| 2025 Sacramento State Hornets football | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Conference | Big Sky Conference |
| Record | 7–5 (5–3 Big Sky) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Ken Merchant (1st season) |
| Co-offensive coordinator | A. C. Patterson (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Go-Go [1] |
| Defensive coordinator | Marcus Patton (1st season) |
| Co-defensive coordinator | Josh Brown (1st season) |
| Base defense | 4–2–5 |
| Home stadium | Hornet Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Montana State $^ | 8 | – | 0 | 14 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 Montana ^ | 7 | – | 1 | 13 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 UC Davis ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sacramento State | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho State | 5 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Arizona | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Washington | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal Poly | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Colorado | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weber State | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portland State | 1 | – | 7 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2025 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento during the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Big Sky Conference. They were led by Brennan Marion in his first and only season as head coach and played their home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.
A realignment to the FBS was announced in 2025, but the NCAA Football Oversight Committee denied a recommendation ahead of a Division I Council vote. [2] The vote later officially denied the waiver. [3] In February 2026, it was announced that the Hornets would join the Mid-American Conference (MAC) at the FBS level as a football-only member beginning with the 2026 season. [4] [5]
| Player | Position | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| Evan Kiely | K | Boise State |
| Jason Auzenne | WR/RB | College of San Mateo |
| Phoenix Rose | DB | College of San Mateo |
| Kyle Stahlecker | DE | Eastern Washington |
| Carson Conklin | QB | Fresno State |
| Zelmar Vedder | DB | Houston |
| Tommy Poe | WR | Idaho State |
| Davion Ross | S | Idaho State |
| Devin Gandy | WR | Louisiana Tech |
| Elijah Tau-Tolliver | RB | Michigan State |
| Spencer Patton | DT | Montana Tech |
| Murvin Kenion III | DB | Nevada |
| Joey Wright | OL | Nevada |
| Darren Burton II | DB | New Hampshire |
| Tyler Henry | DL | North Dakota |
| Jackson Lataimua | DB | North Texas |
| Danny Scudero | WR | San Jose State |
| AJ Campos | LS | San Jose State |
| Mason Brosseau | DT | South Dakota State |
| Coleman Kuntz | TE | South Dakota State |
| Carson Camp | QB | Southeastern Louisiana |
| Nathan Mejia | OL | Stanford |
| Jayden Davis | S | Western Michigan |
| Jayden Weber | WR | Unknown |
| Mekhei Byrd | WR | Unknown |
| Ezra Moleni | RB | Unknown |
| Jayden Flaig | TE | Unknown |
| Diego Davis | LB | Withdrawn |
| Player | Position | Previous school |
|---|---|---|
| Connor McDowell | LS | Angelo State |
| Donovan Haslam | OL | Austin Peay |
| Jekob Jones | LB | Cal Poly |
| Jordan Herman | OL | Charlotte |
| Damian Henderson II | RB | Colorado State |
| Jordan Williams | TE | Colorado State |
| Malik Tullis | DL | Eastern Michigan |
| Melvin Swindle II | DL | Eastern Michigan |
| Jaden Rashada | QB | Georgia |
| Darren Burton II | DB | Hampton |
| Jayden Davis | DB | Idaho State |
| Chase Brackney | DL | Iowa |
| Jamar Curtis | RB | Lafayette |
| James Jones | RB | Louisiana–Monroe |
| Dylan Gooden | DE | Maryland |
| Itayvion Brown | DE | Michigan State |
| James Gillespie | DT | Middle Tennessee |
| Miles Bailey | DL | Murray State |
| Brodie Tagaloa | DL | Nebraska |
| Savion Red | RB | Nevada |
| Kristopher Ross | DE | Nevada |
| Ikaika Ragsdale | WR | North Texas |
| Grant Meadors | K | Oregon |
| Jordan Anderson | WR | Oregon State |
| Rodney Hammond | RB | Pittsburgh |
| Logan Tanner | TE | San Diego State |
| Dean Abdullah | TE | San Diego State |
| Dylan Hampsten | DE | San Jose State |
| Gavin Thomson | WR | Saint Francis |
| Mikey Henderson | WR | Tarleton State |
