Sacramento State took over at their own 47-yard line in a tie-ball game against Stanford with 2 and a half minutes to play. After two quick plays, they were facing down the barrel of a 3rd-down with 6 yards to go.

Stanford’s defense brought pressure, junior quarterback Kaiden Bennett escaped a sack and scrambled out with defenders breathing down his neck. Looking down the field, he lofted a ball for senior running back Marcus Fulcher. Fulcher caught it, broke a tackle and raced down the sideline.

“I was looking through my progressions and saw a lot of everything to be real,” Bennett said. “Fulcher was doing what he is supposed to do, I look up and I see him so good on him.”

49 yards later he was in the end zone mobbed by his teammates in celebration. Sac State had taken the lead over their former head coach Troy Taylor with a minute and a half left to play.

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“I knew once [Fulcher] broke that first tackle he was out,” Bennett said. “He has the juice to go, he makes a lot of people miss. So I got kinda excited.”

Folks, I can’t believe my eyes. @KBtheQB1 just make the play of the game.

He lofts the ball to Fulcher who runs 50 yards into the end zone. Touchdown Sac State, but the play is under review.

Here was my angle. pic.twitter.com/erTSwdTFxc

— Jack Freeman (@JackFreeman_13) September 17, 2023

Six plays later, Bennett kneeled down and sealed the upset. But this game-winning play was simply a microcosm of Bennett’s electric night.

When the Hornets needed a fourth down conversion with the game tied at 17 in the third quarter, Bennett stayed calm, rolled out and found sophomore wide receiver Devin Gandy for a 39-yard gain.

It was simple this game, if the Hornets needed a play Bennett made it.

“I don’t think I have to explain much,” Sac State head coach Andy Thompson said. “Gosh does he have a big heart. He’s not real big, but his heart is huge.”

Bennett didn’t do it all himself tonight, Sac State’s defense stepped up in huge moments. An impromptu onside kick had the Cardinal threatening to take a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter.

In the end zone, senior safety Kylen Ross stepped up and broke up a pass. As the ball floated, senior cornerback Caleb Nelson located, juggled and caught the ball for the first of two Hornet interceptions.

“We talk a lot about attitude, gotta be positive,” Thompson said. “It was close, 14-3 looked like they were gonna score, get a nice interception, [Bennett] goes down and offense scores. We were right back in it.”

From that point forward the defense didn’t allow another touchdown.

“Just keep playing, next play mentality,” Nelson said. “We knew it was going to be a chess match and we won that match.”

Bennett wasn’t perfect tonight, throwing two interceptions. But after those slip-ups, Bennett led the offense to two field goals keeping the game from slipping away from Sac State. Junior kicker Zach Schreiner nailed his Sac State career-long field goal with a 44-yarder.

“I think they were really resilient tonight,” Thompson said. “They were mindful, they didn’t let one play beat them the next play. If you’re a real competitor, you gotta be able to do that.”

Early this week Thompson stressed the importance of improving on third down and the Hornets did just that. They converted 11 of 16 third downs, which allowed them to gain control of the game back from the Cardinal early.

“It’s huge, huge for our defense,” Thompson said. “I felt like defensively we didn’t get worn down. It was a team win… we talk about playing united and we did just that.”

Sac State not only upset a power five opponent for the first time since 2012 but did so by spoiling Taylor’s home opener.

“They can have him,” junior wide receiver Jared Gipson said.

The schedule doesn’t get easier from here, Sac State opens Big Sky play on the road against the Idaho Vandals next Saturday.