2023 Sacramento State Hornets football team

The 2023 Sacramento State Hornets football team will represent California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Andy Thompson, the Hornets play home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

2023 Sacramento State Hornets football
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Ranking
STATSNo. 6
FCS CoachesNo. 7
Record5–2 (2–2 Big Sky)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBobby Fresques (1st season)
Home stadiumHornet Stadium
(capacity: 21,195)
2023 Big Sky Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 2 Montana State  4 –0   6 –1  
No. 7 Montana  3 –1   6 –1  
No. 9 Idaho  3 –1   5 –2  
Idaho State  3 –1   3 –4  
No. 6 Sacramento State  2 –2   5 –2  
Portland State  2 –2   3 –4  
No. 25 UC Davis  2 –2   4 –3  
Northern Arizona  2 –2   2 –5  
Eastern Washington  2 –2   3 –4  
Weber State  1 –4   3 –5  
Cal Poly  1 –4   3 –5  
Northern Colorado  0 –4   0 –7  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll

Previously the Hornets' defensive coordinator for four seasons under Troy Taylor, Thompson was promoted in December 2022 after Taylor left for Stanford University.[1]

Preseason

Polls

On July 23, 2023, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Hornets were predicted to finish third in the Big Sky by the coaches and fourth by the media.[2]

Coaches poll
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Montana State 120 (10)
2 UC Davis 96 (1)
3 Sacramento State 94 (1)
4 Weber State 91
5 Idaho 89
6 Montana 84
7 Eastern Washington 52
8 Portland State 45
9 Northern Arizona 44
10 Northern Colorado 37
11 Cal Poly 25
12 Idaho State 15
Media poll
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Montana State 447 (26)
2 Idaho 410 (8)
3 Montana 359 (2)
4 Sacramento State 334 (3)
5 UC Davis 330
6 Weber State 320
7 Eastern Washington 216
8 Northern Arizona 178
9 Portland State 167
10 Northern Colorado 109
11 Cal Poly 103
12 Idaho State 69

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 314:00 p.m.at Nicholls*No. 10
ESPN+W 38–24  5,134
September 97:00 p.m.Texas A&M–Commerce*No. 9
KMAX-TV/ESPN+W 34–612,316
September 165:00 p.m.at Stanford*No. 8
P12NW 30–2323,848
September 231:00 p.m.at No. 7 IdahoNo. 4
KMAX-TV/ESPN+L 27–36  9,433
September 306:00 p.m.Northern ArizonaNo. 8
  • Hornet Stadium
  • Sacramento, CA
KMAX-TV/ESPN+W 31–3012,549
October 1412:00 p.m.at Northern ColoradoNo. 4
ESPN+W 21–134,783
October 217:30 p.m.No. 2 Montana StateNo. 3
  • Hornet Stadium
  • Sacramento, CA
ESPN2L 30–4216,122
October 286:00 p.m.Idaho StatedaggerNo. 6
  • Hornet Stadium
  • Sacramento, CA
KMAX-TV/ESPN+
November 45:00 p.m.at Montana
KMAX-TV/ESPN+
November 112:00 p.m.Cal Poly
  • Hornet Stadium
  • Sacramento, CA
KMAX-TV/ESPN+
November 182:00 p.m.at UC Davis
ESPN+
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Pacific time

[3][4]

Conference opponents not scheduled this season: Eastern Washington, Portland State, Weber State

Game summaries

at Nicholls
See also: 2023 Nicholls Colonels football team
No. 10 Sacramento State Hornets (0–0) at Nicholls Colonels (0–0)
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 10 Hornets 7 10 71438
Colonels 0 3 71424

at Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium, Thibodaux, LA

  • Date: August 31, 2023
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Sunny
  • Game attendance: 5,134
  • Referee: James Brookhard
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Play-by-Play: Jack Benjamin • Analysis: Wayde Keiser
  • Sources:[5][6]
Game information
StatisticsSACNICH
First downs2218
Total yards441293
Rushing yards18597
Passing yards256196
Passing: Comp–Att–Int16–27–115–29–1
Time of possession33:1126:49
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Sacramento StatePassingKaiden Bennett11/16, 221 yards, 2 TD
RushingMarcus Fulcher19 carries, 71 yards, 2 TD
ReceivingDevin Gandy3 receptions, 82 yards
NichollsPassingPat McQuaide15/29, 196 yards, TD, INT
RushingCollin Guggenheim16 carries, 74 yards
ReceivingTerry Matthews1 reception, 84 yards

Texas A&M–Commerce
See also: 2023 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team
Texas A&M–Commerce Lions (0–1) at No. 9 Sacramento State Hornets (1–0)
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 6 006
No. 9 Hornets 10 17 7034

at Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, CA

  • Date: September 9, 2023
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C) • NE 7 mph • Sunny
  • Game attendance: 12,316
  • Referee: Scott Root
  • TV announcers (KMAX-TV/ESPN+): Play-by-Play: Jason Ross • Analysis: Darren Arbet
  • Sources:[7][8]
Game information
StatisticsTAMCSAC
First downs1328
Total yards216503
Rushing yards144311
Passing yards72192
Passing: Comp–Att–Int13–27–117–26–1
Time of possession29:0830:52
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Texas A&M–CommercePassingPeter Parrish12/25, 63 yards, INT
RushingReggie Branch14 carries, 65 yards
ReceivingMicaelous Elder6 receptions, 33 yards
Sacramento StatePassingKaiden Bennett14/22, 176 yards, TD, INT
RushingKaiden Bennett10 carries, 101 yards, 2 TD
ReceivingColeman Kuntz4 receptions, 68 yards

