As the two-minute mark approached, Sacramento State held a slim lead over Nevada with possession of the ball after turning the Wolf Pack’s drive over on downs.
Nevada burned their second timeout after a 3-yard rush on first down, and the path to victory for the Hornets looked clear with 2:26 to play and only one Nevada timeout remaining.
There was a rare moment of serenity in Mackay Stadium as junior quarterback Cardell Williams dropped back to pass on second down. The moment didn’t last.
Williams’ ball fluttered through the air before landing in the arms of redshirt junior linebacker Jonathan Maldonado, sending the Reno crowd into a frenzy.
Maldonado jogged uncontested into the end zone, snatching a victory for Nevada from the jaws of defeat.
“I tried to make an aggressive call,” head coach Brennan Marion said. “It was a bad decision by me. I’ll learn from it.”
Sac State made a final push after the pick six, marching downfield to put themselves deep in Nevada territory with seconds to play.
Williams broke the pocket on a third and 3, evading defenders and diving into the end zone for an apparent miracle touchdown, but a holding penalty brought the Hornets back.
Now faced with a third and 13, the Hornets found sophomore running back Damian Henderson II on a screen. The Hornet’s blockers fanned out, allowing Henderson II to punch his way into the end zone as well. Once again, flags flew and the touchdown was taken back by a holding penalty.
After an unsuccessful third and 23, sophomore kicker Grant Meadors lined up for a 42-yard field goal attempt to tie the game, but his kick sailed wide left.
The score held, 20-17, and the Hornets fell to 0-2 to begin their season.
It was a tale of two halves in Reno.
In the first half, it was the full realization of the “Go-Go” offense. Trick plays like a near-touchdown pass from senior running back Savion Red and a fake punt from senior punter Cal McGough powered an early lead for the Hornets.
Despite redshirt sophomore quarterback Jaden Rashada exiting the game in the first quarter after sustaining a hit to the head, the offense was dynamic and moving up and down the field.
“It was just a safety precaution,” Marion said. “Rashada’s a tough kid, he wanted to go back in.”
Prior to the late interception, Williams was lights-out spelling Rashada, completing 77% of his passes and running for 26 yards.
The running game was much improved from their game against South Dakota State as well, with nine different ball carriers combining for 146 yards on the ground with an average gain of 3.6 yards.
Nevada clawed back to tie it after Sac State took a 10-0 lead, but the Hornets had an immediate response on their final drive of the half.
On a first down from their own 25, redshirt freshman wideout Ernest Campbell torched his man and Williams found him, making Campbell’s first career college catch a 75-yard touchdown.
The second half was a different story. For the second straight game, the Hornets were held scoreless after halftime.
All three offensive drives ended in similar fashion, with penalties at crucial moments stopping forward progress.
A false start turned a fourth and 2 into a punt situation. A holding call turned a 33-yard gain into a third and 22. Another hold turned a third and 3 into a third and 13.
With three straight punts to open the second half, Sac State’s defense shined,holding the Wolf Pack back.
Junior safety Koa Akui looks like an emerging star for the Hornets. Against South Dakota State, Akui logged nine tackles, a tackle-for-loss and was involved in two fumbles. He only recorded two tackles against Nevada, but intercepted senior quarterback Chubba Purdy twice.
“I love that guy, man,” Marion said. “He’s everything our culture is about. He’s a walk-on guy who earned a scholarship; number four is a special player for us.”
With the home opener this coming Saturday and the Big Sky campaign just behind that, the Hornets will need to put their first two games behind them for the homestand.
“We preach the next play mentality,” Akui said. “We can’t let this carry over to the next game. It’s just football.”
Sac State’s goals are unchanged by the first two weeks, with a Big Sky trophy in their sights.
“I think we’ll be okay,” Marion said. “Our goals are still out in front of us. Our goal is to win the Big Sky, be conference champions and then go to the playoffs.”
Sac State takes on Mercyhurst in their home opener, Saturday, Sept. 13.
