Down fourteen in the fourth quarter, redshirt sophomore quarterback Jaden Rashada dropped back and fired a deep shot to a wide open man downfield, but it fell incomplete after ricocheting off the wideout’s chest.
This marked the last gasp for a Sacramento State offense that struggled to find any footing during the game, managing just 24 yards on the ground and 131 yards total.
“We knew it was going to be a tough environment,” Marion said. “Things just didn’t go our way and kept going that way on the offensive side of the ball.”
After an offseason of making headlines, anticipation was high for the debut of Marion’s “Go-Go” offense. The Hornets managed to convert an early forced fumble by junior safety Koa Akui into a field goal in the first, but they struggled to find a rhythm and were held scoreless from that point forward, falling 20-3.
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Rashada’s first completion came in the second quarter, finishing the game with 11 completions on 27 attempts and an interception. This was his first game as a starter since his November 2023 start for Arizona State, and the rust was evident with a variety of under and overthrows.
“[South Dakota State] whooped our ass up front. We dropped touchdowns. It was a lot of stuff that was out of his [Rashada’s] control,” Marion said. “I thought he played pretty decent.”
The running game did little to aid their quarterback, only averaging one yard per attempt and with touches spread across five backs. No true bell-cow emerged, with senior running backs Jamar Curtis and Rodney Hammond Jr. splitting the majority.
The Hornets turned the ball over on all three drives they attempted in the second quarter, while allowing back-to-back scores from a relentless Jackrabbit rushing attack.
They managed 10 rushing plays of over 10 yards, converting 56 rushing attempts for 240 yards, an average of 4.3 per play. The Jacks dominated the time of possession and kept Sac State’s offense from getting into a groove.
“Usually you start the season off with an opportunity and a team you can get warmed up against,” Marion said. “That’s a tough opponent.”
Out of halftime, the Hornets’ defense showed resilience. They held the Jackrabbits scoreless in the third and to just a field goal in the fourth.
Akui, senior safety Kaleb Higgins and sophomore linebacker Derek Houston combined for 29 total tackles, two tackles-for-loss and a sack, keeping constant pressure on a strong offensive line unit. Sophomore lineman Jayland McGlothen recorded two sacks and added a half tackle-for-loss, while team captain senior defensive lineman Xavier Williams kept the interior offensive line busy while adding a sack of his own.
“Our defensive line set up everything for the rest of the team. Without them taking double-teams all day working their butt off, nothing would have opened up,” Houston said. “We fought to the end, but it wasn’t good enough.”
The Hornet line managed seven sacks and eleven tackles for loss in total, a promising sign for the rest of the season to come.
“We need to limit the self-inflicted wounds. We jumped offsides a lot,” Marion said. “It’s good for us to get some humble pie.”
Poor discipline and bad penalties ended several drives before they started, as the Hornets gave up 66 yards on nine flags. Three of the flags resulted in direct first downs for the Jacks, and two killed Hornet drives on third-and-short situations.
“There’s so much to learn about a loss like this,” Marion said of the offensive approach.
Sac State will look to regroup and recover over the next week while they prepare for their only matchup against an FBS opponent this season against Nevada on September 6 at 2 p.m.