at Stanford
See also: 2023 Stanford Cardinal football team
No. 8 Sacramento State Hornets (2–0) at Stanford Cardinal (1–1)
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 8 Hornets 3 14 31030
Cardinal 7 7 3623

at Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA

  • Date: September 16, 2023
  • Game time: 5:00 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) • W 15 mph • Sunny
  • Game attendance: 23,848
  • Referee: Justin Elliott
  • TV announcers (P12N): Play-by-Play: Elise Woodward • Analysis: Greg Camarillo
  • Sources:[9][10][11]
Game information
StatisticsSACSTAN
First downs2318
Total yards448387
Rushing yards169180
Passing yards279207
Passing: Comp–Att–Int21–33–211–24–2
Time of possession30:5729:03
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Sacramento StatePassingKaiden Bennett21/33, 279 yards, TD, 2 INT
RushingKaiden Bennett13 carries, 100 yards, TD
ReceivingDevin Gandy5 receptions, 64 yards
StanfordPassingJustin Lamson7/17, 138 yards, INT
RushingE. J. Smith9 carries, 71 yards
ReceivingElic Ayomanor4 receptions, 89 yards, TD

at No. 7 Idaho
See also: 2023 Idaho Vandals football team
No. 4 Sacramento State Hornets (3–0) at No. 7 Idaho Vandals (2–1) – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 4 Hornets 3 7 71027
No. 7 Vandals 3 10 14936

at Kibbie Dome, Moscow, ID

  • Date: September 23, 2023
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Sunny, Indoors
  • Game attendance: 9,433
  • Referee: Jake Iverson
  • TV announcers (KMAX-TV/ESPN+): Play-by-Play: Dennis Patchin • Analysis: Ryan Phillips
  • Sources:[12][13]
Game information
StatisticsSACIDHO
First downs1821
Total yards305412
Rushing yards69178
Passing yards236234
Passing: Comp–Att–Int15–29–015–21–0
Time of possession21:2138:39
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Sacramento StatePassingKaiden Bennett15/29, 236 yards, 2 TD
RushingMarcus Fulcher10 carries, 44 yards, TD
ReceivingJared Gipson3 receptions, 91 yards
IdahoPassingGevani McCoy15/21, 234 yards, 2 TD
RushingAnthony Woods24 carries, 117 yards, TD
ReceivingHayden Hatten7 receptions, 72 yards

Northern Arizona
See also: 2023 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (1–3) at No. 8 Sacramento State Hornets (3–1) – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Lumberjacks 7 14 7230
No. 8 Hornets 14 10 0731

at Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, CA

  • Date: September 30, 2023
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C) • 0 mph • Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 12,549
  • Referee: Gregg Wilson
  • TV announcers (KMAX-TV/ESPN+): Play-by-Play: Jason Ross • Analysis: Darren Arbet
  • Sources:[14][15]
Game information
StatisticsNAUSAC
First downs2125
Total yards450418
Rushing yards195161
Passing yards255257
Passing: Comp–Att–Int24–34–118–27–0
Time of possession30:1329:47
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Northern ArizonaPassingAdam Damante23/33, 196 yards, TD, INT
RushingDevon Starling21 carries, 117 yards, 2 TD
ReceivingElijah Taylor2 receptions, 73 yards
Sacramento StatePassingKaiden Bennett18/27, 257 yards, TD
RushingKaiden Bennett22 carries, 76 yards
ReceivingJared Gipson5 receptions, 108 yards




at Northern Colorado
See also: 2023 Northern Colorado Bears football team
No. 4 Sacramento State Hornets (4–1) at Northern Colorado Bears (0–5) – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 4 Hornets 0 0 000
Bears 0 0 000

at Nottingham Field • Greeley, CO

  • Date: October 14, 2023
  • Game attendance: 4,783
  • TV: ESPN+

vs No. 2 Montana State
See also: 2023 Montana State Bobcats football team

vs Idaho State
See also: 2023 Idaho State Bengals football team

at Montana
See also: 2023 Montana Grizzlies football team

vs Cal Poly
See also: 2023 Cal Poly Mustangs football team

at UC Davis
See also: 2023 UC Davis Aggies football team and Causeway Classic

Ranking movements
See also: 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
( ) = First place votes.
Week
PollPre123456789101112Final
STATS FCS10984 (1)84436
Coaches886497547

References
  1. Dapper, Michelle (December 16, 2022). "Sacramento State football welcomes Andy Thompson as new head coach". KCRA. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  2. "Montana State Tabbed Preseason Football Favorites". July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  3. "2023 Sacramento State Football Schedule". FBSchedules. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  4. "2023 Football Schedule - Sacramento State". Sacramento State Athletics. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  5. "Football vs Nicholls on 8/31/2023 - Box Score - Sacramento State". August 31, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  6. "Football Starts Season With 38–24 Road Win At Nicholls". August 31, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  7. "Football vs Texas A&M - Commerce on 9/9/2023 - Box Score - Sacramento State". September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  8. "Football Rolls To 34–6 Win Over Texas A&M–Commerce". September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  9. "Football vs Stanford on 9/16/2023 - Box Score - Sacramento State". September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  10. "Football Takes Down Stanford, 30–23, Behind Late Touchdown". September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  11. "Sacramento State stuns former coach Troy Taylor in 30–23 win at Stanford". ESPN. September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  12. "Football vs Idaho on 9/23/2023 - Box Score - Sacramento State". September 23, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  13. "Football Has Streak Snapped With Loss At No. 7 Idaho". September 23, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  14. "Football vs Northern Arizona on 9/30/2023 - Box Score - Sacramento State". September 30, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  15. "Football Holds On For 31–30 Home Victory Over Northern Arizona". September 30, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
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