OFFENSE SCORES TWO LATE TOUCHDOWNS TO SECURE WIN IN GREEN-GOLD SCRIMMAGE

5/3/2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento State offense made the most of its goal-line offense, cashing in on a pair of Bryan Hilliard touchdowns in the final minutes of the annual Green-Gold Spring Game to claim a 25-22 win over the defense on Saturday at Hornet Stadium.

The sophomore running back punched the ball into the end zone from 2-yards out on both of his scores. The first touchdown came on the second play of a drive which started on the 8-yard line. The second came on fourth down after the defense had kept him out of the end zone on three previous attempts.

The defense recorded two turnovers to account for 12 of its 22 points. The first came when safety Dorian Brown made a diving interception in the middle of the field on a pass from Duncan White. The second came on fumble recovery after Kevin Davis jarred the ball loose from Hilliard.

The special teams also found the end zone during the scrimmage. Ben Chandler came around the end to block an Oscar Dealba punt and the ball was scooped up by Evander Wilkens who ran untouched into the end zone.

As expected, White and Mcleod Bethel-Thompson shared time at quarterback. Bethel-Thompson finished the scrimmage with eight completions on 14 attempts for 82 yards. White was 12-of-20 for 102 yards but was also intercepted.

Senior Tony Washington again proved to be the team’s top receiver. Washington led all players with seven receptions for 96 yards. His final four grabs were for at least 11 yards, including a 35-yarder from White. Hilliard and Dylan Lane each caught four passes while Wilkens added two receptions and tight ends Marc Lavey and Darnell Worthy each had one.

Due to injuries, Hilliard received all the carries in the backfield. The Laguna Creek HS graduate compiled 43 yards on 13 carries with a long of 12 yards.

The defense put constant pressure on the quarterback throughout the scrimmage and finished the day with four sacks. All-American Mike Brannon led the way with 1.5 sacks.

The scrimmage was the final practice of spring ball for the Hornets. The team will return to the fields during early August for the start of training camp. The team’s first game will be on Aug. 30 when it welcomes Humboldt State.