Sacramento State football gave the coined phrase “too close for comfort” a whole new meaning against Weber State on Saturday.
A 27-yard missed field goal attempt in double-overtime by the Wildcats was the difference in a game that the Hornets nearly saw slip away before an emotional 51-48 win.
“Thank god,” senior defensive lineman Brandon Knott said. “There wasn’t a thought in my mind that entire game going into OT that I thought we were going to lose.”
Entering the fourth quarter with a 17-point lead, it looked as if the Hornets were well on their way to a long overdue Big Sky Conference win. Sac State was the only team left in the conference without one.
The Hornets were driving down the field once again, as they’d done all game up until that point; punting just once heading into the final quarter of play.
Trying to catch the defense off guard with a trick play, junior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver attempted a pass to redshirt freshman Carson Conklin, only to have it undercut by freshman cornerback Frankie Edwards and returned for a 95-yard pick-six to cut the Hornets’ lead down to 10.
That was the start of a game-altering momentum swing in favor of the Wildcats. Sac State punted on each of its final three drives in regulation and Weber State knotted the game at 41 with a game-tying field goal just before time expired to send the game to overtime.
Weber State scored on the opening possession of overtime, and Sac State matched it to extend the game an extra period. Sac State only mustered a field goal on its next possession, meaning the Wildcats would have a chance to tie with a field goal of their own, or end the game with a touchdown.
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Sac State’s defense stood tall, just as they did at the end of regulation to force Weber State into a field goal attempt, rather than letting them walk it off with a game-winning touchdown.
“Proud would be the word I would use,” Sac State head coach Andy Thompson said. “Definitely a roller coaster of a game, but we talked about having faith in each other and I thought they had faith in each other and found a way to win.”
Thompson said coming into this game that it was all about sticking together and finding a way to win, regardless of how it happened.
The Hornets now have life in a game that could’ve easily gone either way. Sac State was staring down the barrel at an 0-3 start in conference play in a season that had high expectations.
“A sigh of relief for sure,” redshirt freshman quarterback Carson Conklin said. “At the end of the day, football is a game of inches. One inch to the left and a miss, and we’re running down the field celebrating.”
Thompson said repeatedly after the game how proud he was of this team, and how the word of the week was faith, which he said was huge in squeezing out a win.
“We don’t want to get too high or too low,” Thompson said. “We want to stay consistent with our preparation and keep trying to improve.”
Something that will go unforgotten given the dramatic end to the game are the phenomenal individual performances from multiple Hornets.
Junior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver had a career-best three touchdowns all in the first half, on 30 touches for 226 yards. Tolliver amassed 141 yards on the ground alone, which was another career-best.
All three of Tau-Tolliver’s touchdowns came on direct snaps in the wildcat formation; two from inside the five-yard-line and one for a whopping 70 yards. Thompson said they’re always looking for different ways to attack the defense, citing this as an example.
“We’re always finding ways to get the ball to good players, and he’s definitely a good player, I would say great,” Thompson said.
Conklin set a career-high in passing yards with 357 and throwing for three touchdowns. One of, if not the highlight of the night from Conklin was a 54 yard heave to senior wide receiver Anderson Grover inside two minutes prior to halftime for a touchdown.
Grover ended the night with a career-best 136 receiving yards, including a pair of touchdowns; one that tied the game at 48 and extended the game into a second overtime where the Hornet defense forced the Wildcats into a missed field goal to seal the game.
After this two-game homestand, Sac State is heading out to face Idaho State on Oct. 26 before returning home for another Big Sky matchup the following week.
Lew • Oct 22, 2024 at 3:51 pm
It’s the fourth quarter, your leading 41-24, 1st and goal at the 8, and you think it’s time for a trick play? Not a down the field throw but a sideline throw? I could have run down from the stands and intercepted that floater, it was in the air so long. Can’t blame the players though, that play call was not fit for the Pac 12 or the Mountain West. Weber state knew the game was over until that blunder. We have so much talent on our team, that we can beat anybody. Come on coaching staff, show that we belong in a higher conference.