The Sacramento State football team will play its final Big Sky Conference game of the season when it travels to Missoula, Mont., to face the Grizzlies on Saturday, Nov. 13. The game against Montana will kick off at 11:05 a.m. PST from Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

The contest can be heard locally on KTKZ 1380 AM with Jason Ross handling the play-by-play and Steve McElroy adding the color commentary. For those outside the greater Sacramento area, the game will also be available on the internet at www.hornetsports.com.

Saturday’s game will also be televised by KPAX-TV out of Missoula. The broadcast will not be available in the Sacramento area. Satellite coordinates will be provided later in the week.

The Hornets come into the game with a 3-6 overall record and a 2-4 mark in Big Sky Conference games. Last week, Sacramento State upset then-17th-ranked Montana State, 38-28, to earn its third win of the season. In the game, the Hornets received 245 rushing yards from true freshman Ryan Mole and 156 receiving yards from Fred Amey.

Montana is currently 7-2 overall and 4-1 in league play. The Grizzlies have won five of their last six games, inlcuding a 34-22 win over Northern Arizona last Saturday. Montana has never lost to Sacramento State and holds a 9-0 lead in the all-time series.

With a Win...

• Sacramento State will have defated Montana for the first time in school history.

• The team will have earned its first road win since downing Eastern Washington, 48-41, on Oct. 26, 2002 at Woodward Field.

• The Hornets will have won back-to-back Big Sky games for the first time since 2000.

• Sacramento State will have won three Big Sky games for the first time since 2002.

• Montana will lose its first home game of the season.

With a Loss...

• Sacramento State will have lost to UM for the 10th-straight year.

• The Hornets will finish the 2004 season 0-6 on the road.

• Montana will win its 12th-straight regular season home game.

Steve Mooshagian returns for his second season as head coach at Sacramento State. Mooshagian, who was hired to lead the Hornets on Jan. 15, 2003, is the eighth coach in school history.

A native Californian, Mooshagian has coached high school, junior college, college and professional teams. He most recently served as the wide receivers coach with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1999-2002. In 2002, he guided the only receiving corps in the NFL to have four players with at least 40 catches.

Prior to working with the Bengals, Mooshagian was the offensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh for two years (1997-98). At Pitt, he also coached the receivers and his unit produced the top receiver in the Big East Conference both years. Mooshagian came to Pittsburgh from Nevada where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during the 1996 season. That year, the Wolf Pack led the nation with an average of 527 yards of total offense and posted a 9-3 overall record while winning the Big West Conference title and the Las Vegas Bowl.

Before moving to Nevada, Mooshagian spent 11 years as a coach in Fresno, Calif. In 1995, he was the head coach at Fresno City College where he guided the Rams to a 5-5 overall record. Prior to that job, he had a 10-year stint as an assistant coach at Fresno State (1985-94).

He was also part of the Fresno State staff which won six conference titles while competing in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, the Big West Conference and the Western Athletic Conference.

Montana is led by Bobby Hauck. Now in his second year with the Grizzlies, Hauck has posted a 16-6 overall record. A graduate of Montana, Hauck also served as an assistant at Colorado and Washington.

A Look at the Hornets

• Montana State Recap

Freshman running back Ryan Mole had 35 carries for 245 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Hornets to a 38-28 victory over 17th-ranked Montana State on Nov. 6.

Senior wide receiver Fred Amey contributed towards the Hornets’ 489 yards of total offense by catching eight passes for 165 yards.

Sacramento State senior quarterback Ryan Leadingham completed 15-of-31 passes for 260 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, while Montana State junior quarterback Travis Lulay rushed for all four Bobcat touchdowns and completed 38-of-61 passes for a school-record 516 yards and two interceptions.

Montana State took its only lead in the game’s opening minute, driving three plays and 80 yards and scoring on a 7-yard touchdown run by Lulay to give the Bobcats a 7-0 lead with 14:12 left in the first quarter.

