Sacramento State Hornets football

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Sacramento State Hornets football
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2024 Sacramento State Hornets football team
Sacramento State script 2008.svg
First season 1954; 71 years ago
Athletic directorMark Orr
Head coach Brennan Marion
1st season, 0–0 (–)
Stadium Hornet Stadium
(capacity: 21,195)
Field surfaceNatural grass (1969–2009)
FieldTurf (2010–present)
Location Sacramento, California
NCAA division Division I FCS
Conference Big Sky
Past conferences FWC (1954–1982)
NCAC (1983-1984)
WFC (1985–1992)
AWC (1993–1995)
All-time record313–395–8 (.443)
Bowl record0–2 (.000)
Playoff appearances3
Playoff record Div. I FCS: 2–4
Conference titles7
Rivalries UC Davis (rivalry)
Cal Poly
Pacific (defunct)
ColorsGreen and gold [1]
   
Fight songFight, Hornet, Fight!
MascotHerky the Hornet
Marching band Sacramento State Marching Band
Website hornetsports.com

The Sacramento State Hornets football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the California State University, Sacramento located in Sacramento, California. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Big Sky Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1954. The team plays its home games at the 21,195-seat Hornet Stadium. The Sacramento State Hornets football team drew an average home attendance of 13,348 in 2023.

Contents

History

In 1954, Dave Strong was named the first football coach for the Hornets football program. The program's first victory came in their second season, in 1955, when the Hornets defeated Southern Oregon by a point. Sacramento State was first affiliated with the Northern California Athletic Conference, from 1954 through 1984; the conference was known as the Far Western Conference until 1982. The Hornets were then members of the Western Football Conference from 1985 through 1992. In 1993, Sacramento State move the American West Conference, and then to the Big Sky Conference in 1996. [2] Hornet Stadium has been home to the football team since 1969.

Past success and notable games

The Hornets have participated in two bowl games, the Pasadena Bowl in 1968 against Grambling State, where the Hornets lost, 34–7, and the Camellia Bowl in 1964, where Montana State defeated the Hornets, 28–7.

One of Sac State's most notable wins came on September 3, 2011, in the season opener against the Oregon State Beavers of the Pac-12 Conference at Reser Stadium. The Hornets upset the Beavers in overtime, 29–28 with a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Jeff Flemming to wide receiver Brandyn Reed, beating an AQ conference team for the first time in school history in front of an announced crowd of 41,581. The Beavers were a 23-point favorite coming into the game. Four weeks after the win over Oregon State, the Hornets defeated FCS national power Montana, the program's first win ever over the Grizzlies, on September 24, 2011. Hornets defeated the then No. 10 ranked Grizzlies by a score of 42–28 in Hornet Stadium.

On September 8, 2012, Sac State defeated Colorado Buffaloes of the Pac-12 conference, at Folsom Field as 20-point underdogs. [3] Colorado jumped to an early 14–0 start but the Hornets quickly answered back with a pair of touchdown passes from Hornets quarterback Garrett Safron and a 2-yard rushing touchdown by A.J. Ellis to lead 21–14 over the Buffaloes. [4] Sac State led 24–21 during intermission. With less than a minute left in the fourth quarter and down 28–27, Hornet's walk-on kicker, Edgar Castenada, made the 31-yard field goal winning kick for a final score of 30–28. After the game, Hornets head coach Marshall Sperbeck announced in the locker room that Sacramento State has offered Castendada a scholarship. This marked a consecutive year in which Sac State faced an AQ conference school (both in the Pac-12 conference) as heavy underdogs on the road and walked out with victories.

The Sacramento State football team were ranked for the first time ever in school history at the end of the 2019 season when they placed No. 3 nationally in both the STATS and the Coaches polls. Sacramento State was also ranked as the No. 4 team in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS playoff bracket, receiving a first-week bye in their road to the finals. The 2019 season was a major milestone in the teams' history as the season brought Sacramento State its first-ever Big Sky Conference Championship, its fifth conference title overall, and its first-ever appearance in the FCS playoffs. Prior to the 2019 season, Sacramento State was never ranked at the end of any season but had won four conference titles.

