The Hornets have the opportunity to play spoiler in the 70th Causeway Classic against the No. 5 ranked University of California, Davis Aggies Saturday.
It’s no secret that Sacramento State has dealt with its share of injuries this season as they tumbled their way to a 3-8 record, but they still have the chance to end their season strong by taking down on their cross-town rivals.
The Aggies are the second-ranked team in the Big Sky Conference with a 9-2 record, compared to the Hornets, who have fallen to the second-worst team in the conference and are on a four-game losing streak.
Sac State has historically struggled in the rivalry. According to Sac State Athletics, the Hornets have won 23 and lost 47 of their matches against the Aggies, but over the last 10 matchups, they are tied 5-5.
Ahead of tomorrow’s Native American Heritage Day we are proud to showcase a new helmet in partnership with @wilton_rancheria!
#StingersUp | #GreenSwarm pic.twitter.com/Li4HehiFyH— Sac State Football (@SacHornetsFB) November 22, 2024
Raining on their parade
With the Hornets being out of the playoff hunt, this game is for pride, bragging rights and the opportunity to throw a wrench in the Aggies’ playoff- seeding hopes.
“I think they want to go out on a high note and play their best football game, and they’ve been working really hard,” Sac State head coach Andy Thompson said about his team. “For the seniors, this is one they’ll always remember, so everybody in the program is trying to do their best to make it a great night.”
Davis is coming off a 28-30 loss against No. 2 Montana State, but that loss was only the Aggies’ second of the season and first in conference play.
If the Hornets pull off an upset, Davis could potentially lose a chance at a bye week and home-field advantage in the playoffs.
“That would be awesome to upset them and make something happen for the last game,” senior wide receiver Jared Gipson said.
RELATED: Sac State suffers gut-wrenching loss at the hands of Cal Poly
Singing in the Rain
Northern California is amidst an atmospheric river, which might continue into the Causeway Classic.
Rain is football’s greatest equalizer, so a little bit of help from mother nature created an opportunity for Sac State to take advantage of sloppy conditions that rain often brings.
The likelihood of the ball staying on the ground and the Aggies favoring their rushing attack also increases with adverse weather conditions, which means putting it in the hands of the conference’s second-leading rusher, UC Davis senior running back Lan Larison.
“He’s a very good player and was Conference Player of the Year last year, so big emphasis on him, and then [we] got to find a way to get off the field on third down,” Thompson said.
Larison has totaled 1,173 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Last year, he tallied up 175 total yards and four touchdowns in the Causeway Classic.
If the weather isn’t an issue, then the Aggies will keep the rock in the hands of the conference’s top quarterback, senior Miles Hastings. Hastings has thrown for 3,347 yards and 29 touchdowns on the season.
“They’re an explosive offense, but I know as a DB, we’re just as explosive, and I know that we can play with them and we can match them athlete for athlete, player for player,” senior safety Eian Moore said. “We just have to show up, communicate and play at the level that we know we can play at.”
Final Time to Shine
The Hornets have one last time to show out for their fans and a chance to end the season on a positive note.
“I’d like to see us finish,” Thompson said. “I think we’ve been so close, we just haven’t finished. [I would] love to see us play clean football. No penalties, limit the turnovers, just play together as much as we possibly can.”
Seniors playing their final game for the green and gold have their own personal goals that they’d like to meet for the last time they step on the field at Hornet Stadium.
“I just want to just have my best game,” Gipson said. “My last one, I have to go out with a bang. That’s my goal. Just have my best game and just end up with a win.”
With the Hornets ending the season under .500, winning the rivalry matchup and ending the season on a high note is the focus.
“A lot of stuff hasn’t been going our way, but it would mean the world to me if we could end it with a win against Davis,” Moore said. “But at the end of the day, the way I see it is we’re all blessed to be able to play this sport because there’s also people that would love to be in our situation.”
Sac State hosts the Causeway Classic as they kick off their last game on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Predictions
Ryan Lorenz, Sports Editor (5-5): This game is a tale of two teams that couldn’t have had drastically different seasons. UC Davis is at the top of their game, whereas Sac State has been swarmed with injuries that have left them a shell of their former selves crawling their way to the finish line. Looking at the statistics, this game shouldn’t be close, and UC Davis should have their way with the Hornets. With that being said, Sac State has nothing to lose, compared to the Aggies, who have everything. I could see a world where the Hornets pull out the upset and stun their rivals at home, even if the odds are against them.
Sac State: 33, UC Davis: 30
Adam Camarena, Sports Editor (4-6): It has been a rough season, to say the least for Sac State, and it doesn’t get any easier as they welcome UC Davis to town. This game shouldn’t be close. The Aggies are far better on both sides of the ball and are fighting for playoff seeding, whereas the Hornets can see the light at the end of the dark tunnel they’ve trekked through all season. Sac State is going to be playing for their pride and giving their rival everything they’ve got. I think Davis still comes out with a win, but I expect the Hornets to go out swinging. In the words of Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, “When you knock us down we’re going to get up, and on the way, we’re going to bite a kneecap off.”
Sac State: 27, UC Davis: 40
Jack Freeman, Editor-in-Chief (5-5): The Causeway Classic is here to end a season Sac State would love to forget. I’ve seen this script before, it was flipped in 2022 when an underdog UC Davis team took an undefeated Sac State down to the wire. I expect much of the same this week with the Hornets’ offense keeping them in this game until late. While an upset would put a pretty bow on this disastrous season, Larison is just too much for the Hornets to handle. You know what they say Sac State fans, when it rains it pours.
Sac State: 24, UC Davis, 34
