Two weeks ago, an opposing head coach came to a quick conclusion after his team lost 41-21 to the Hornets’ football program: “This team is not the Sac State of old.”

Idaho State coach Rob Phenicie might be onto something, as Sacramento State (4-3, 3-1 Big Sky Conference) has now matched its win total (four) from the past two years combined in just seven games played this season.

“When I hear that in a positive way, I (think) our identity is changing, we’re not just giving up yards and points and sacks, negative play after play,” Sac State head coach Jody Sears said, referring to Phenicie’s quote.

To Sears’ point, the Hornets — which finished 2-9 in 2015 and 2016 — allowed 526.7 total yards, 291.4 rushing yards and 40 points per contest last year. However, Sac State’s defense has lowered those averages to 379.6 total yards, 138.6 rushing yards and 29.7 points allowed per game this season.

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Sears chalks this up to a junior-heavy defensive unit that is big, more experienced and only missing one starting player from last year due to graduation.

“I think (our physical build) is another area where, probably, people don’t see it as much as the coaches do,” Sears said, comparing last season’s team to this year’s. “For instance, we watched last year’s (40-7 loss) against North Dakota, and we just looked so little and so slow.

“You’ve got to tip your hat a little bit to the offseason and the weight room, but again, experience, not just mentally, but in a physical sense as well.”

The Hornets looked anything but little and slow against North Dakota Saturday after coming away with their first road victory (34-27) — despite not having their starting quarterback due to injury — since defeating the Aggies at UC Davis 41-30 three years ago. Prior to Saturday’s victory, Sac State was winless in its last 14 games away from Hornet Stadium.

Sac State senior defensive lineman Ben Sorensen, who finished with six solo tackles and two sacks against North Dakota, points to the change in leadership as the reason for the Hornets’ early-season success.

“Guys are holding each other accountable a lot more, demanding perfection out of each other, and anything less than that is going to get called out and get corrected,” Sorensen said. “I feel like the leadership of the team is probably the biggest difference from this year compared to last year.”

Those nurturing the nest include Sorensen, senior safety Austin Clark and senior receiver Isiah Hennie, but it all starts at the most important position with junior transfer quarterback Kevin Thomson. Through six games, he has completed 75-of-139 passes, thrown for 1,305 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. Thomson’s legs also lead the team with 422 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.

Thomson, who missed Saturday’s game against North Dakota with an undisclosed injury, has helped revitalize a Sac State offense — which tied for last place in the Big Sky with 24.3 points per game last year — by leading the Hornets to 35.1 points per contest this season, which ranks second in the conference.

“He’s never going to be a loud guy, but he’s starting (to) communicate more with his players about certain routes or techniques or defenses that we’re seeing, so you start seeing him verbalizing and get more comfortable and confident,” Sac State co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Luke Huard told The State Hornet in September.

As Sac State’s offensive production has increased, so has the play of its defense, which was one of the worst in the Big Sky last season. The Hornets currently rank fifth in points allowed and second in total yards allowed after finishing 12th and last in those categories, respectively, last year.

“We had a different mindset coming into this year,” said Dre Terrell, the Hornets junior cornerback. “We take it a lot more serious, (and) I feel like we’re more mature as a team. We’re old, we didn’t lose too many guys last year, and you can see that when we compete and how we play.”

Many have taken note of the Hornets’ initial success on the field, including Sac State Athletic Director Mark Orr.

“I thought they’ve been outstanding in the first half of the season,” Orr said. “I think being (3-1) in the Big Sky Conference — the Big Sky is one of the most competitive FCS conferences in the country — so to be (3-1) and our only loss on the road at Eastern Washington is tremendous.

“It puts us in a position to hopefully compete for a Big Sky Championship and FCS playoff berth, so I wouldn’t want anything else than to be in the second half of the season where (we’re) competing for something.”

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Sears said he hears and appreciates the praise from those within the community and opposing coaches, but he knows he and the team must focus on the task at hand.

“I take it as a positive, I take it as a compliment, but I also take it as there is still much work to do — we have not arrived anywhere,” Sears said. “We’ve won our (third) conference game and (fourth) overall, we’ve got much work to do.”

Additional reporting by Will Moon