Sacramento State lost in overtime 30-27 Saturday against the Idaho State Bengals, as missed opportunities stacked and second-half offensive woes continued.

The Hornets started the game nearly unstoppable on the ground. Junior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver ran for 52 yards on the opening drive and capped it off with a touchdown.

The Bengals’ aggressive pass attack was on display early, with redshirt senior quarterback Kobe Tracy throwing chunk plays to senior pass catchers Christian Fredericksen and Jeff Weimer.

Tracy’s pass was broken up and snagged out of the air by junior nickelback Malini Ti’a and the Hornets took over.

Sac State’s offense went back to work, but their drive stalled out when redshirt freshman quarterback Carson Conklin threw three incompletions in a row, and the Hornets were forced to attempt a 42-yard field goal.

“We got to get better, and we got to keep fighting,” Sac State head coach Andy Thompson said. “Obviously, we are close, but we just continue to not be consistent at times at all three phases of the game.”

Senior kicker Zach Schreiner missed the kick, and the score remained 7-0 for the entirety of the first quarter.

Tracy gave the Bengals the spark they needed by throwing a 24-yard strike to the endzone that Fredericksen snatched to tie the game in the second play of the second quarter.

The Hornets got the ball back, and Tau-Tolliver immediately went back to work picking up a 35-yard gain on the ground.

Later in the drive, Tau-Tolliver ran the ball twice and picked up a first down but remained on the ground.

He walked off under his own power, but did not return for the remainder of the game. Tau-Tolliver finished with 11 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown.

The Hornets’ redshirt freshman running back Curron Borders took over as the lead back for Tau-Tolliver, but it was senior running back Ezra Moleni, who broke his way through tackles and forced himself in for their second touchdown.

Sac States’ defense pitched a three-and-out, but their next offensive drive fared far worse.

Conklin dropped back to pass on fourth-and-4 and was immediately pressured. He ran backwards, fumbled and Bengals’ sophomore linebacker Nathan Reynolds scooped it up and tied the game up, 14-14.

“He’s the same dude when something bad happens,” senior wide receiver Jared Gipson said about Conklin. “He just stays poised and keeps his composure at all times.”

Both teams traded three-and-out drives until Borders launched for a 45-yard run down the right sideline. Conklin took a shot toward the end zone intended for Gipson, but redshirt sophomore cornerback Adonijah Richards stole the ball away, giving the Bengals possession.

With 1 minute and 14 seconds left in the half, Tracy moved the Bengals down the field in three pass plays: a 23-yard out route to Fredericksen, a 15-yard pass to Weimer near the right sideline and finally a go route down the left sideline to Fredericksen for 42 yards to a touchdown.

Sac State had 56 seconds remaining and a chance to tie the game up before half. After two short runs by Conklin and Moleni, Conklin hit Gipson on a 26-yard out route.

Conklin then found redshirt freshman pass-catcher Danny Scudero, who picked up 15 yards. The drive ended with a 19-yard dot to Gipson in the middle of the endzone to tie it up 21-21.

RELATED: Sac State leaves their nest searching for momentum against the Bengals

Despite Sac State senior linebacker Will Leota intercepting a pass on the Bengals’ opening drive of the second half, the third quarter remained a struggle for the Hornets.

Borders ran for 23 yards following the interception, but the ball was stripped from him at the 1-yard line, and the Bengals recovered in the endzone. The Hornets were unable to build any offensive rhythm, with 26 total yards and no points scored in the third quarter.

“Our offense didn’t get the ball back because on defense, our third down defense struggled in the third quarter,” Thompson said.

The Bengals had the ball for 10 minutes and 19 seconds in the third quarter, compared to the Hornets’ 4 minutes and 41 seconds. The only points scored in the third quarter came from a 35-yard field goal by Idaho State, which gave the Bengals a 24-21 lead.

Idaho State started the fourth quarter with the ball and ran down the field with their backup senior quarterback Hunter Hays. They got to the goal line and ran three times with Hays, with no success. Tracy came back in but was unable to connect, and the Hornets’ goal-line stand kept the Bengals’ lead at just three points.

The fourth quarter remained a stalemate, as the Bengals attempted to drain the clock. The Hornets’ final opportunity came with 1 minute and 46 seconds left in the game.

Conklin marched the team down the field. The largest play went to Scudero, who caught the ball just inside the numbers and continued to get yards after the catch to pick up 38 yards.

The Hornets were forced to settle with a 27-yard field goal after three failed attempts to get into the endzone, and the game was sent to overtime.

Schreiner made a 41-yard field goal to give the Hornets a chance after Sac State went three-and-out.

It didn’t last long though, as Tracy took advantage of a defensive pass interference call on junior cornerback Zelmar Vedder and connected with Weimer in the right corner of the endzone for the game-winning touchdown.

The Hornets totaled 538 offensive yards, but their three turnovers gave the Bengals a 13-point lead.

Sac State’s 30-27 loss to the Bengals drops their record to 3-5 and just 1-3 in the Big Sky Conference. With the loss, the Hornets’ playoff chances are in dire straits.

“These guys continue to fight, and I expect that they’ll continue to do that,” Thompson said. “Coaches, we got to put them in the right place.”

Sac State will host Portland State at Hornet Stadium on Nov. 2 at 6 p.m.