Sacramento State then proceeded to score three unanswered touchdowns, beginning with a 19-yard strike from Leadingham to Amey that tied the score 7-7 with 9:39 left in the first quarter.

The Hornets took the lead for good with 3:12 remaining in the first quarter. As the Bobcats worked out of the shotgun deep in thier own territory, a bad snap was recovered by Traison Lewis who ran four yards into the end zone to give Sacramento State a 14-7 advantage.

Sacramento State opened up its lead to 21-7 with 8:22 left in the first half as Leadingham connected with Amey on a 25-yard touchdown pass.

Lulay stopped the run with his second touchdown but Mole answered with an 87-yard TD run early in the third quarter. A Mitch Lively field goal and another Lulay TD made the score 31-21 at the end of the third quarter. Mole quickly added to the Hornet lead with a 50-yard touchdown 68 seconds into the final period.

Montana State made one last charge on a 24-yard run from Lulay.

• What a Return

After missing the last two games, Ryan Mole made an immediate impact in his return to the Hornet lineup. The true freshman earned national player of the week honors from The Sports Report.com and was named Co-Offensive Player of the Week by the Big Sky Conference for his effort against Montana State.

Mole rushed for a career-high 245 yards and two touchdowns and averaged 7.0 yards per carry on his 35 attempts. His first touchdown was an 87-yard dash down the sideline which was the second-longest touchdown run in school history. He later added a 50-yard scoring run.

His 245 rushing yards were the most by a Big Sky athlete this year and ranks as the eighth-best mark in school history. He also became just the sixth Hornet to rush for over 200 yards in a game, joining Charles Roberts (13 times), Rob Harrison (twice), Troy Mills (once), John Farley (once) and Tyronne Gross (once).

Mole is now averaging 95.7 yards per game in his seven contests this year and has three 100-yard games. He also has 670 rushing yards and has scored four touchdowns.

Earlier this season, Sacramento State’s Fred Amey was also named Co-Offensive Player of the Week. Defensive end Jacob Houston and cornerback Ramon Payne have each earned the Defensive Player of the Week award as well.

• Running Home

Through four games this year, the Hornets have posted three victories at home. That number guarnantees that the team will have a winning home record for the first time since going 3-2 in 2002.

One major factor in the success at Hornet Stadium can be attributed to the running game. Sacramento State is averaging 155.2 yards per game at home compared to just 40.8 on the road.

Defensively, the numbers are just as contrasting. The Hornets hold the opposition to 85.2 rushing yards while at home and allow 180.4 on the road.

• Mr. 3,000, Mr. 6,000

Against Montana State, Amey moved into exclusive company in I-AA history. The senior became just the second player to record 3,000 career receiving yards and 6,000 career all-purpose yards. He now has 3,800 receiving yards and 6,094 all-purpose yards. His all-purpose total ranks 12th in NCAA Div. I-AA history.

Javarus Dudley of Fordham (2000-03) is the only other player to match Amey. Dudley recorded 7,115 all-purpose yards and 4,197 receiving yards.

• Making the Grab

One week after setting the school record with 15 receptions against Eastern Washington, Amey grabbed eight passes for a season-best 165 yards against Montana State.

Over the last three games, Amey has caught 30 passes for 450 yards (150.0 yards per game. He also has grabbed three touchdowns during that stretch.

Amey’s 15 catches at EWU bettered Tom Powell’s mark of 14 which came against San Francisco State in 1968. The game also marked the second time during Amey’s illustrious career that he has grabbed at least 10 passes. His previous career high of 11 came against Northern Arizona in 2001.

Amey’s yardage total against MSU ranks as the 15th-best mark in school history. It was also the second-highest effort of his career. In his four years with the Hornets, the Union City, Calif., native has now recorded 14 100-yard games.

