Sac State falls to Eastern Washington. ‘Worst feeling ever’ as Hornets start 0-2 in Big Sky

A season of promise has suddenly hit an oil slick, and the Sacramento State Hornets are reeling in a Big Sky Conference that they not long ago flourished and basked in.

On Saturday night at Hornet Stadium, unranked and previously hard-luck Eastern Washington upset FCS No. 18-ranked Sacramento State 35-28 in front of 14,916 fans on a cool, cloudy evening, crippling the program’s hopes of another championship season.

The backdrop at the football field includes massive green banners that display the program’s Big Sky title achievements in 2019, 2021 and 2022, representing Sacramento State’s most successful seasons since first playing the sport in 1954.

If the Hornets don’t rediscover their groove, starting with Weber State coming to town for homecoming next week, their chances of reaching the FCS playoffs for the fifth consecutive season will be dashed. The Hornets entered the weekend with high hopes and head into a new week as the only team without a Big Sky victory in the 12-team conference that annually ranks among the best in the FCS.

And for whatever odd or logical reasons, Sacramento State cannot seem to solve the Eagles of Cheney. Eastern Washington improved to 13-1 all-time at Hornet Stadium. The teams first played in 1980, with Eastern Washington winning the first eight games of the series. The programs have played most every season since 1993.

“My heart hurts for our players, for all of our fans,” a dejected Hornets coach Andy Thompson said. “The standard’s been very high around here. To see (the players) work and not get what they wanted is tough. It’s unfortunate. We’ve got to do a better job.”

Yes, college football is ripe for upsets, including the wide-open Big Sky, because there is little room for error. Last week, No. 6 UC Davis had to score on the final play to keep Portland State winless, and on Saturday, Northern Colorado stunned No. 20 Weber State in Ogden, 21-17, to halt a program-record 18-game losing streak.

Sacramento State, now 2-4 and 0-2 in conference play, was coming off of a 34-16 loss at Northern Arizona, with a bye week to rest, recover and reassess. Now it’s back to work.

‘The worst part of this game is losing’

Hornets quarterback Carson Conklin passed for 238 yards and four touchdowns, one each to Danny Scudero, Jared Gipson and Anderson Grover. Elijah Tau-Tolliver rushed 18 times for 94 yards, and the Hornets converted all four of their red-zone scoring opportunities, but a defense that had fared well against the run was taken to task by Eastern Washington, which came in 1-4.

The Eagles rushed 54 times for 286, chewing up yardage and burning the clock, and then, ultimately, running out the clock. Tuna Altahir rushed for 102 yards and a score for Eastern Washington, and Jared Taylor went for 98 yards and two scores. Kekoa Visperas completed 15 of 17 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown

“We couldn’t stop them,” Thompson said. “Credit them. When you don’t stop the run, it leaves our offense off the field. We did a good job the first five games with our rush defense. We have to improve on that.”

Conklin as a team leader said the season still has a lot of legs. He hasn’t lost faith. None of the team leaders have, he said.

“We’re going to get better, and we care a lot,” the quarterback said. “Every game is a playoff game from here on out. Everyone wants to win. The worst part of this game is losing. Worst feeling ever. It’s time to go. It’s go time.”

Said Tau-Tolliver: “We’ve got to click. When the whole team clicks, we’ll be OK.”

Thompson has said before that teams don’t take pity on champions or ex-champions in this sport. Sacramento State players and coaches understand how cut throat this sport is. No one outside Hornets green will shed tear or offer an ounce of pity. The Hornets ran over a lot of those teams to get to the top.

“What options do we have?” Thompson said when asked if the team will bounce back. “That’s the way it is. It’s going to hurt tonight, and those guys in (the locker room) are hurting. We’ve got to get back to practice, go to work, figure out a better way. You get back up. It’s not always far. It’s how you respond.”