SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) — After going undefeated in the regular season, the Sacramento State Hornets begin their playoff run Saturday.
The Hornets will host the Richmond Spiders in the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Sac State enters the playoffs as the No. 2 seed while Richmond is seeded 13th.
The game is slated for a 2 p.m. kickoff from Hornet Stadium.
The Hornets are hosting a second-round game for the third straight fall season with the previous two times resulting in losses. Sac State was one-and-done in last year’s playoffs after losing 24-19 to South Dakota State.
In 2019, the Hornets lost 42-28 to Austin Peay. Sac State didn’t play a fall season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sacramento State is hoping for a better result this time around, as the team looks to start a run to the championship game in Frisco, Texas in January.
Before Saturday’s game, here’s a look at the Hornets’ 2022 regular season.
Undefeated conference champs
The Hornets set a school record for most victories in a season at 11 and claimed the first undefeated regular season record in program history at 11-0. Sac State also earned a share of the Big Sky Conference title, it’s third in many seasons the Hornets played.
In the Big Sky, the Hornets went 8-0 against conference opponents, but it wasn’t an easy task.
Sac State beat conference opponents by one score in four of their final five games including a 27-21 victory over rival UC Davis in the Causeway Classic, a victory that kept the Aggies out of the playoffs.
One of the Hornets’ most notable victories was a nail-biting 31-24 overtime win against the Montana Grizzlies at home in front of a national television audience on Oct. 22.
Idaho also proved to be a tough opponent for Sac State with the Hornets closing out the Vandals 31-28 at home on Oct. 29. Sac State also defeated Weber State 33-30 on the road on Nov. 5. All three of those teams were ranked inside the top 25 in the FCS and all qualified for the playoffs.
The Hornets finished the season as the second-ranked team in both of the FCS Stats Perform poll and the American Football Coaches Association poll.
Running back Cameron Skattebo was named the Big Sky Offensive MVP while defensive back Marte Mapu was the Defensive MVP and Hornets coach Troy Taylor was co-coach of the year.
A look at Richmond
The Richmond Spiders advance to the second round after downing Davidson 41-0 in the first round on Nov. 26.
The Spiders finished the regular season at 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Richmond is led by quarterback Reece Udinski, who threw for 3,398 yards, 26 touchdowns, and four interceptions while completing 75% of his passes. On the defensive side, defensive linemen Marlem Louis and Tristan Wheeler were a presence all season long for the Spiders.
Wheeler led the team in tackles at 105 while Louis had a team-high 12 tackles for loss and 7 ½ sacks.