| Ernest Campbell | WR | Texas A&M |
| Syncere Massey | DL | Texas Southern |
| Deven Wright | DE | Texas State |
| Cardell Williams | QB | Tulsa |
| Ricky Lee III | DB | UAB |
| Agiye Hall | WR | UCF |
| Joseph Firebaugh Jr. | K | UCLA |
| Davis Ambuehl | TE | UNLV |
| Timothy Conerly | WR | UNLV |
| Brennon Scott | LB | UNLV |
| Damien McDaniel | WR | UNLV |
| Sammy Norris | FB | UNLV |
| Keith Conley | DL | UNLV |
| Bear Tenney | TE | Utah |
| Oscar Moore | DB | UTEP |
| Jace Wilson | WR | UTSA |
| Sam Adams II | RB | Washington |
| Jackson Lataimua | DB | Washington State |
| Warren Smith | DB | Washington State |
| Taison Fa’asuamanu | LB | West Liberty |
| Name | New Position | Previous Team | Previous Position | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brennan Marion | Head coach | UNLV | Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks | [11] |
| Kenneth Merchant | Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks | UNLV | Offensive analyst | [12] |
| AC Patterson | Co-offensive coordinator/Running backs | Portland State | Assistant head coach/Offensive coordinator/Running backs | [12] |
| Marcus Patton | Defensive coordinator | Colorado State | Cornerbacks | [12] |
| Josh Brown | Co-defensive coordinator/Linebackers | McNeese | Co-defensive coordinator/Safeties | [12] |
| Darrin Walls | Defensive pass game coordinator/Cornerbacks | Albany | Co-defensive coordinator/Cornerbacks | [12] |
| Rob Wenger | Special teams | Minnesota | Special teams/Rush ends | [12] |
| Robbie Bell | Tight ends | Georgia Tech | Offensive line quality control | [12] |
| Nathan Kenion | Safeties | Diablo Valley | Defensive coordinator | [12] |
| Sidhart Krishnamurthi | Wide receivers | San Jose State | Offensive quality control | [12] |
| Ed McGilvra | Defensive line | College of the Canyons | Defensive line | [12] |
| Jake Vang | Edge rushers | Colorado State | Defensive analyst | [12] |
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 30 | 4:00 p.m. | at No. 3 South Dakota State * | No. 15 | ESPN+ | L 3–20 | 19,163 | |
| September 6 | 2:00 p.m. | at Nevada * | No. 18 | KNSN-TV | L 17–20 | 20,535 | |
| September 13 | 6:00 p.m. | Mercyhurst * | No. 21 | ESPN+ | W 49–28 | 12,231 | |
| September 20 | 6:00 p.m. | Central Arkansas * | No. 24 |
| ESPN+ | W 45–16 | 13,253 |
| September 27 | 6:00 p.m. | Cal Poly | No. 21 |
| ESPN+ | L 24–32 | 15,016 |
| October 11 | 5:00 p.m. | at Weber State | ESPN+ | W 55–27 | 2,126 | ||
| October 18 | 6:00 p.m. | Northern Colorado |
| ESPN+ | W 40–35 | 20,022 | |
| October 24 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 4 Montana |
| ESPN2 | L 35–49 | 16,816 | |
| November 1 | 1:00 p.m. | at Eastern Washington | ESPN+ | W 35–13 | 4,356 | ||
| November 8 | 2:00 p.m. | at Portland State | ESPN+ | W 52–24 | 1,284 | ||
| November 15 | 6:00 p.m. | Idaho |
| ESPN+ | W 23–20 | 15,467 | |
| November 22 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 15 UC Davis | ESPN+ | L 27–31 | 14,590 | ||
| |||||||
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 15 Hornets | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 3 Jackrabbits | 3 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Game information |
|---|
No scoring plays.
|
| Statistics | SAC | SDST |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 7 | 28 |
| Total yards | 131 | 430 |
| Rushes–yards | 24–24 | 56–240 |
| Passing yards | 107 | 190 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 11–27–1 | 17–23–0 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 18:54 | 41:06 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento State | Passing | Jaden Rashada | 11/27, 107 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Rodney Hammond Jr. | 6 carries, 12 yards | |
| Receiving | Jordan Anderson | 4 receptions, 49 yards | |
| South Dakota State | Passing | Chase Mason | 17/23, 190 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Julius Loughridge | 22 carries, 159 yards | |
| Receiving | Lofton O'Groske | 5 receptions, 76 yards |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 18 Hornets | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Wolf Pack (FBS) | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Mackay Stadium • Reno, NV
| Game information |
|---|
No scoring plays.
