After getting their first win last week at home against Mercyhurst, Sacramento State looks to keep their momentum going as they prepare to face Central Arkansas this weekend.
This is the first matchup between the two schools in football history and Sac State’s first game against a football team from Arkansas.The Hornets dominated the line of scrimmage in their last game with 349 rushing yards. Sac State split carries with the following running backs: sophomore Damian Henderson II, senior Rodney Hammond, Jr., senior Sam Adams II and junior quarterback Cardell Williams.
The Hornets finished the contest strong, resulting in the team’s first win of the season 49-28.
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Central Arkansas played an undefeated and No. 3-ranked Tarleton State, who trounced them 56-10. The Bears managed 294 total yards, with 163 coming through the air.
The Bears are coming off a tough loss and will look to respond against the No. 22-ranked Hornets, who have to be ready for anything when it comes to this matchup.
“There were a lot of things that needed to be cleaned up and fixed,” head coach Brennan Marion said. “We challenged the guys on all that stuff this week, and they responded with great practices.”
Stopping the run has been a mission for the Hornets as they focus on containing another mobile quarterback, having faced after facing two so far.
“We’re committed to stopping the run. We’ve faced a few mobile QBs early in the season,” sophomore linebacker Derek Houston said. “It’s a great challenge that keeps us focused.”.”
With regard to the offense, the goal was to stick to their strengths in the run game and see if it brings the same success as last week.
“We just have to put trust in the offensive line,” Williams said. “They start everything and keep things going as we play our game.”
Keys to the game:
Sticking to the foundation from the last game, running the ball created a lot of success. That should again be the goal for this week after the Bears gave up 241 yards on the ground in their last game.
On defense, the goal should be creating turnovers. Junior safety Koa Akui is tied for first in the Football Championship Subdivision with 3 interceptions, and senior linebacker Oscar Moore added an interception that sealed last week’s win.
The Hornets were down 18-7 in the second quarter late game and will need to start fast against the Bears. The offense looked shaky until a 57-yard touchdown pass from Williams to redshirt freshman wide receiver Ernest Campbell, which gave them a lead they never let go to pick up the win. .
Marion spoke about his message to the team as they head into Saturday’s game.
“We are aiming for perfection and hoping that we reach excellence on the way there,” Marion said.
Sac State faces Central Arkansas at Hornet Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m.
