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Sac State QB vows to bounce back as Hornets prep for Nevada. ‘I take full blame’
By Joe Davidson
Jaden Rashada appreciates the kudos that come with playing quarterback, including his star-studded time at Pittsburg High School in Contra Costa County where he was a national recruit 4-star, blue chip prospect.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound redshirt Sacramento State starter also understands that his position means that he is ripe for critique. That can come in the form of constructive analysis from coaches, teammates and family. Or the skewering and scathing kind from social media, where everyone’s a target by armchair quarterback blowhards, including over four mixed starts at Arizona State in 2023.
In Sac State’s opening night 20-3 loss to FCS No. 3-ranked South Dakota State, Rashada and the Hornets’ “Go-Go” offense was out of sorts. Part of that stems from the team trying to get 72 new players on the same page in quick order with a near-complete roster turnover under first-year coach Brennan Marion, and a lot of it had to do with the opponent.
In facing a relentless pass rush, Rashada completed just 11 of 27 passes for 112 yards. The Hornets also struggled to run the ball, generating 24 net yards, and managed just seven first downs. Rashada was too long on some throws and had some dropped, too, including a touchdown. Marion called the setback a dose of “humble pie” after an avalanche of preseason hype surrounding the program. Following Thursday’s practice as the Hornets prepared for Saturday’s game at FBS-level Nevada, Rashada took ownership of the opening loss.
Rashada doesn’t deserve all of the heat, certainly, but this is what quarterback leaders do.
“I take full blame, but we can’t go forward looking in the rearview mirror,” he said. “Our team, we probably needed that. It’s a learning lesson, not really a loss in our eyes. We’re learning. It was our first time playing with each other — no excuses.”
Football is a sport big on getting knocked down, and Rashada said, “Winning is hard, so we have got to be willing to do the hard stuff that comes with with it, and we’re aware of that, and what’s important is we learn. I can do everything better, and that’s part of being a quarterback and a leader. I always look at myself in the mirror. I can do a lot of things better, and I look forward to doing that.”
Marion has been an offensive guru coach of sorts for years, so he knows the role of a quarterback. He was a record-setting receiver at Tulsa and is mindful of the highs and lows of quarterback play. Marion said he has not lost an ounce of confidence in Rashada, whom he plucked from the transfer portal after he spent a season with the Georgia Bulldogs.
“I told him I was proud of him for the way he conducted himself (in the opener),” Marion said. “He took a lot of hits. He got up with a smile, continued to fight and compete.” The coach continued, “Did we win? No. But from the standpoint of there were things to be proud about, and a guy who hasn’t started a game in a couple of years now, and he went out there and gave our team a chance to win.”
Marion said Rashada isn’t just flash with a pretty spiral. There is grit to his game, too.
“I was proud of him for showing toughness, for getting up, hand bloody, still playing,” Marion said. “He never tapped out. He never said anything other than, ‘Coach, what I need to do the next drive is lead our team down the field.’ I think he gained a lot of respect and trust from our guys, seeing him take shots, get up and continue to keep fighting.”
Nevada coach knows Marion, Sac State
Nevada brought in 62 new players this season, among the most in the FBS, and Sac State’s 72 newcomers are among the most in the FCS.
Nevada is coming off of a 46-11 loss at FBS No. 2 Penn State in Happy Valley in which the Wolf Pack trailed 27-3 at the half. Nevada went 3-10 last season, losing an FBS-leading seven games by one score.
Nevada coach Jeff Choate and Marion know each other. They were on the same coaching staff with the Texas Longhorns in 2022. Choate is also familiar with Sac State from when he was the Montana State head coach from 2016-20, losing both times to the Hornets in Big Sky Conference action.
Marion, as UNLV’s offensive coordinator in 2023 and 2024, helped that program put up 45 and 38 points in those rivalry victories.
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