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2011 Recap - Part 1 of 4 - General Overview

SDHornet

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2011 Recap - Part 1 of 4 - General Overview

It’s that time again. Yes, time for my 3rd annual Hornet football season recap. Just like last year I will be recapping the season with a 4 part series detailing the 2011 Hornet football season and breaking down each area of the team. A few people read this thing last year so I figured I would do it again to keep us Hornet fans entertained and informed about our current standing. Keep in mind I have only online sources to go off of as well as my drunken recollection of games I was able to see/listen to so there may be some things I overlook. Please don’t hesitate to point any errors and/or mistakes out. I was hoping to get this started last week but holiday travel delayed this a week. I’ll also try to roll out one part every week but it’s looking like some work travel might throw a wrench in the cogs so keep an eye out for the following parts as they may be posted rather sporadically.

The Hornets came into the season with high expectations following a 2010 season that left off with a lot of promise. With Coach Sperbeck entering his 5th season at the helm and a roster loaded with seniors, the Hornets had their sights on challenging for the BSC Championship and a FCS playoff berth. Unfortunately the Hornets had anything but a smooth offseason as some coaching changes were made on the defensive side of the ball, the newly promoted offensive coordinator was hired away to an FBS program, and the tragic death of the strength and conditioning coach surrounded the program with turmoil and distraction. Regardless of the changes, fans still expected this program to elevate to the next level and it looked like that would be the case early on. However the 2011 season played out like a roller coaster with the season ending in a resounding nosedive ending in embarrassment and disappointment. Coach Sperbeck is now left picking up the pieces from a season once filled with promise and left with the task of rejuvenating the Hornet football program.

Weekly Review

Week 1
The Hornets traveled to Corvallis, Oregon to receive a paycheck and give the Oregon State Beavers a small challenge in their search of a Pac-12 Championship. Needless to say the Beavers overlooked a feisty Hornets squad who rolled into town expecting to turn some heads. The Hornets swarmed the Beavers and dominated them in the first half jumping out to a 14-3 halftime lead. The Hornets went up 21-6 before OSU woke up and came storming back behind their rushing attack. OSU tied the game midway through the 4th quarter and missed a game winning FG late. OSU struck first in OT to take a 7 point lead but Fleming found Reed for the matching TD and then again on the game winning 2-point conversion. The Hornets pulled off the epic upset for the programs first ever win over an FBS opponent with a score of 29-28. OSU never recovered from the sting they received that day and finished the season with a 3-9 (3-6 Pac12) record. Week 1 thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1376

Week 2
The Hornets traveled to Cedar City, Utah to take on the up and coming and soon to be BSC conference mates Southern Utah Thunderbirds. The Hornets were coming into this game riding high but laid a big egg against SUU and their pass heavy attack. The offense struggled to put up points with a passing game that never seemed to click, especially when in scoring position which became a recurring theme for much of the season. The defense let SUU score early but made some adjustments and held SUU in check through most of the second half that kept this game reasonably close. A SUU kickoff return for a TD and a goal line stop by their defense late in the game proved to be the difference. SUU added a garbage time TD as they went on to win 35-14. SUU went on to post a 6-5 (1-3 GWC) record. Week 2 thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1403

Week 3
The Hornets were on the road for a third straight week and unfortunately it was to Ogden, Utah; a place the Hornets had never won. The Hornets opened BSC play against a Weber State Wildcat team that was hungry for its first win of the season and it showed as they mauled the Hornets from the get go. The offense never showed up until it was well in hand in this one and the Hornet defense got burned at the end of the first to allow a 14-3 WSU lead, which they never looked back from. Once WSU took a lead, they pounded the defense with their running game. The offense added some late garbage time points to make this 49-17 loss look a little less embarrassing. WSU went on to post a 5-6 (5-3 BSC) record. Week 3 thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1429

Week 4
The Hornets finally had the opportunity to play in Hornet Stadium but it was against a program the Hornets had never beaten; the Montana Grizzlies. UM had no idea what they were getting into as they waltzed into Hornet stadium to face a swarm of pissed off Hornets. The Hornet offense finally found its stride but the defense had some issues stopping the UM spread option attack as the game went to the half at a 21-14 score. However it was all Hornets in the second half as the defense shut down UM and the Hornets went on to rout UM for the first ever win over Montana. UM added a garbage time TD to make the final score 42-28. It was an all around good team performance but a missed chip shot FG at the end of the first half opened up some questions about the kicking game. UM went on to share the BSC Championship with a 9-2 (7-1 BSC) record. Week 4 thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1443

