The 58th Causeway Classic football game returns to Sacramento State for the annual meeting between the Hornets and the UC Davis Aggies.

In last year’s game, the Aggies pulled off the 17-16 win on a then-junior Sean Kelley 21-yard field goal with 6:34 remaining.

Senior quarterback Jeff Fleming said he couldn’t believe they lost last year.

“It was heartbreaking,” Fleming said. “Bottom line, this year it is in all our minds and we will feed off of it.”

The game was plagued by a constant downpour and even featured a 35-minute lightning delay.

The weather was a huge factor in how each team played and both squads combined for only 377 total yards.

For the Hornets, Fleming threw two touchdowns in the first quarter to wide receiver Chase Deadder and wide receiver Matt Carter. Kicker Chris Diniz added on a 30-yard field goal before halftime to account for all the Hornets points, but he missed an extra point in the first quarter that turned out to be the difference in a Hornets win and loss.

For the Aggies, quarterback Randy Wright threw two touchdowns to wide receiver Anthony Soto in the first half.

The second half of the game featured the most fierce weather conditions and each team was shut out until Kelley’s game-winning field goal.

The Hornets (4-6, 3-5) snapped their three-game losing streak last week against Idaho State University in a game dominated by the Hornets’ defense.

Senior defensive back Marquese Smith said ending the losing streak is helpful for the team’s confidence.

“Getting the win is a confidence booster,” Smith said. “It feels good to win again, know what it takes to win a full game and how to play a full game. It’s extra confidence going into another big game.”

The Hornets’ defense finished the game with 10 sacks, which tied the single-game school-record.

Senior defensive lineman Zack Nash accounted for five of the Hornets sacks and with that, he took over sole possession of the Sac State career sack record with 29.5 sacks and counting.

Fleming did not play last week after suffering a concussion in the Portland State University game and his chances of playing in his final career game are up in the air.

“I would be pretty upset (to not play) but the bottom line is getting a win,” Fleming said. “I’ll do everything I can, playing or not, to help that happen.”

The Aggies (3-7, 1-3) have struggled this season and come into this year’s Causeway Classic losing three of their last four games.

The Aggies average 229.8 yards passing and only 84.3 yards rushing per game and the success of the offense relies heavily on how Wright does in each game.

Wright is second in the Great West Conference in passing with 2,079 yards and 14 passing touchdowns but is questionable to play Saturday with a left ankle injury.

If he’s able to go, Wright likes to spread the ball around but Soto (42 catches) and sophomore wide receiver Tom Hemmingsen (45 catches) seem to be Wright’s main targets.

In the 58 games between the two teams, the Aggies are dominating the rivalry with 40 victories.

Throughout the matchup, the Aggies have gone on winning streaks of 18 games from 1970 to 1987 and most recently eight games from 2000 to 2007. The Hornets’ biggest winning streak was five games from 1988 to 1991, but they are also winners of two of the last three games.

Sophomore wide receiver Morris Norrise said that when he watches tape to prepare for games, he looks for breakdowns in each team’s defense.

“I watch to see what types of coverage they play the most,” Norrise said. “I also watch to get a jump on defensive backs and see how they are in and out of their cuts.”

This game will feature 20 Hornet seniors, many of whom will be graduating – including Fleming, Nash, running back Bryan Hilliard and defensive back Evander Wilkins, to name a few.

Wilkins said he is planning to leave it all on the field Saturday in his final career game.

“This (game) is everything,” Wilkins said. “This is our Super Bowl pretty much. It’s the last game at home, Senior Day and it will probably be the greatest game that I ever play. It’s the most important football game that I probably have left in my life.”

Hilliard is happy to end his career at home in front of all the Hornets’ fans and family.

“It’s very important to play my last game in front of our home crowd,” Hilliard said. “I think our fans have been great throughout the years and I see this game as the last chance to show family members and fans all the hard work throughout the years. Going against your rival gives you even more determination to play hard and win the game.”

This year’s Causeway Classic will be the final meeting between the two teams as non-conference rivals before UC Davis joins the Big Sky Conference in 2012.

The winner of the game will take home the Causeway Classic trophy, which is made from concrete used in the construction of the Yolo Causeway. The trophy is an authentic piece of the I-80 corridor that separates the two cities of Davis and Sacramento, and was donated by Caltrans.

The game was moved up from its scheduled 2:05 p.m. start and kickoff will now be at 1:05 p.m. The game will be televised on Comcast SportsNet California and can be heard on Classic 93.1 FM or KAHI 950 AM.

Josh Stanley can be reached at [email protected].