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Week 3: Sac State vs. Northern Colorado

Green Cookie Monster

Green Cookie Monster

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Staff member
These next two weeks at home can really define the season.

When everyone comes back down to earth, they had better be focused and motivated or UNC can apply a severe case of buzz kill.

UNC beat in state rival Mesa so they smell blood. Play sloppy and all of a sudden get fumble-itis, these guys can play. Remember, it's called Any Given Saturday for a reason.
 
They got shut out 41-0 in week 1 by Utah, and Mesa Is a Division 2 program. I'm not sold on the Bears being a force to be reckoned with, but we certainly can't take them lightly. As we saw Saturday nothing is a sure thing, but I have a good feeling this about weekend. A win will give the Hornets a lot of confidence and momentum going forward. We'll need it as the Big Sky is going to be tough his season.

I think there will be a big crowd after the Colorado upset and another win (especially if it's impressive) can bring those back the next game, so I'm really hoping for a phenomenal performance. Also looking forward to SD's analysis
 
Week 3: Sac State vs. Northern Colorado

After an epic win over Pac-12 member Colorado, the Hornets face off against another team from the Centennial State but this time it is fellow FCS and BSC member Northern Colorado (1-1). This matchup is a non-conference game but it will be the first home game for the Hornets who will be looking to capitalize on the momentum gained from a week ago as well as stay undefeated against UNC. The Bears are entering their second season under head coach Collins and are fresh off of their first win since he arrived.

Offense
It’s tough to tell where UNC stands at this point. Their only games this season are a shutout loss to FBS Utah and a blowout win against D2 Colorado Mesa. The Bears played a lot of young players last season and my assumption is that this team is better than its winless performance a year ago. Last seasons game against the Bears was played in a downpour and resembled nothing of what will be seen this week in Hornet Stadium. The Bears like to spread out the defense and pass the ball in an up-tempo style. Looking at last weeks stats, they set about to try to establish the run in which they had success in doing.

The Bears offense is led by (#9) Seth Lobato who will need to find his stride if they want to knock the Hornets off this season. UNC has a capable group of receivers lead by seniors (#16) Dominic Gunn and (#18) Chris Morris. They also have (#25) Jace Davis who had an amazing 2010 season but has yet to get things going. The Bear offensive line has some size to it and is full of seniors. They have only allowed 2 sacks so they appear to be coming together as a capable unit. The UNC running back duties are split between juniors (#31) Tromaine Dennis and (#33) Quentin Hildreth. Tough to say how well these RB’s carry the rock as this offense bills itself as a pass first attack.

Season Stats/Averages:
  • • Rushing Offense: 97.0 ypg (3.1 ypr), 3 TD’s
    • Passing Offense: 169.5 ypg (10.9 ypc), 1 TD
    • Total Offense: 266.5 ypg (4.3 ypp), 4 TD’s, 2 FG’s
    • Time of Possession: 28:51
    • Turnovers: 3 (2 Fum, 1 INT)
    • Penalties: 14 for 183 yds (91.5 ypg)
    • QB: (#9) Seth Lobato: 30 of 59 for 334 yds, 1 TD
    • RB: (#31) Tromaine Dennis: 28 carries for 120 yds, 3 TD’s, 1 rec for 16 yds
    • WR: (#18) Chris Morris: 8 recs for 75 yds
    • RB: (#33) Quentin Hildreth: 21 carries for 73 yds
    • WR: (#16) Dominic Gunn: 8 recs for 71 yds
    • WR: (#3) Dimitri Stimphil: 4 recs for 70 yds, 1 TD
The Hornet defensive line will need to have a good game if the defense wants to have a successful day. UNC is fairly balanced and it is up to the DL to make the UNC offense one-dimensional. The Bear OL will not be better than what the Hornet front has seen earlier this season so the Hornets need to take care of business. The biggest test will be for the coverage by the secondary as well as its open field tackling. Since UNC will spread out the defense, this means there will be a lot of one-on-one situations in open field. Missed tackles will result in big plays and the defense cannot give up the big plays if it wants to suffocate this Bear offense.

Defense
UNC runs a 4-3 and has one of the better linebacking units in the BSC. The LB’s are led by (#56) Clarence Bumpas and (#52) Herve Tonye-Tonye. The UNC defensive line is led by nose guard (#94) Lexington Smith. The DL is not very big in the middle and they only have 2 sacks on the season. This appears to be the weak link of the UNC defense. The UNC secondary is lead by senior cornerback (#32) Marcel Gibbons and senior free safety (#30) Jordan Bible. This secondary has some experience and has the potential to generate turnovers. Traditionally the UNC struggles on defense and it looks like it might have its issues up front again this year.