The Sacramento State football team would set numerous school records for the 2022 season. On September 24, 2022, the Hornets defeated Colorado State 41–10 at Canvas Stadium, making this their largest victory by margin over an FBS team. The 2022 team went on to go undefeated in the regular season for the first time in school history, finishing 11–0, alongside setting a record for most wins in a season at 12. The team also achieved the highest rankings in the major FCS polls, reaching as high as No. 2 in both the STATS and the Coaches Polls. They would set a school record for highest attendance for a football game, winning the Causeway Classic over UC Davis 27–21 in their regular season home finale with an official crowd of 23,073. They also clinched their first FCS playoff victory over Richmond in the NCAA Division I Second Round.

Classification history

Conference affiliations

Championships

Conference championships

YearCoachConferenceOverall recordConference record
1964 Ray Clemons Far Western Conference 8–2–14–0–1
1966 8–26–0
1986 Bob Mattos Western Football Conference 6–4–15–1
1995 John Volek American West Conference 4–6–13–0
2019 Troy Taylor Big Sky Conference 9–47–1
2021 9–38–0
2022 12–18–0

Postseason results

Division II playoffs

The Hornets made one appearance in the Division II Playoffs. Their record was 2–1.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1988 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		 UC Davis
North Carolina Central
North Dakota State 		W, 35–14
W, 56–7
L, 20–42

Division I FCS playoffs

The Hornets have made four appearances in the FCS Playoffs, with a combined record of 2–4.

YearRoundOpponentResult
2019 Second Round Austin Peay L, 28–42
2021 Second Round South Dakota State L, 19–24
2022 Second Round
Quarterfinals		 Richmond
Incarnate Word 		W, 38–31
L, 63–66
2023 First Round
Second Round		 North Dakota
South Dakota 		W, 42–35
L, 24–34

Bowl games

SeasonBowlOpponentResult
1964 Camellia Bowl Montana State L, 7–28
1968 Pasadena Bowl Grambling State L, 7–34

Home stadiums

Grant Stadium -Sacramento, CA
Capacity (8,000)


Hughes Stadium -East Sacramento, CA
Capacity (20,311)

Charles C. Hughes Stadium (commonly referred to as Hughes Stadium) is an outdoor stadium located at Sacramento City College. The stadium opened in 1928 and was initially known as Sacramento Stadium and Sacramento College Stadium. [5]

Hughes Stadium Charles C Hughes Stadium.jpg
Hughes Stadium

It was renamed in November 1944 in honor of Charles Colfax Hughes, the first superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District, who died a month earlier. [6] [7] In 2012, the stadium underwent a major overhaul, installing an artificial turf field surface, a new track surface, and a major refurbishment of the facilities documented in this video. Its present seating capacity is 20,311.





Hornet Stadium -Sacramento, CA
Capacity (21,195)

Fred Anderson Field at Hornet Stadium is a 21,195-seat college football and track stadium on the campus of California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State). [8] It opened 55 years ago on September 20, 1969, it has also been the home stadium of the Sacramento Surge of the WLAF, [9] the Sacramento Gold Miners of the Canadian Football League [10] and the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. It hosted the U.S. Olympic Trials for track and field in 2000 and 2004.

Fred Anderson Field - Home grandstand Hornet Stadium (Sacramento State).jpg
Fred Anderson Field – Home grandstand