Below is a list of the top single-game reception marks in school history:

1. Fred Amey at Eastern Washington (10/30/04) 15

2. Tom Powell at San Francisco State (1968) 14

3. Alex Estrada vs. Southern Utah (11/11/95) 12

4. Fred Amey vs. Northern Arizona (11/10/01) 11

5. Eric Harrington at Cal State Northridge (10/16/93) 10

Lamont Webb at Northern Arizona (11/11/00) 10

7. Stephan Richardson at Eastern Washington (9/16/95) 9

Carlos Smith at Portland State (11/2/96) 9

Tyrone Taylor vs. Weber State (11/9/96) 9

Tyrone Taylor at Cal State Northridge (10/25/97) 9

Chris Kelly at Montana (9/11/99) 9

Fred Amey vs. Eastern Washington (10/25/03) 9

• Keeping It Going

Fred Amey was only able to fly below the radar for so long. After earning first team all-Big Sky Conference honors for the second-straight season, Amey was considered one of the best wide receivers in I-AA heading into 2004. In fact, Amey was a preseason second team All-American by Lindy’s magazine and was also listed as the third-best receiver in I-AA by The Sports Network.

In his first three years with the Hornets, Amey claimed the school’s career record for receiving yards (3,800), receptions (231) and touchdowns (26).

Last season, Amey became the first Hornet in school history to catch at least 50 passes in three-straight seasons. As a freshman, he had 54 grabs. He followed that season with a school-record 62 catches in 2002 and added 56 receptions in 2003. In a strange twist, he has had 989 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. As a sophomore, he needed 11 games to reach that total and only 10 as a junior while catching passes from three different QBs.

Another impressive statistic is Amey’s consistency. During his career, Amey has caught a pass in every game in which he has appeared (40).

This year, he leads the team with 937 receiving yards and is on pace for 1,145 yards. His current total is 692 yards better than the nearest Hornet (Ryan Coogler).

During the season, Amey will continue to move up the charts in NCAA Div. I-AA history. Below is a list of those players who are within reach for both career receiving yards and receptions.

NCAA I-AA Career Receptions

Player Rec. Needs

8. Sean Morey (Brown, 1995-98) 251 20

9. Eddie Berlin (Northern Iowa, 1997-2000) 249 18

10. Carl Morris (Harvard, 1999-2002) 245 14

Brian Foster (Rhode Island, 1983-85, 87) 245 14

12. Mike Furrey (Northern Iowa, 1997-99) 242 11

13. Mark Didio (Connecticut, 1988-91) 239 8

Drew Amerson (Cal St. Northridge, 1999-2001) 239 8

15. Rennie Benn (Lehigh, 1982-85) 237 6

16. Fred Amey (Sacramento State, 2001-pres.) 231 ---

NCAA I-AA Career Receiving Yards Yards Needs

1. Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State, 1981-84) 4,693 893

2. Jacquay Nunnally (Florida A&M, 1997-2000) 4,239 439

3. Javarus Dudley (Fordham, 2000-03) 4,197 397

4. Rich Musinski (William & Mary, 2000-03) 4,017 217

5. C.J. Johnson (Tennessee State, 2000-03) 3,903 103

6. Dedric Ward (Northern Iowa, 1993-96) 3,876 76

7. Sean Morey (Brown, 1995-98) 3,850 50

8. Kasey Dunn (Idaho, 1988-91) 3,847 47*

9. Fred Amey (Sacramento State, 2001-pres.) 3,800 ---

* Big Sky Conference record

• Sacks Keep Coming

With four sacks against the elusive Travis Lulay on Saturday, the 2004 Hornet defense set the school’s Div. I-AA-era record with 31 season sacks. The previous record of 30 came in 1995.

Against the Bobcats, junior Jacob Houston, once again, led the way with a pair of sacks. Freshman Brent Webber added another and Matt Logue and Walter Brock were each credited with a half.

With two games remaining, the defense is nine sacks away from reaching its preseason goal of 40. The overall school record of 53 came in 1986.