Season Stats/Averages:
  • • Rushing Offense Allowed: 160.5 ypg (3.7 ypr), 3 TD’s
    • Passing Offense Allowed: 145.0 ypg (9.4 ypc), 2 TD’s
    • Total Offense Allowed: 305.5 ypg (4.5 ypp), 5 TD’s, 1 FG
    • Opponent Time of Possession: 31:03
    • Turnovers Forced: 5 (1 Fum, 4 INT’s)
    • Opponents Penalties: 7 for 51 yds (25.5 ypg)
    • LB: (#56) Clarence Bumpas: 18 tackles, 1.5 TFL’s, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 PD
    • LB: (#52) Herve Tonye-Tonye: 15 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF
    • NG: (#94) Lexington Smith: 11 tackles
    • CB: (#32) Marcel Gibbons: 11 tackles
    • FS: (#30) Jordan Bible: 10 tackles
    • DE: (#49) Gavin Miller: 9 tackles, 1.5 TFL’s
The Hornet offensive line had a tremendous game last week and should follow it up with another one against UNC. The UNC defensive line is not very big but in order to be successful, the Hornet OL will need to get to that second level and get some blocks on the athletic UNC linebackers in order to open up some running lanes. Safron will need to have another accurate game as the UNC secondary has 4 INT’s so far. Bad throws can lead to turnovers and the Hornets cannot afford to turn the ball over if they want to win this one.

Special Teams
UNC has some weapons on special teams. (#16) Dominic Gunn is a burner in the return game and he can definitely take one to the house if the Hornets aren’t careful. Punter (#40) Mason Puckett can boom some long punts which over half have been downed inside the 20. Puckett is also the kickoff specialist and has put 66.6% of the kickoffs for a touchback. Kicker (#38) Dave Eden has been average throughout his career thus far.

Season Stats/Averages:
  • • K: (#38) Dave Eden: 2/3 FG’s (long of 22 yds), 4/5 PAT’s
    • P: (#40) Mason Puckett: 11 punts for 464 yds (42.2 ypp), 6 I-20
    • PR/KR: (#16) Dominic Gunn: 5 kr’s for 58 yds (11.6 ypr), 6 pr’s for 133 yds (22.2 ypr)
    • Kick Coverage: Allowed 53 yds on 3 returns (17.7 ypr), 6 TB’s
    • Punt Coverage: Allowed 12 yds on 4 returns (3.0 ypr)
Hornets need to have a solid game covering kicks. Gunn is dangerous so the Hornets may keep the ball away from him. Conversely UNC has a great leg in Puckett and most likely won’t get any returns from Carter this week.

Intangibles
The UNC fan board indicated that UNC has a lot of injuries but did not go into specifics other than a sprained ankle for (#25) Jace Davis. If UNC is missing some key players heading into this game, they will be facing some problems against this aggressive Hornet team. UNC has put the ball on the ground seven (7) times, so the Hornets will need to capitalize on their mistakes. This is an afternoon game so warm temperatures could sap the UNC defense if they are on the field for a long time.

If the Hornets can get the running game going it’s going to be a long day for UNC. The Hornet offensive line has been impressive thus far and it has allowed for the Hornets to have a well balanced attack. The Hornets need to have another solid game on the offensive side of the ball so this team can keep its momentum going. Defensively the Hornets need to control the line of scrimmage and force UNC to throw the ball. If the Hornets can take care of business, play aggressive yet disciplined coupled with mistake free football then this game should be a win.

Go Hornets!

Game Info
  • • Kickoff: Saturday, September 15th @ 2 PM Pacific time @ Hornet Stadium.
    • TV: None
    • Video/Internet: Big Sky TV
    o http://www.americaonesports.com/bigsky.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
    • Audio/Radio: 93.1 FM, audio link available on Hornetsports.com
    o http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/csus.portal#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
Hornetsports preview:

FBPreviewHeader091512.jpg


http://www.hornetsports.com/sports/football/release.asp?release_id=10625

Week 3 Game Notes: http://www.hornetsports.com/assets/sports/football/SacNotes091512.pdf
 
I'm worried the kickoff time is going to keep a lot of people away from Hornet this Saturday. It's expected to be 97 degrees. Yikes!
 
Predictions

Score: 38-20 Hornet win. We show up and we win this one, we pull a no-show and we are in trouble.

Attendance: 9,250. Traditionally UNC is surprisingly a decent draw. The Colorado win should provide a bump this week. It would be nice to see this game crack 10k.
  • • 2010: 9,011 (Homecoming)
    • 2008: 10,567 (Followed Sperbeck’s first win over the farm extension)
    • 2006: 4,109 (Moosh era)
 
SJHornet said:
I'm worried the kickoff time is going to keep a lot of people away from Hornet this Saturday. It's expected to be 97 degrees. Yikes!
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That doesnt effect all those LSU fans and 100* and 100% humidity. What about all those hosers at South Dakota State who are outside in 10*, snowy weather? If the weather is ever going to be a factor in the growth of the program we do have some issues.

The wallflower fans of Sacramento need to toughen up a little.
 
Except for the firs offensive play, can you say Pac-12 hangover .. again??

Safron looks terrible thus far. He's even under-throwing WR screens. O-line needs to start creating some holes. Stop kicking it to #16 and we should be ok.
 
