In front of a crowd of over 7,000 fans at Sacramento State’s annual spring game, new head football coach Brennan Marion roamed the sidelines like the Lone Ranger; cowboy hat, bandana and all.
After bringing in the top transfer portal and recruiting classes in the FCS, as well as making a public push towards the FBS, interest in Sac State football is at an all-time high.
The spring game is rarely an indicator of real success, but it offers an early window into the machinations of one of the NCAA’s most polarizing programs ahead of the 2025 season.
RELATED: Mixing the old with the new: Brennan Marion brings his personality to Sac State football
Whether from social media, merchandise or billboards surrounding the Sacramento State campus, it’s hard to miss Marion and his signature “Go-Go” offense.
Hey @SickosCommittee look at this Sac State football billboard by my house. pic.twitter.com/E4CR7WWiGt
— Amber (@Aee2005) March 14, 2025
Marion developed the “Go-Go” offense in his first offensive coordinator role at Howard University. In his first game, Howard took down UNLV in what was the biggest betting spread upset in college football history.
Howard was a 45-point underdog at UNLV. Howard just beat UNLV.
That’s the largest point-spread upset in college football history. pic.twitter.com/cbeyMDj5AZ
— ESPN (@espn) September 3, 2017
The “Go-Go” is based on two running back sets, also known as 20 or 21 personnel, depending on whether a tight end is present in the formation.
Inspired by his former OC at Tulsa and the current OC at Florida State, Gus Malzahn, Marion hammers defenses with a relentless power run attack while simultaneously keeping them honest with deep shots, triple options and run-pass options.
Junior quarterback Cardell Williams shined the brightest during the spring game, uncorking several deep touchdown passes and displaying the rushing ability he flashed in his first season at Tulsa. In 2023, Williams rushed for over 200 yards, scoring five touchdowns on the ground.
His poise and comfort within Marion’s system were noteworthy, and his speed added a new dynamic to the triple option. The defense struggled to contain Williams as he read and reacted to coverages in motion.
Williams primarily split reps with redshirt sophomore quarterback Carson Conklin. Conklin had an impressive 2024 season but struggled mightily in the spring game, throwing several interceptions.
That’s Cardell Williams (@staywokee2) finding the end zone again, 56-6 White leads. https://t.co/azwhauoN00 pic.twitter.com/D2J6mBgGtp
— Jack (@JackDannKF) April 14, 2025
Creativity, pace and selflessness are the keys to this offense operating at its highest potential. Traditional collegiate and professional offenses lean on the strengths of their star players, trying to get them the ball in as many snaps as possible, but Marion bucks the trend.
Unlike most double-back offenses, Marion’s “Go-Go” utilizes a second running back as a rushing option as opposed to a tight end or fullback who can block for the runner. Both running backs have an opportunity to get the ball on any given play, allowing the offense to diversify their looks to the defense and actively react to coverage.
Two of Marion’s highest profile transfers, senior running back Jamar Curtis from Lafayette and senior running back Rodney Hammond from Pitt, are an ideal fit within this philosophy.
Curtis is coming off a pair of electric seasons at Lafayette, accumulating nearly three thousand all-purpose yards and 34 touchdowns in just two years, earning two back-to-back nominations from the Walter Payton Award.
Lafayette RB Jamar Curtis (@flymar2) reached a max speed of 19.4 mph on this 41-yard touchdown. #ReelSpeed
: @PatriotLeagueTV
https://t.co/orrD059ykP pic.twitter.com/OSdKJvKnql
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) October 24, 2023
Curtis made light work of the Hornet defense, using his elite footwork and speed to find gaps and punish bad tackling.
In one of the more impressive plays of the afternoon, Curtis broke a pair of tackles and spun to get free, outrunning the rest of the defense for a 40-yard score.
First scrimmage of the year ✔️ #GoGoSacramento | #StingersUp pic.twitter.com/DNWPIHDSae
— Sac State Football (@SacHornetsFB) March 23, 2025
Hammond and Curtis were like thunder and lightning, with Hammond bruising his way through anyone in front of him, scoring several close-yardage touchdowns by simply powering through a defender.
The 5’9” power back is a threat on both the rushing and receiving fronts, strengths that complement Marion’s offense well, especially when paired with Curtis.
Carson Conklin finds Rodney Hammond Jr. for his first passing TD, White leads 21-5. pic.twitter.com/9wDIgYpJXx
— Jack (@JackDannKF) April 14, 2025
Hammond is coming off several successful seasons in the ACC, racking up over 500 all-purpose yards in each of the last three seasons.
Marion stresses in his book, “Go Go Offense,” that how players play without the football determines how much they love their teammates. Without complete buy-in from the off-ball players, defenses will sniff out the decoy routes and false options, destroying the usefulness of playing the second back.
The goal is to create chaos, and the pace at which Marion prefers to play only adds to the difficulty of containing it. Marion asserts that the additional advantage to huddling less and playing faster is that the offense gets more possessions and more opportunities to score.
8️⃣ in the nation for scoring offense
7️⃣ in the nation for rushing offense
8️⃣ in the nation for 10+ rushing yard playsWas UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion snubbed by the Broyles Award? pic.twitter.com/s5TP9CWMtX
— College Sports Network (@CFN365) November 27, 2024
After stumbling to a 3-9 record in 2024 under former head coach Andy Thompson, Marion has overhauled the roster on both sides of the ball. The Hornets lapped the Big Sky Conference several times over in terms of names brought in, adding 20 3-star commitments, more than the next five teams in the conference have combined.
Several exciting offensive weapons have been brought in to shore up the receiving room from the prior year. This includes former 4-star Oregon State redshirt freshman Jordan Anderson and San Diego State sophomore Logan Tanner, who was previously the 27th-ranked tight end in the nation.
To aid a defense that allowed an average of 34 points a game, the Hornets added seven 3-star recruits, highlighted by University of Alabama Birmingham safety Rickey Lee III, who recorded two interceptions and 23 tackles in his 12 games for the Blazers.
While Sac State is positioned to have one of the strongest rosters in the FCS, the season may end up being a lame duck. A potential FBS move would deny the program playoff football if they were to make it that far.
Nonetheless, a successful season is vital for a program that will be under much scrutiny from potential future FBS conference suitors.
The season opens on the road against South Dakota State on August 30, followed by their first matchup against an FBS program under Marion when they play Nevada on September 6, 2025.
