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FOOTBALL WELCOMES IDAHO STATE FOR HOMECOMING GAME ON SATURDAY 10/6/2009 What a difference a week makes. Facing a must-win situation last week, the Sacramento State football team responded with a 31-14 win at Portland State to earn its first victory of the season. This weekend, the Hornets will be looking for its second win in as many weeks when they host Idaho State on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2:05 p.m. The game will also serve as the University’s Homecoming game. There will be multiple ways to follow this week’s game. Hornet fans can tune in to KRJY 1240 AM to hear the radio call of Jason Ross, Steve McElroy and Danny Sullivan. Live audio streaming is also available via www.hornetsports.com. For the first time this season, Sacramento State will also be featured on BigSkyTV. org. The free package is available for all Big Sky football games as well as any non-conference contest hosted by Sacramento State. Against Portland State, the Sacramento State offense shined for the second straight week, posting a season high 31 points and compiling 398 yards of offense in a balanced attack. Jason Smith threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns and Terrance Dailey rushed for a season best 111 to help spark the attack. Defensively, the Hornets created three turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble) and limited the Vikings to minus-2 rushing yards while winning in Portland for the first time since 1985. This week’s game gives Sacramento State a chance to avenge last season’s 36-33 overtime loss at Holt Arena to ISU. The game gave Idaho State its only win of the season (1-11) and kept the Hornets from recording a winning record, leaving the team with a 6-6 overall record in 2008. In the game, the Bengals wracked up 525 yards of total offense and used numerous trick plays. Idaho State comes into this week’s game with an 0-5 overall record. The team has faced one of the toughest schedules in the FCS this season, facing Arizona State and Oklahoma as well as Big Sky powers Weber State and Eastern Washington. Sacramento State leads the all-time series, 7-6, and is 5-1 in home games played against the Bengals. ISU’s lone win in Sacramento came in 2005. A LOOK AT THE HORNETS POW: Heath Earns Big Sky Honor Sacramento State punter Augie Heath was named the Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. The honor is the first for Heath during his Hornet career. In the Hornets’ 31-14 win at Portland State on Saturday, Heath punted seven times and averaged 43.0 yards per punt. Five of his seven punts were downed inside the Vikings’ 20-yard line, including one at the 4-yard line which helped seal the win in the fourth quarter. The Chico, Calif., native also had a career long 51-yard punt during the game and finished the contest with a net average of 38.6 yards. Heath is currently in his first season at Sacramento State. Last year, he helped lead Butte College to the national JC title and served as the team’s kicker and punter. The last Sacramento State player to be named the Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week was punter Mitch Lively in 2006. Dailey Grind Sacramento State started the season with five running backs battling for playing time at the position. At Portland State, that number dropped to two as Terrance Dailey and Sam McCowan were the only two running backs to make the trip. The depth at the position has been decimated by injury as Kenslow Smith (shoulder) and Jake Croxdale (hand) will each miss the rest of the season. Evander Wilkins joined the injured list last week with a hamstring strain but is expected to be back on the field against Idaho State. Dailey was able to take advantage of the increased playing time, rushing for a season high 111 yards and scoring his first touchdown. The sophomore also picked up his first collegiate victory following an 0-12 campaign with Washington last season and losing his first three games with the Hornets. Dailey entered the game against the Vikings with 30 carries on the year for 142 yards. He doubled his attempts with 34 rushes against PSU and earned his second 100-yard game of the season (101 at UNLV). The five players at running back does not include Bryan Hilliard who will redshirt this season following surgery on both of his shoulders during the offseason. Hilliard’s absence will be appreciated by Idaho State as he has compiled 514 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in two career meetings. Career Day for CC Through the first three games of the season, Sacramento State recorded four sacks. Against Portland State, the Hornets added four more, including a career high three from defensive end Christian Clark. Unlike previous seasons where Portland State was prone to giving up sacks, the Hornet pass rush was successful against a team which entered the game tied for allowing the 14th fewest sacks in the FCS this season. Clark’s 3.0 sacks were not only a career high, but tie him for the third most by a Sacramento State player in the school’s Div. I-AA/FCS era. The school record of 3.5 is shared by Tyson Butler and Mike Brannon. Hit Me With Your Best Shott John Hendershott became the second Sacramento State receiver to surpass 100 receiving yards in as many weeks when he caught five passes for 117 yards at Portland State. Hendershott’s effort came one week after fellow junior college transfer Brandyn Reed amassed 140 yards against Eastern Washington. Hendershott’s yardage total moved him into the team lead and he is now tied for most receptions. In four games, he has caught 15 passes for 244 yards and is averaging 16.3 yards per reception. Dylan Lane also has 15 receptions while Reed has 243 yards. Against the Vikings, Hendershott also returned a pair of kickoffs, including one for 26 yards. Hendershott’s path to Sacramento State is an interesting journey. After prepping at high school powerhouse De La Salle, he spent two seasons at Diablo Valley JC where he earned All-America honors. This past spring, he signed with Utah State and spent the semester with the Aggies. However, a change of heart brought him back to Northern California and he joined the Hornets over the summer. Victory Lane Jason Smith’s favorite target at Portland State was junior Dylan Lane who caught seven passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns — all of which were career highs. Lane had touchdowns of 9 and 5 yards and nearly missed a third when he was ruled out of bounds at the 4-yard line, setting up Dailey’s 2-yard dash. The Rocklin, Calif., native’s previous career highs were six receptions for 54 yards. He had also scored a single touchdown in four games during his Lane is easily the most experienced receiver on the team as he enters this week with 58 career receptions for 549 yards. The next active player on the team has 15 receptions. A Look at the Bengals • Idaho State has been outscored 229-45 in its opening five games. Aside from playing Arizona State and No. 13 Oklahoma, the Bengals have also met the FCS’ Nos. 13 (Weber State) and 17 (EWU) teams as well as #5 Central Washington of Div. II. • Despite 140 rushing attempts, ISU has just 83 rushing yards on the season and has set to rush for a touchdown. The team is averaging 16.6 rushing yards per game and has been sacked 16 times for a loss of 111 yards. • Linebacker A.J. Storms leads the team with 59 total tackles, including 3.0 for loss. Storms has also seen time on offense where he has one rush attempt for nine yards. Big Sky Notes • Montana State’s Aaron Mason was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week following the team’s win at Weber State. The defensive honor was shared by MSU’s Michael Rider and Northern Arizona’s Isaac Bond. The Hornets’ Augie Heath took home the special teams award.