|
| Statistics | SAC | NEV |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 23 |
| Total yards | 371 | 413 |
| Rushes–yards | 41–146 | 48–269 |
| Passing yards | 225 | 144 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14–19–1 | 12–21–2 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 27:14 | 32:42 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento State | Passing | Cardell Williams | 11/13, 158 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Jamar Curtis | 8 carries, 37 yards | |
| Receiving | Ernest Campbell | 3 receptions, 89 yards, TD | |
| Nevada | Passing | Chubba Purdy | 12/21, 144 yards, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Chubba Purdy | 21 carries, 115 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Marcus Bellon | 2 receptions, 59 yards |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakers | 10 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 28 |
| No. 21 Hornets | 7 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 49 |
at Hornet Stadium • Sacramento, CA
| Statistics | MERC | SAC |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercyhurst | Passing | Adam Urena | 27/44, 280 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Brian Trobel | 10 carries, 62 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Joe Kerbacher | 4 receptions, 61 yards | |
| Sacramento State | Passing | Cardell Williams | 8/17, 176 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Damian Henderson II | 12 carries, 98 yards, 3 TD | |
| Receiving | Ernest Campbell | 2 receptions, 78 yards, TD |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 16 |
| No. 24 Hornets | 21 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 45 |
at Hornet Stadium • Sacramento, CA
| Statistics | CARK | SAC |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Arkansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Sacramento State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustangs | 18 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 32 |
| No. 21 Hornets | 7 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
at Hornet Stadium • Sacramento, CA
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | CP | SAC |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 20 |
| Total yards | 381 | 426 |
| Rushing yards | 178 | 230 |
| Passing yards | 203 | 196 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–27–0 | 12–31–3 |
| Time of possession | 31:42 | 28:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | Passing | Bo Kelly | 17/27, 203 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Tyrei Washington | 22 rushes, 113 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Jordan Garrison | 4 receptions, 73 yards, 2 TD | |
| Sacramento State | Passing | Cardell Williams | 10/24, 164 yards, TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Rodney Hammond Jr. | 19 rushes, 105 yards | |
| Receiving | Ernest Campbell | 3 receptions, 91 yards, TD |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornets | 7 | 21 | 7 | 20 | 55 |
| Wildcats | 3 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
at Stewart Stadium • Ogden, UT
| Statistics | SAC | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Weber State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Hornets | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at Hornet Stadium • Sacramento, CA
| Statistics | UNCO | SAC |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Sacramento State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Grizzlies | 7 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
| Hornets | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
at Hornet Stadium • Sacramento, CA
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | MONT | SAC |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 24 |
| Total yards | 385 | 478 |
| Rushing yards | 161 | 141 |
| Passing yards | 224 | 337 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–25–1 | 26–33–1 |
| Time of possession | 25:55 | 34:05 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | Passing | Keali'i Ah Yat | 16/24, 196 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Michael Wortham | 7 carries, 89 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Michael Wortham | 5 receptions, 80 yards, TD | |
| Sacramento State | Passing | Cardell Williams | 25/32, 332 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Rodney Hammond Jr. | 12 carries, 54 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Ernest Campbell | 9 receptions, 206 yards, TD |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornets | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Eagles | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at Roos Field • Cheney, WA
| Statistics | SAC | EWU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Eastern Washington | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornets | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Vikings | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at Hillsboro Stadium • Hillsboro, OR
| Statistics | SAC | PRST |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Portland State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vandals | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Hornets | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at Hornet Stadium • Sacramento, CA
| Statistics | IDHO | SAC |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Sacramento State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornets | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| No. 15 Aggies | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at UC Davis Health Stadium • Davis, CA
| Statistics | SAC | UCD |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| UC Davis | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
| Week | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 15 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 21 | RV | RV | RV | RV | ||||||
| Coaches | 14 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 21 | RV | — | RV | RV | ||||||