Its alignment is nearly north-south, offset slightly northwest, and the street-level elevation is approximately 35 feet (11 m) above sea level. The field was natural grass for its first 41 seasons; FieldTurf was installed in 2010. In 1998, Permanent chairbacks were installed in Section 213 at the 50–yard line. In 2000 The stadium underwent a $1 million improvement in preparation for the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials; An Olympic–sized track was installed surrounding the field as well as a practice track north of the stadium. [11] In 2003 New scoreboard installed. In 2007 new public entrances were installed. IN 2008 Broad Fieldhouse opened, which included new offices, locker rooms, athletic training room, weight room and a VIP patio. In 2010 natural grass was replaced by FieldTurf Duraspine Pro, "The Well" opened next to the north end zone which provided paved areas for concessions and a Jumbotron was added below the scoreboard. On July 17, 1993, it was the site of the first regular season Canadian Football League (CFL) game ever played on American soil, where the Calgary Stampeders defeated the Gold Miners 38–36. Fred Anderson Field also hosted the largest crowd ever to witness an event at Fred Anderson Field was when the Sacramento Surge defeated the Barcelona Dragons in the World League playoffs on May 30, 1992 in front of 26,445 fans. The largest Sacramento State football crowd occurred on November 19, 2022 when 23,073 fans saw the Hornets complete an 11-0 season with a 27-21 victory over UC Davis in the Causeway Classic [12]

Rivalries

UC Davis

The Hornets plays the rival UC Davis Aggies, annually and usually the last game of the regular season. This rivalry game is known as The Causeway Classic, and each team competes for the Causeway Trophy, referring to the fact that the schools are connected by the long Yolo Causeway bridge over Yolo Bypass flood way. UC Davis leads the series 46–23. This game has drawn crowds up to 23,000 in the Hornet Stadium, and is widely popular in the local area.

Cal Poly

"Green and Gold Rivalry"

While not commemorated with a trophy, Cal Poly and Sacramento State are designated as 'protected rivals' in scheduling by the Big Sky Conference, meaning they are guaranteed to play each other in foreseeable schedules. [13] From 1967 to 2024, the Mustangs and Hornets have met 43 times, Cal Poly leads the series, 22–21.


Other notable rivalries includes Portland State, Eastern Washington University, Weber State, the Montana schools, Montana, Montana State and Big Sky conference foes. Also, regional rival Pacific before they discontinued their football program in 1995.

Head coaches

CoachTenureRecordPct.
Dave Strong 1954–19564–18–1.196
Johnny Baker 1957–196015–22.405
Ray Clemons 1961–197570–76–3.480
Glenn Brady 1976–19772–18–1.119
Bob Mattos 1978–199284–73–2.535
Mike Clemons1993–19949–11.450
John Volek 1995–200231–57–1.354
Steve Mooshagian 2003–200611–33.250
Marshall Sperbeck 2007–201335–44.443
Jody Sears 2014–201820–35.364
Troy Taylor 2019–202230–8.811
Andy Thompson 2023–20248–5.615
Brennan Marion 2025–present0–0–

College Football Hall of Fame

College Football Hall of Fame
NamePositionYearInductedRef
Ken O'Brien QB 1978 1997 [14]

National Award winners

Eddie Robinson Award
YearNamePosition
2019 Troy Taylor Coach

The Eddie Robinson Award is awarded annually to college football's top head coach in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). It was established in 1987.

Past Hornets in the NFL

[15]

Notable former players

Notable alumni include:

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of December 6, 2024. [16]

202520262027202820292030
at South Dakota State at Fresno State San Diego at San Diego at Oregon State at San Diego
at Nevada Lamar
Mercyhurst
Central Arkansas

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The UC Davis Aggies football team represents the University of California, Davis in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The football program's first season took place in 1915, and has fielded a team each year since with the exception of 1918 during World War I and from 1943 to 1945 during World War II, when the campus, then known as the University Farm, was shut down. The team was known as the Cal Aggies or California Aggies from 1922 to 1958 when UC Davis was called the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacramento State Hornets</span> Athletic teams of California State University, Sacramento

The Sacramento State Hornets is the team that represents California State University, Sacramento in intercollegiate athletics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season</span> American college football season

The 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season, the 2010 season of college football for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), began in September 2010 and concluded with the 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on January 7, 2011. In the title game, Eastern Washington defeated Delaware, 20–19, to claim their first Division I national title in any team sport.

