Sacramento State football put on a dominant showing on tape as they pounced the Texas A&M Commerce Lions for a 34-0 victory.

The Hornets settled for a field goal on the first drive of the game, but senior defensive lineman Josh Cashiola created a turnover on the Lions’ first offensive play.

Cashiola knocked the screen pass loose and senior defensive lineman Brandon Knott scooped it up to give the Hornets possession.

“I thought we started pretty fast, a couple of screens,” Sac State head coach Andy Thompson said. “Overall, the guys ran the football, got a couple of turnovers and it’s good to play four quarters and give up zero points.”

The Hornets started on their 32-yard line and quickly changed field position after junior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver broke free for a 33-yard gain.

Tau-Tolliver coughed the ball back up to Lions redshirt defensive back King Ambers who knocked the ball free on a screen pass.

The turnovers continued as the Lions redshirt junior quarterback Eric Rodriguez tried to convert a fourth-and-5 by launching a ball down the left sideline on a go route, but sophomore cornerback Elias Mullican snagged the underthrown ball for the first interception of the game.

Neither team could get their offenses going until a little over 10 minutes into the second quarter. Hornets’ redshirt freshman quarterback Carson Conklin hit up senior wide receiver Jared Gipson for a 29-yard gain.

The Lions’ defense bent, but didn’t break as they forced an errant throw from Conklin, which sailed over everyone’s heads. The Hornets were forced to settle for another field goal, to put them up 6-0.

With the Lions looking for a spark, they put in redshirt junior quarterback Ron Peace. Peace threw a short out route to the right side, when Mullican jumped the route, plucked it and ran 35 yards back to the house to put the Hornets up 13-0.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, so it feels good,” Mullican said. “It was a surreal moment for sure.”

Momentum stuck with the Hornets for the rest of the game after the Lions were forced to punt the ball for the third time in the first half.

“Taking that to the house I feel really sparked the offense to be like, ‘Okay let’s get it going, and the defense was juiced up,’” Mullican said. “Going over to the sideline, the vibes were good, everything was good.”

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The Hornets started their next possession with just under four minutes left until halftime and Conklin took full advantage. He avoided pressure and completed a 14-yard pass to junior wideout Devin Gandy. The Hornets worked down the field with small plays until the opportunity arose.

Conklin went through his progressions and saw Gipson beat his man down the seam. He heaved it up, Gipson adjusted and made the 22-yard catch for a touchdown, giving the Hornets a 20-0 lead heading into half.

Just as the Lions got possession out of the half and Rodriguez attempted a dangerous pass over the middle of the field and was punished for it.

Senior defensive back Gavin Davis-Smith knocked the ball out of its path and senior safety Murvin Kenion III jumped to steal it away.

The Lions’ fourth turnover set the Hornets up in ideal scoring position and in just over 10 yards they were in the red zone.

Conklin hit a wide open Tau-Tolliver on a wheel route down the left sideline for 16 yards and a Tau-Tolliver’s first receiving touchdown of his collegiate career, 27-0.

“Don’t drop it,” Tau-Tolliver said he was thinking during the play. “Those wide open ones are the hardest ones to catch.”

The Lions needed a play, but the Hornets wouldn’t let up. Cashiola came roaring into the backfield and strip sacked Rodriguez. Rodriguez recovered the fumble, but the drive was over and the punt unit came back on the field.

A seven minute drive was dominated by a rotation of Hornet running backs with Tau-Tolliver getting four consecutive run plays for 23 yards.

The drive was capped off by junior running back Ezra Moleni who ran in for an easy 1-yard touchdown, giving the Hornets a winning score of 34-0.

The Hornets played keep away for the rest of the game as they ran out the clock in the fourth quarter and secured their second consecutive defensive shutout.

The Hornets ended the game with 260 rushing yards. Tau-Tolliver accounted for most of those with 127 rushing yards making it his third 100 rushing yard game of the year and his second consecutive.

“We just do what the coaches tell us and that’s what happens,” Tau-Tolliver said. “Coaches trust me to get the ball and that’s what happens after when you have a good o-line.”

Sac State is back on the road next week as they take on their first Big Sky opponent, Northern Arizona on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m.

“I’m proud of the last two weeks, how we responded being 0-2, because that’s not an easy task and the guys have stuck together,” Thompson said. “We are going to need the depth to go through an eight game Big Sky schedule.”