Week 5
The Hornets were on the road yet again to Bozeman, Montana to play the BSC leading Montana State Bobcats. The Hornets finally showed up for a road game and played tough and gave MSU all they could handle. The Hornets had chances to score points early but poor officiating which negated a Deadder TD and poor FG kicking (another missed chip shot) haunted the Hornets in this one. The defense contained the explosive MSU offense and kept this game close. Hendershott had a huge return for a TD to keep MSU from blowing the game wide open but ultimately the Hornets came up short in a 31-21 loss. MSU went on to finish with a 9-2 (7-1 BSC) record and a share of the BSC Championship. Week 5 thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1449

Week 6
The Hornets hit the road again, this time to Greeley, Colorado to face a struggling Northern Colorado Bear program. The game was played in a monsoon that greatly impacted both teams offense. Neither team had much success passing the ball as the lone Hornet attempt was a TD pass called back on a penalty. The Hornets were able to grind it out on the ground and the Hornet defense kept UNC off of the scoreboard as the Hornets went on to win this one 14-0. UNC finished the season winless, 0-11 (0-8 BSC) in Coach Collins’ season debut. Week 6 thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1464

Week 7
The Hornets entered the bye week in decent shape at 3-3 (2-2 BSC). However, heading into Homecoming Week with a bye was met with disastrous results. Officially, Fleming was “hurt in practice,” but I read he was hurt while participating in a pep rally event. Regardless of where it happened, Fleming was lost for most of the remainder of the season and the Hornet offense completely deteriorated as the season progressed.

Week 8
The defending FCS and BSC Champion Eastern Washington Eagles came to Hornet Stadium for Homecoming Week. The Hornets had never knocked off EWU in Sac and were looking to do just that. EWU got off to a rough start to the season and had to battle through numerous injuries to regain momentum. The EWU offense was in full swing by the time they headed to Hornet Stadium. With Fleming out, the QB tandem of Safron and Edwards provided a spark in the first half as the Hornets were able to jump on EWU early. However EWU made some defensive adjustments and slowed down the Hornet offense allowing their offense to mount a spirited comeback. EWU tied the game and forced OT in which they jumped out to an early score. The Hornets failed to answer as Hendershott dropped a potential game tying pass in OT and the Hornets went on to lose 42-35. The kicking woes haunted the Hornets yet again as a missed FG earlier in the game could have won this one in regulation. EWU went on to finish with a disappointing 6-5 (5-3 BSC) record. Week 8 thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1471

Week 9
The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks rolled into town looking to snap a 3 game losing streak and they were going to do so on the back of RB Zach Bauman. The Hornets had trouble stopping NAU’s ground attack and they gave up tons of yardage while the offense was able to put some points on the board and move the ball early but turnovers squandered a couple of scoring opportunities. The defense did make some late stands to keep this team in it but ultimately short comings in the kicking game and an inability of the Hornet offense to move the ball when it mattered most cost the Hornets another one. The offense was unable to move the ball late in the game and that coupled with 2 blocked PAT’s resulted in a 27-26 Hornet loss that eliminated the Hornets from the playoffs. NAU went on to a 4-7 (3-5 BSC) record. Week 9 thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1486

Week 10
The Hornets made their last road trip of the season to Portland, Oregon to face the surging Portland State Vikings. The Vikings were able to have some success with their Pistol attack but penalties and turnovers kept them from running away with this one. The Hornet defense really stepped up and kept this one close. A pick 6 and a fumble recovery on the PSU goal line kept the Hornets in it but an inept offense under Fleming was completely shut down. The offense failed to get a passing attack going and had it not been for Fleming’s scrambling ability, the Hornet offensive production would have been nonexistent. This was the first week we saw a complete abandonment of the place kicking as the Hornets opted to go for 2 after every TD. In the end the Hornets could not keep up with PSU as they rolled to a 29-20 victory. PSU finished the season with a head turning 7-4 (5-3 BSC) record. Week 10 thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1493

Week 11
A struggling Idaho State Bengal team came to Hornet Stadium to face a desperate Hornet team. Fleming didn’t play as he suffered a concussion at Portland so Safron took over the QB duties. The offense struggled for much of the game and this game was close for most of the duration. Hornet turnovers gave ISU great field position but the Hornet defense held kept ISU out of the endzone and forced them to kick FG’s instead. The Hornet defense also went on to post a huge sack game as they obliterated the worst OL in the BSC. DE Nash went on to become the career leader in sacks and the pass happy ISU offense was never able to get going due to the pressure. Ultimately a Safron run put the Hornets ahead and a late Hilliard TD put the game away. The Hornets went on to win 24-9 and ISU finished the season with a 2-9 (1-7 BSC) record. Week 11 thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1505