Individually, Jacob Houston leads the Big Sky, and is fifth in Div. I-AA, with 10 sacks. He is now tied for sixth in school single-season history and tied for ninth in career sacks. The single-season record of 12 is shared by Stuart Bailey (1986), Jason Sandel (1995) and Anthony Daisley (1999).

Earlier this year, Houston had three sacks against both Southern Utah and Weber State. Those marks are tied with Sandel and Daisley for the most in a single game since the program moved to Div. I-AA in 1995.

Just the Facts

• Junior Dustin Nicolodi earned his first start of the season against Montana State. The junior, who broke his leg during training camp, earned the start at center.

• Senior Traison Lewis recovered a fumble for a 4-yard touchdown in the first quarter and intercepted a pass in the second. However, the night ended poorly for Lewis who dislocated his shoulder for the fifth time this season. His status for this week’s game in unknown.

• Jimmy Ellingson was held to six tackles aganist Montana State. Ellingson has now been held under 10 tackles in back-to-back games for the first time this year. He leads the team with 101 tackles and is on pace to end the year with 123 stops, which would be the fourth most in school history.

• Redshirt freshman Nick Miller recorded four tackles agianst the Bobcats on special teams to earn the team’s special teams player of the week honor. Miller made three tackles on kickoffs and one on punt coverage.

• Punter Mitch Lively is one punt short of reaching the NCAA minimum of 3.6 per game. If eligible, Lively’s average of 44.2 yards per punt would rank fourth in Div. I-AA. Lively also raised his kickoff touchback total to 11.

• Lewis and Ellingson each intercepted a pass against Montana State. The Hornets have now picked off 10 passes in the last four games after not picking off a pass in the first five games.

• The tandem of true freshmen safeties Brett Shelton and Brent Webber have led the team in tackles in the last two games. Webber had 11 tackles at Eastern Washington while Shelton had 12 against Montana State.

• Cornerback Brandon Smith will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a kidney injury at Idaho State.

• After wearing gold for the past 40 years, Sacramento State is wearing green helmets in 2004.

A Look at the Grizzlies

• Montana enters this week’s game having won all five of its home games this season. The team’s last loss at Washington-Grizzly Stadium came last season against Western Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Div. I-AA playoffs on Nov. 29, 2003. The last regular-season home defeat came on Sept. 6, 2003 against North Dakota State (25-24).

• Senior Craig Ochs leads the Montana offense with 240.1 passing yards per game. Ochs’ top target has been Nevada Union HS graduate Jefferson Heidelberger who averages 89.1 yards per game.

• The Montana defense has intercepted 14 passes and recovered seven fumbles this year. The group is led by Shane MacIntyre who has a team-leading 63 tackles and is tied for the team lead with three sacks.

• The Series

Sacramento State has never defeated Montana and trails the all-time series, 9-0. The Grizzlies are the lone Big Sky team that the Hornets have not beaten.

• Who’s Up Next

Sacramento State will conclude its 2004 season against Cal Poly on Saturday, Nov. 20. The game against the Mustangs, who are currently ranked 18th, will kick off at 4:05 p.m. Prior to the contest, Sacramento State will honor its seniors who will be playing their final game.

• Big Sky Notes

Hornet running back Ryan Mole and Eastern Washington quarterback Erik Meyer were named co-Big Sky Conference Offensive Players of the Week. Mole rushed for a career-high 245 yards and two touchdowns to lead Sacramento State to a 38-28 win over Montana State. Meyer threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns to lead EWU to a 38-21 victory against Cal Poly.

EWU’s Brandon Keeler was named the Defensive Player of the Week after recording a team-high nine tackles along with an interception and a pass breakup. Keeler’s interception came in the end zone during the third quarter.

Montana kicker Dan Carpenter earned the award for a third time this season. Carpenter made field goals from 47 and 27 yards, made all four of his extra points and scored on a 14-yard fake field goal.

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