Sacramento State put on an offensive clinic Saturday night at Hornet Stadium, but it was not enough to defeat No. 13 Montana State as the Hornets fell 59-56 to their Big Sky Conference rival.

In a game filled with lead changes and deep ball completions all over the field, the Hornets and Bobcats alike filled up the box score.

On just the second snap of the game, cornerback Josh Armstrong intercepted MSU quarterback Dakota Prukop and returned it for a touchdown. Prukop would run in a 30-yard score to tie things up at 7-7 just three minutes into the first quarter.

Sac State quarterback Garrett Safron had a monster game with 463 yards and five touchdowns through the air. He also ran 11 times for 146 yards.

Safron now has 10 career games with three three or more TD passes. He also became the first quarterback in school history to throw for over 300 yards and run for over 100 yards. His 609 yards of total offense is the most in Sac State history and fourth-most in Big Sky Conference history.

Despite putting up historical numbers, the gunslinger was disappointed to come up short in such an intense contest.

“It was a great effort from everybody,” Safron said. “We just came up a little short. Come Monday’s practice, we’ll be back to work to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Receivers DeAndre Carter and Nnamdi Agude continued to grab everything thrown their way. Carter finished with 11 receptions for 184 yards and three touchdowns while Agude hailed in six catches for 197 yards and two scores.

Agude caught a 75-yard bomb on the Hornets’ first offensive play of the night, shattering his previous career-long reception of 38 yards. The junior enjoyed his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season.

Linebacker Darnell Sankey’s name was called often as he racked up another 21 tackles. He also carried twice and scored his second offensive touchdown of the year.

Still, the junior acknowledged a need for improvement on the defensive end.

“Tough loss, we fought to the end,” Sankey said. “We need to correct some of our mistakes if we want to win those types of games.”

The Hornets’ defense struggled to contain the deep pass as well as the legs of the speedy Prukop. The dual-threat quarterback ran 16 times for 140 yards and three scores, while completing 23 of 34 passes for 348 yards and five touchdowns.

After Safron’s 5-yard pass to Carter put the Hornets up 56-52 with 1:02 to play, Prukop led a quick game-winning drive down to the 4-yard line where he hit Mitchell Herbert to go up 59-56 with 4 seconds left.

The Hornets received a kick and extended play with several lateral passes but could not score.

Hornets’ coach Jody Sears was emotional after a high-octane game. Although he is not a believer in moral victories, he did express pleasure in the passion and heart he saw from his squad.

“These guys gave it their all,” Sears said. “I’m proud of ‘em and I love ‘em to death.”

Sears hopes that his teammate culture continues to produce chemistry and unity in the locker room. He says the team will not falter until they reach their ultimate goal of a championship.

“We’re not done yet,” he added. “I hurt for these players, and this school, and for this town. Because they all deserve to be champions. I’m not stopping until we get there.”

The Hornets will take their 3-3 record on the road next week as they take on Northern Colorado for more Big Sky Conference play.