Quarterback Ryan Leadingham

Sacramento State (1-3, 0-1 in Big Sky play) wasted little time getting on the board. On the Hornets’ first drive of the game, sophomore quarterback Ryan Leadingham connected with tight end Caleb Jones on a 12-yard strike to jump out to an early 7-0 lead. The TD pass was the first career reception for Jones.

An ISU fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave the Hornets the ball back on the 17-yard line. Five plays later, Leadingham hit sophomore receiver Fred Amey in the back left corner of the end zone to give the Hornets a 14-0 lead just five minutes into the game.

Following an Idaho State score in the first minute of the second quarter, Sacramento State’s Bret Levier connected on a 41-yard field goal – the longest of his career – to increase the Hornet lead to 17-6. A pair of ISU scores in the final 5:17 of the second period (a 47-yard Jeremy Hershey field goal and an 11-yard TD pass from Doug Baugham to Sale Key with just five seconds remaining in the half) pulled the Bengals to within two points (17-15) at the intermission.

Idaho State (2-2, 1-1 in the Big Sky) started the second half much in the same fashion as the Hornets had in the first. A 24-yard touchdown strike from Baughman to Jermain Anderson coupled with an Issac Mitchell three-yard TD run following a Leadingham interception gave the Bengals a 29-17 lead just 4:59 into the third quarter.

Sacramento State responded with a bit of trickery to narrow the gap midway through the third quarter. Kenan Smith, taking a backward pass from Leadingham on the Sacramento State 48-yard line, completed his first career touchdown pass to Amey for a 52-yard TD strike with 6:57 remaining in the period.

Both defenses tightened at that point, keeping each other off the scoreboard until Hershey connected on a 27-yard field goal for the Bengals with 1:16 remaining in the fourth quarter. A pair of Hornet drives that went deep into ISU territory ended on Sacramento State fumbles and quashed any hopes of retaking the lead late in the game.

The Hornets final drive of the game ended when Leadingham’s 53-yard Hail Mary pass was knocked down on the one-yard line with no time remaining on the clock.

Leadingham finished the game with 257 passing yards, two TDs and an interception while completing 20-of-35 passes. Amey led the receiving corps for the third-straight week, hauling in eight catches for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Eric Broden led the Hornet defense with three tackles for loss and one-and-a-half sacks.

Sacramento State returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 5, when they take on the UC Davis Aggies in the 49th-annual Causeway Classic. This year’s contest, which will be played at Hughes Stadium on the Sacramento City College campus, is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff.