After an hour and forty-five-minute weather delay, the Weber State University Wildcat football team lost to the California State University, Sacramento Hornets in a game in which heavy rain and wind played a huge factor.
After starting quarterback Jackson Gilkey broke his leg against the University of California, Davis on Sept. 27, along with backup quarterback Cash McCollum breaking his hand at practice prior to the Butler University game on Sept. 20, third-string quarterback Dijon Jennings made his first career start against the Hornets.
Sacramento started with the ball, but the Wildcat defense forced a punt after a three-and-out. Weber got the ball, but an overthrown ball by Jennings on third down led to a punt of their own.
After another three-and-out by the Hornets, the Wildcats drove down the field in a drive that looked promising, but after Jennings missed senior receiver Marvin Session in the end zone, senior kicker Sloan Calder came out and hit a 52-yard field goal, which was his career long.
Sacramento State came back out and drove down the field, with big runs from junior quarterback Cardell Williams. Williams’s 10-yard rushing touchdown gave the Hornets a 7–3 lead at the end of the quarter.
In the second, Weber struggled to get yards, leading to a punt, but sophomore punter Henry Way’s attempt barely went off his foot, leading to the Hornets getting the ball at Weber State’s 14-yard line.
The Hornets took advantage and scored, giving them a 14–3 lead. The teams traded drives until Sac State got the ball back and Williams scored another rushing touchdown, this one 51 yards, making it 21–3.
On their next drive, the Wildcats ran the ball well, and helped by costly penalties by the Hornets, scored with a rushing touchdown from Jennings. Making the score 21–10 with four minutes left in the half.
On the next Hornet drive, they scored another touchdown, making it 28–10 at the half.
The Wildcats received the ball at half, but after a negative run and a sack, the Hornets got the ball back and scored yet another touchdown, making it 35–10.
The Wildcats then drove down to the Hornets’ 31-yard line but had to settle for a field goal, which Calder hit from 48 yards out to make it 35–13.
After stopping the Hornets, the Wildcats scored on a touchdown pass from Jennings to sophomore running back Chauncey Sylvester to make it 35–20 to end the quarter.
However, the Hornets responded, driving all the way down the field, culminating in yet another Williams rushing touchdown, his third of the game, making the game 41–20.
On the next drive, Jennings found senior tight end Noah Bennee, who outjumped two Hornet defenders to come down with the ball on the Sac State 5-yard line. On the next play, Sylvester found the edge and scored his second touchdown to make it 41–27 with less than nine minutes left.
However, on the following kickoff, Hornet kick returner Rodney Hammond Jr. ran the kickoff back 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Hornets a 47–27 lead.
The Wildcats were unable to do anything on the following drive, getting stopped on fourth down. The Hornets drove down the field and scored another touchdown to finish the game off with a 55–27 win.
The Hornets’ running game was dominant, with three players rushing for over 100 yards.
Jennings finished with 157 passing yards and one touchdown on the day, while Sylvester finished with 137 yards from scrimmage and two total touchdowns.
“Every day, I don’t always feel 100, but I know I’m going to have to prepare myself for Saturdays,” Sylvester said. “It feels good to get back out there and get back into the groove of things. I just always stay ready for opportunities like this”.
Earlier in the week, Head Coach Mickey Mental stated that both Jennings and backup quarterback Kingston Tisdell would play, but Tisdell did not see the field.
“I didn’t want to put Kingston in a bad situation. Gave Dijon the first quarter, and then we’re going against the wind with heavy rain. I don’t think it’s fair to that kid, to throw him in a situation like that,” Mental said.
The Wildcats will next travel to Portland, Oregon, to take on the Portland State University Vikings on Oct. 18 at 3 p.m.