BuckeyeHornetFan said:
Except for the firs offensive play, can you say Pac-12 hangover .. again??

Safron looks terrible thus far. He's even under-throwing WR screens. O-line needs to start creating some holes. Stop kicking it to #16 and we should be ok.
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Spot on. Aside from that quick TD the offense has been pretty bad. Robertson had a dropped TD in the last minute too (to be fair it would have been a tough catch).

Defensively we have been ok. The defense has given up no points. (I'm crediting the UNC FG to Carter for his fumble on the punt return so only the special teams has given up points so far.)

The good news is after all that we still have a 14-10 lead at the half. Sperbeck needs to light a fire under their asses so the Hornets can come out and take care of business. The longer UNC is allowed to hang around, the bigger chance at a loss imo.

Also just saw a UNC OL get carted off the field after that last play of the half. Probably a busted ankle.
 
21-10 Hornets after 3. The OL is better but the WR's are not having a good day. Too many drops and tips. Defense is doing ok but UNC is on a drive.
 
The o-line is finally getting a push. Graham is nearing 100 yards. Safron is still off and the WR's are dropping catchable passes when he does throw it on target.
 
Knowles with a NICE catch and run for 40+ yards. McGowan and Graham finish it off for a 28-10 lead. It looks like the heat is taking a toll on the Bears during the second half. They had been playing good defense for much of the game. They don't quite have the same pep in their step. The Hornets need to keep the pedal down.

Also, with that last TD, I believe the Hornets are now 12 for 12 scoring TD's once they get inside the 20. That'll work. ;)
 
Funny, but some clown on the UNC board seems to think that the Hornets "are not a very good football team" and that the Bears should have won this game "easily". I'm wondering how he gets that POV. Forget that the Bears have NEVER beaten Sac State, but it's not like they are some dominant program where the fans are spoiled by their success. Considering the Hornets big win against Colorado last week, I just find his comment fairly ridiculous. Maybe the Hornets aren't great, but they are far from a bad team.
 
BuckeyeHornetFan said:
Funny, but some clown on the UNC board seems to think that the Hornets "are not a very good football team" and that the Bears should have won this game "easily". I'm wondering how he gets that POV. Forget that the Bears have NEVER beaten Sac State, but it's not like they are some dominant program where the fans are spoiled by their success. Considering the Hornets big win against Colorado last week, I just find his comment fairly ridiculous. Maybe the Hornets aren't great, but they are far from a bad team.
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28-17 Uuuuuuggggglllllyyyyyy win. UNC had the ball almost the entire 4th quarter. If they had a QB worth a damn this would have came down to the wire. Lobato's "up for grabs" INT that he gave up in the endzone with about 7 minutes left was the game sealer. If he was smart, he would have thrown it away, UNC could have made a FG and made this game would have come down to the wire.

Overall very unimpressive game for the Hornets, but fortunately UNC is bad enough that the Hornets can have an off day and still win. That won't be the case next week against North Dakota. From all the solid play in the first 2 weeks this one was far from it. But enough of that, time to enjoy this one.

Go Hornets!!!

BTW the SDSU-UND game is on local TV in SD.
 
The 2:00 start was brutal, I don't know how the guys on the field did it. I lasted a half in the stands before the heat got to me. I'm sure it played a part in the sloppiness, as well as the low attendance.

I also saw 5-star recruit Eddie Vanderdoes at the game, can I start the rumors that he has changed his mind on USC and is coming to Sac?
 
Phantom Hornet said:
The 2:00 start was brutal, I don't know how the guys on the field did it. I lasted a half in the stands before the heat got to me. I'm sure it played a part in the sloppiness, as well as the low attendance.

I also saw 5-star recruit Eddie Vanderdoes at the game, can I start the rumors that he has changed his mind on USC and is coming to Sac?
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I heard 7,400 for the game. Fvcking pathetic. :thumbdown:
 
Hey Hornets, don't forget, we lost two games after we beat OSU last year. This year, we won the first game after beating CU. A win is a win! We are 2-1 and now we focus on UND.

Go Hornets!!!
 
SDHornet said:
Phantom Hornet said:
The 2:00 start was brutal, I don't know how the guys on the field did it. I lasted a half in the stands before the heat got to me. I'm sure it played a part in the sloppiness, as well as the low attendance.

I also saw 5-star recruit Eddie Vanderdoes at the game, can I start the rumors that he has changed his mind on USC and is coming to Sac?
Click to expand...
I heard 7,400 for the game. Fvcking pathetic. :thumbdown:
Click to expand...

It was 95 degrees, an odd 2pm kick and against Northern Colorado. I mean, Northern Colorado who went 0-11 last year.
But still I agree.
 
So I heard Sperbeck moved up the start so that he could watch his son play in the Holy Bowl tonight, which is fine, but I think it had a direct effect on attendance. I honestly wouldn't have gone if I hadn't already paid for tickets.

Even then, most of the concessions ran out of water before half, it was pretty ill-planned
 
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