The 1988 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Western Football Conference (WFC) during the 1988 NCAA Division II football season. Led by 11th-year head coach Bob Mattos, Sacramento State compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 4–2 in conference play, tying for second place in the WFC. The team outscored its opponents 479 to 272 for the season. The Hornets played home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

The 2006 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Steve Mooshagian in fourth and final season as head coach, Sacramento State compiled an overall record of 4–7 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing fifth in the Big Sky. The team was outscored by its opponents 288 to 168 for the season. The Hornets played home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

The 2007 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Marshall Sperbeck, Sacramento State compiled an overall record of 3–8 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for sixth place in the Big Sky. The team was outscored by its opponents 305 to 201 for the season. The Hornets played home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

The 2008 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Marshall Sperbeck, Sacramento State compiled an overall record of 6–6 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for sixth place in the Big Sky. The team was outscored by its opponents 324 to 319 for the season. The Hornets played home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

The 2009 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by third-year head coach Marshall Sperbeck, Sacramento State compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, tying for fifth place in the Big Sky. The team was outscored by its opponents 371 to 274 for the season. The Hornets played home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

The 2010 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Marshall Sperbeck, Sacramento State compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the Big Sky. The team outscored its opponents 353 to 272 for the season. This was the first winning season for the Hornets since the 2000 team finished 7–4. The Hornets played home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

The 2018 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Jody Sears in his fifth and final season as head coach, Sacramento State compiled an overall record of 2–8 with a mark of 0–7 in conference play, placing last out of 13 teams in the Big Sky. The Hornets played home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

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The 2018 UC Davis football team represented the University of California, Davis as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Dan Hawkins, the Aggies compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, sharing the Big Sky titlewith Eastern Washington and Weber State. UC Davis received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs where, after a first round bye, they defeated Northern Iowa in the second round before losing in the quarterfinals to Eastern Washington. The Aggies played home games at Aggie Stadium in Davis, California.

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The 2022 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by third-year head coach Troy Taylor, the Hornets played their home games on campus at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

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The 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The regular season began on August 26 and ended in November. The postseason began in November and ended on January 7, 2024, with the 2024 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. South Dakota State repeated as champions, defeating Montana, 23–3.

References

  1. ↑ "Sacramento State Colors" . Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Sacramento State Football Record Book" (PDF). HornetSports.com. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  3. ↑ Contreras, Victor (September 10, 2012). "Leading Off: Sac State's upset will mean nothing with a loss". www.sacbee.com. The Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012.
  4. ↑ Stapleton, Arnie (September 8, 2012). "Sacramento State upsets Colorado 30–28 on late FG". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Colleges To Compete in Sacramento Stadium". The Sutter Independent. Yuba City, California. November 8, 1928. p. 5. Retrieved April 30, 2022– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  6. ↑ "College Stadium Is Named For Charles C. Hughes". The Sacramento Bee . Sacramento, California. October 19, 1928. p. 28. Retrieved April 30, 2022– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  7. ↑ "Sacramento City Unified School District". Archived from the original on September 18, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Hornet Stadium". hornetsports.com. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Machine at Surge". The Sacramento Bee . April 4, 1992. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  10. ↑ "The Sacramento Gold Miners' 1994 Season". Canadian Football League Database. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  11. ↑ http://www.legacy.usatf.org/statistics/champions/OlympicTrials/HistoryOfTheOlympicTrials.pdf The History of the Olympic Trials, published by USATF
  12. ↑ Davidson, Joe. "A Causeway Classic: Record crowd sees Sac State beat rival UC Davis for Big Sky three-peat". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  13. ↑ frank.gogola@406mtsports.com, FRANK GOGOLA Missoulian. "Montana, Montana State get new protected rivals in Big Sky Conference play for 2022-24 seasons". 406 MT SPORTS. Retrieved June 26, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ "Inductee | Kenneth John O'Brien, Jr. 1997 | College Football Hall of Fame".
  15. ↑ "Sacramento St. Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  16. ↑ "Sacramento State Hornets Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
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