Week 12
The Hornets closed out the season by hosting the farm extension in the annual Causeway Classic. Both teams came into this game with various struggles and whoever was going to suck less was going to win. Safron got the start at QB and the offense struggled to move the ball for most of the game. The Hornets were able to get into FG range a few times and Diniz surprisingly got an opportunity to kick some FG’s. Diniz made the most of the opportunity and drilled both of his attempts. The defense was able to keep the game close but the farm extension was able to score some points on the back of their running game. That proved to be the difference as the inept Hornet offense was kept out of the endzone until it was too late. The Hornets finished off their embarrassing season with an embarrassing 23-19 loss. Week 12 thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1511

The 2011 season saw a mixed bag of accomplishment with wins over Pac-12 Oregon State and Montana; but was overshadowed with the disappointment of not improving upon last season’s success and squandering a roster loaded with senior talent. The Hornets drastically fell short of expectations in the win column with a 4-7 record and this team just didn’t execute like a senior heavy roster is expected to. The Hornets had to endure a considerable amount of injuries throughout the season but this team had the depth to overcome that issue. For most of the season the offense struggled mightily and the kicking game let this team down which resulted in the Hornets sputtering down the back stretch of the season. The skeptics and questions surrounding Coach Sperbeck and this Hornet program will be bountiful heading into the offseason and into the 2012 campaign.

Final Conference Standings (playoff results not included)
  • T-1. Montana: 9-2 (7-1) Earned the 4th seed in the FCS playoffs.
    T-1. Montana State: 9-2 (7-1) Earned a first round bye in the FCS playoffs.
    T-3. Portland State: 7-4 (5-3) 2 D-1 wins away from a playoff berth.
    T-3. Eastern Washington: 6-5 (5-3) Defending FCS & BSC Champs narrowly missed the playoffs.
    T-3. Weber State: 5-6 (5-3)
    T-6. Northern Arizona: 4-7 (3-5)
    T-6. Sacramento State: 4-7 (3-5)
    8. Idaho State: 2-9 (1-7)
    9. Northern Colorado: 0-11 (0-8)

Schedule
For the first time that I can recall, the Hornets played a full complement of D-1 teams. The schedule was lopsided in that there wasn’t a good road-home balance. Regardless, the Hornets hit the season midpoint in good shape but got completely derailed by the offensive and kicking struggles. The tentative 2012 schedule looks to have another full complement of D-1 games, however it looks like it will contain 2 FBS money games to start the season. This means that the Hornets will have to dig themselves out of an early hole as the two FBS games will be likely road losses. However due to the BSC expansion, the Hornet conference matchups look rather favorable and (on paper) appear to be slightly less of a grind than in years past. Also there is a better home-road balance than compared to the 2011 schedule. If Coach Sperbeck and his staff can address some of the voids left by graduation, this team can position themselves to have a solid 2012 season. 2012 schedule thread:

http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1504

Attendance
The Hornets averaged 9,553 in attendance through 5 home games with the Causeway narrowly edging out the Montana game for the highest attended game at Hornet Stadium with 12,874 (12,751 for UM game). The Hornets ranked 39th in FCS and 3rd in BSC in average attendance and Causeway and UM game were the 140th and 144th highest attended FCS games, respectively. The attendance drastically fell off after the Homecoming let down against EWU and the Causeway failed to deliver a good attendance figure due to the suckitude of both teams. The 2012 season will probably fair about the same, if not worse as the only marquee homes game will be Cal Poly and Montana State. It will be interesting to see what the athletic department will do to encourage ticket sales for 2012. I like that they tried Groupon as a way to sell some tickets and I also like that the game day atmosphere was improved with the added signage and other aesthetic tools (blow up signs, etc). Hopefully the staff will look to improve upon the game day experience.

2012 Outlook
With the disappointment of the 2011 season behind them, there is nothing but question marks moving forward. The Hornets will need to address multiple issues at every aspect of the game. The offense will need to find an identity, an offensive coordinator, a quarterback, and some playmakers. The defense will have to replace a career sack leader as well as replace multiple defensive backs, and the special teams…well the question marks there are endless. Each of these areas will be discussed in further detail over the next couple of weeks. The cupboard isn’t completely bare but there are a lot of things that need to be addressed. Coach Sperbeck and his staff have a lot of hard work ahead of them.

My recaps are up for discussion so feel free to add anything I may have missed or anything you may disagree with. These recaps are strictly based on my observations over the course of the season, stats obtained from various online resources and finally but most importantly my opinions. I’ll leave you all with SSS’s attempt at compiling the 2011 Hornet football recap until I can get my next part out:

http://sacstatesports.com/2011/11/24/sac-state-football-2011-season-in-review/

Next: Part 2 of 4 - Special Teams
 
Appropriately depressing and quite thorough... You did a good job of capturing the season's rise, and epic fall.

Here's to hoping that our low exprectations for next year are met with the meteoric rise of our floundering program!
 

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