno, but red shirted in 2001; therefore has 2 years of eligibility in Sacramento.

After posting a 2-9 record last season, Mooshagian boosted the overall intensity of the program, in order to find out who was truly committed to the program. Mooshagian said he wanted to weed out the weak from the strong.

The Hornets begin their season this Saturday at Nevada. With three returning and healthy skills players and a bundle of raw talent gracing the Sac State locker room, Amey, Leadingham, Gross and the boys look to storm the Big Sky.