The Hornets finished their season much the way they started it. Their 31-14 loss to No. 3 Montana on Saturday night looked eerily similar to the game the Hornets played some 11 weeks ago when they went to Berkeley and were beaten by Cal 41-3.

The defense held the opponent for much of the game, but ill-timed turnovers and big plays by the opponent turned a game that looked close on the field but not on the scoreboard.

“If there was a football game that epitomized our season this was it,” Sacramento State head coach Steve Mooshagian said. “You could say that was the icing on the cake.

“The defense played fabulous. They gave us a winning effort, but (Montana’s) best offense was our offense.”

On senior day, the Hornets weren’t able to send this year’s class off with a victory. From the start, things didn’t go well for Sac State. On the Hornets’ first possession, sophomore starting quarterback Crosby Wehr was intercepted on a pass play from the goal-line and it was returned 1-yard for a Montana touchdown.

“You can’t get disappointed about it,” senior running back Kris Daniels said. “It’s just one play.

“You still have to play through it.”

The Hornets did even the score later in the first quarter when Daniels finished off a 10-play, 59-yard drive with his 5-yard touchdown run. He finished the game with 102 yards and a touchdown, which gives him four touchdowns in the last three games of the season.

Montana answered the score with its best drive of the night. Montana running back Lex Hilliard ran three times for 48 yards including an 11-yard touchdown run, putting the Grizzlies ahead for good.

The Hornets hung tough throughout the game, keeping the score 17-7 by the end of the third quarter, but there was too much Hilliard. The Montana back had 20 carries for 155 yards and the touchdown.

Once again Sac State was done in with its own missed opportunities. After a Durrell Oliver interception in the first quarter, the Hornets were unable to score when Juan Gamboa missed a 48-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, the defense stopped the Grizzlies on a fourth-and-one play, but we weren’t able to do anything on the ensuing possession as they turned the ball over downs at midfield.

“This is the way the whole season went,” Daniels said. “The first half would be close and in the second half we would have a meltdown.”

Wehr and senior quarterback Brad Tredway both struggled, completing less than 50 percent of their passes and each was intercepted twice. Tredway’s second pick of the night was returned for a score late in the fourth quarter, making the score 31-14.

The Hornet defense once again played strong as senior captain Matt Logue led the way in his final contest. Logue led the team with his 11 tackles and added to his school record of tackles-for-loss with his 1.5, giving him 46.5 for his career. Defensive end Mike Brannon also played well with 3.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack.

“I think you’ve got to give some credit to Sac State’s defense,” Montana freshman quarterback Cole Bergquist said. “What impressed me the most was the intensity they played.

“They were flying to the ball all night.”

“I really thought our defense gave us a chance,” Mooshagian said. “They are a winning defense.

“They gave us a chance to win this game, like many of the others this season.”

The Hornets wrapped up Mooshagian’s third season with a 2-9 record and since Mooshagian took over the Hornets have won eight games.