Updated Friday with video clip.

The Sacramento State football team, in its last game of the season on Saturday, will be facing the rival UC Davis Aggies in the annual Causeway Classic.

Click here to view Hornet football highlights and analysis with color commentary.

Coming off a bye week, the Aggies will host the Hornets at Toomey Field, marking the 54th meeting between the two teams, a series in which the Aggies lead 37-16 and have won the past six meetings.

The last time the Hornets beat the Aggies was in 1999 under head coach John Volek. The Hornets won 48-27 at Hornet Stadium.

Both the 4-6 Hornets and the 4-5 Aggies have had some close losses, coach Steve Mooshagian said, and the rivalry game gives both teams the opportunity to “unleash” any frustrations during the season on the playing field.

“It’s a time to forget what happened or what could have happened and just play football for 60 minutes,” Mooshagian said.

The Hornets lost 13-7 to Portland State on Saturday in the team’s last home game of the season. The Hornets offense struggled, netting a total of five rushing yards on 23 carries, where 40 of those yards were lost due to quarterback sacks, Mooshagian said. Those sacks “threw off” the team’s statistics.

With three of the starting offensive linemen and at least one running back injured in the past eight games, it was hard to develop consistency with different guys in the lineup each week, Mooshagian said.

The Hornets will be facing an Aggie run defense ranked 2nd in the Great West conference, which on average allows 3.5 yards per carry. The Hornet defense will be tested against the highest-rated passer in the Great West conference. Senior quarterback Jon Grant leads the Great West in passing and total offense, averaging over 247 passing yards a game.

In the Aggies’ 28-24 loss to North Dakota State on Nov. 3, Grant was 23 of 38 for 215 yards with one interception, but the Aggies rushing attack was held to 74 yards. Davis led by 24 points at the end of the first half, but North Dakota State came back and scored 28 unanswered points in the second.

Entering the season with a team that was picked to finish last in the Big Sky, Mooshagian looks back on the improvements the team has made in the past year. With a Hornets defense commented on being the best in recent years by opposing coaches and players, Mooshagian said, and nine out of 11 defensive starters returning, he said he felt really good with where the team is heading.

“I’m particularly proud of the way we played and the way we fought (in the season),” Mooshagian said,” I’m really excited of what’s in front of us.”

Matthew Beltran can be reached at [email protected]