Box Score

Trickery and mental lapses plagued the Hornets in their 20-12 loss at Saint Mary’s College on Saturday in Moraga, Calif.

With nine seconds remaining in the first half, Gael quarterback Trevor Johnston threw a backward pass to receiver Nate Brown, who then connected with a streaking Jeff Brown on a 21-yard touchdown pass to put Saint Mary’s up 10-6.

The scoring drive was kept alive when a forced-fumble by Camron Mbewa was taken away due to a Hornet personal foul. The 15-yard penalty, which was committed away from the ball, advanced the Gael offense to Sac State’s 32-yard line. Brown scored two plays later.

“That would have been a big turning-point in the game,” Hornet linebacker Ryan Kroeker said of the negated fumble. “We’ve just got to move on and learn from our mistakes.”

Kroeker, who has stepped in at middle linebacker for the injured Park McAllister, recorded a team-high in tackles for the second-consecutive week with 13 against the Gaels.

McAllister, a second-team all-Big Sky selection last season, will redshirt this season with a shoulder injury.

Sac State got on the board first when quarterback Ryan Leadingham connected with Fred “Otis” Amey on a five-yard touchdown pass.

“I called a post-corner (route for Amey), which was stupid with the coverage (the Gael cornerbacks) were in,” said Leadingham, who bought time for his sophomore receiver by rolling right. “Otis did a good job of getting open and I found him.”

Hornet place-kicker Brett Levier’s extra-point sailed wide, keeping the Hornets lead at 6-0. Levier has not converted on either of his extra-point opportunities this year.

Amey finished the game with six catches for 55 yards and the touchdown. The sophomore has now caught a pass in all 13 of his games as a Hornet. Reciever Gary Austin Jr. recorded a catch is his 25th-consecutive game.

“After (the Amey touchdown) it seemed like the offense was dead,” said Leadingham, who feels the team can’t afford too many more offensive dry-spells. “If we do that all year we’ll end up like this every freakin’ week.”

Ezequiel Arevalo converted on a second-quarter field goal to cut the Hornet lead to 6-3.

In the third quarter Johnston extended the Gael lead to 17-6 on a 19-yard run. The freshman took command of the Saint Mary’s spread-option attack, rushing for 105 yards and one touchdown, while throwing for 57 yards.

Last week against Montana State University Johnston came within three points of guiding Saint Mary’s to a victory against the No. 22 ranked Bobcats.

The Hornets had a chance to cut into the Gael’s lead near the end of the third quarter, when Leadingham lead the offense on an 11-play, 82-yard drive, which ended on a failed fourth-down conversion at the Saint Mary’s three-yard line.

On fourth-and-goal from the nine-yard line the Hornets lined-up in field goal formation. Sac State tried to catch the Gaels on their heals by pitching the ball to running back Tyronne Gross who was tackled short of the goal line.

“We can’t give opportunities away,” said head coach John Volek, whose Hornet squad had beaten Saint Mary’s the past four seasons coming into Saturday’s game. Sac State defeated the Gaels 13-6 in overtime last season.

The loss extends the Hornets losing-streak to 10-straight games.

The Hornets lone second-half score came on a slant to receiver Kenan Smith, who broke a tackle at the three-yard line before falling into the end zone. The Hornets, who trailed 17-12 at the time, failed to convert on the two-point conversion.

After an 18-yard Arevalo field goal made the score 20-12, the Hornets had one last chance to score, but Leadingham’s desperation pass as time expired fell incomplete.

The sophomore quarterback completed 21-of-32 passes for 234 yards, throwing two touchdowns with zero interceptions.

Garrett White led the Hornet running game for the second consecutive week with 59 yards on 16 carries. The Hornets rushed for only 83 yards as a team.

Gael head coach Tim Landis was relieved to finally get a win over the Hornets. “We’ve come close the last couple of years, and this is a great win for us,” he said.