From Sac State's website:
A Brief Preview
The Sacramento State football team will make its 2005 debut when it travels to Berkeley, Calif., to take on the California Golden Bears. The meeting is the first between the two schools and marks the fourth-straight season that the Hornets have opened a year against a Div. I-A opponent. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.
The contest can be heard locally on KTKZ 1380 AM with Jason Ross handling the play-by-play and Steve McElroy adding the color commentary. Phil Getman returns to serve as the sideline reporter. For those outside the greater Sacramento area, the game will also be available on the internet at www.hornetsports.com.
The game is also going to be televised on Comcast SportsNet. The broadcast is available to Comcast Cable subscribers from Fresno, Calif., to Reno, Nev. It is also available on both DirecTV and Dish Network. Barry Tompkins will serve as the play-by-play announcer with Mike Pawlawski as the analyst.
The Hornets open the season against a Div. I-A opponent for the fourth straight season. The team has not fared well in the past, with losses at UTEP (2002), Oregon State (2003) and Nevada (2004). Last season, Sacramento State posted a 3-8 overall record. The team, however, returns 17 starters from last season but must fill the void left by All-American Fred Amey and quarterback Ryan Leadingham. The returners will be led by sophomore running back Ryan Mole while the defense will be anchored by senior linebacker Matt Logue.
Cal is coming off its best season in recent memory. The Golden Bears were 10-2 overall last season and ended the year ranked ninth in Div. I-A. Cal's only regular season loss came at the hands of national champion USC, 23-17. The team's only other defeat was a 45-31 setback against Texas Tech in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. Like Sacramento State, the Golden Bears have some big shoes to fill on the offensive side of the ball as quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) and running back J.J. Arrington (Arizona) were both selected in the 2005 NFL Draft.
This is the first meeting between the two schools in Sacramento State's 52-year program history.
With a Win...
Sacramento State will have won its season opener for the first time since 2001.
The team will have defeated a Div. I-A opponent for the first time since beating Cal State Fullerton, 29-3, on Sept. 26, 1992.
The Hornets will have earned their first road victory since winning at Eastern Washington, 48-41, on Oct. 26, 2002.
Sacramento State will have defeated Cal for the first time.
Cal will have lost to Div. I-AA team for the first time in school history.
With a Loss...
Cal will improve to 3-1 in season openers under Jeff Tedford.
The Golden Bears will have won eight in a row at Memorial Stadium.
Sacramento State will have lost 13-straight road games.
The Hornets will have lost four-straight season openers. That streak all came against Div. I-A foes.
Meet the Coaches
Steve Mooshagian returns for his third season as head coach at Sacramento State. Mooshagian, who was hired to lead the Hornets on Jan. 15, 2003, is the eighth coach in school history.
A native Californian, Mooshagian has coached high school, junior college, college and professional teams. He most recently served as the wide receivers coach with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1999-2002. In 2002, he guided the only receiving corps in the NFL to have four players with at least 40 catches.
Prior to working with the Bengals, Mooshagian was the offensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh for two years (1997-98). At Pitt, he also coached the receivers and his unit produced the top receiver in the Big East Conference both years. Mooshagian came to Pittsburgh from Nevada where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during the 1996 season. That year, the Wolf Pack led the nation with an average of 527 yards of total offense and posted a 9-3 overall record while winning the Big West Conference title and the Las Vegas Bowl.
Before moving to Nevada, Mooshagian spent 11 years as a coach in Fresno, Calif. In 1995, he was the head coach at Fresno City College where he guided the Rams to a 5-5 overall record. Prior to that job, he had a 10-year stint as an assistant coach at Fresno State (1985-94).
He was also part of the Fresno State staff which won six conference titles while competing in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, the Big West Conference and the Western Athletic Conference.
Cal is under the leadership of Jeff Tedford. Now in his fourth year, Tedford owns a 25-13 mark with the Golden Bears. He was the Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2004.
A Look at the Hornets
Scrimmage I Recap
The Sacramento State defense dominated early and the offense scored two late touchdowns during the first scrimmage on Aug. 20.
The Hornets used three quarterbacks during the 53-play scrimmage and received touchdowns from running back James Cummings and tight end Mike Soto.
The defense also made big plays, including forcing two fumbles and recording three sacks.
Cummings led the ground attack with 65 yards on 13 carries. Junior Chris Cavender was 2-for-3 for 15 yards and one touchdown through the air while Bobby Mooshagian had one catch for 14 yards to lead the receivers.
Both the offense and defense were far from full-strength for the scrimmage. The offense opted not to play quarterbacks Chris Hurd and Brad Tredway and running back Ryan Mole. The defense was missing three of its four projected starters in the secondary as safeties Brett Shelton and Brent Webber and cornerback Kiel McDonald did not dress.
Scrimmage II Recap
The Sacramento State offense scored three touchdowns and added three field goals and the defense picked up two turnovers in the final scrimmage of training camp on Aug. 26 at Hornet Stadium.
The offense's first touchdown came on a 48-yard pass from Crosby Wehr to Phillip Perry down the right sideline. The second score came on a 29-yard screen pass from Chris Hurd to Kris Daniels. The final touchdown was on a 1-yard run from Daniels. The defense recorded a turnover on the first drive when linebacker Tony DeMonico intercepted Brad Tredway on the 9-yard line. The second turnover came late in the game on a mishandled snap.
Gamboa converted three of his four field goal attempts and all three of his extra points. The freshman hit from 43, 27 and 36 yards.
After Further Review
Not only will Saturday's game mark the first time that Sacramento State has ever played Cal, it will also be the first time that the Hornets have been in a game using instant replay.
As part of the Pac-10's new policy, replay can be used to assist with certain plays. All reviews will come from an observer in the press box and the coaches will not have any challenges. This is the first year that the Pac-10 has used replay. The Big 10 became the first major college football conference to use replay last season.
Coaching Changes
While head coach Steve Mooshagian returns for his third season at the helm, he will be joined by four new members on sidelines this season. The group is headlined by Scott Criner who will serve as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Mike Preacher will coach the receivers, Richard Sanchez will oversee special teams and tight ends and Jamie Christian coaches the running backs.
A veteran college football coach, Criner has spent time at Boise State, Navy, Cincinnati and Northern Arizona.
Preacher was a former punter at Oregon and is in his first season at the college level.
Sanchez most recently coached at Valparaiso but also served as Charles Roberts' high school coach at Montclair High School.
Christian has some Pac-10 ties having coached under Dennis Erickson at Oregon State. Last season, he was a member of the San Francisco 49ers staff.
Offensive line coach Max Glowacki is the lone returning coach on offense. Last season, Glowacki coached tackles and tight ends but will handle the entire line in 2005.
The defensive side of the ball remained stable with Tim Skipper back for his second season as coordinator. Last season, the unit set a program I-AA-era record with 33 sacks.
Jon Osterhout returns to coach the defensive line. Lou Baiz leads the linebackers and Stephon Pace coaches the secondary.
Connections
There are numerous connections between Cal and Sacramento State coaches and players.
Steve Mooshagian and Jeff Tedford not only played together at Cerritos College and Fresno State. The pair were both coaches for the Bulldogs under Jim Sweeney.
Hornets Chris Hurd, Kiel McDonald and Steve Lynn have all been part of team which has played against Cal. Hurd played at Washington State, McDonald at Arizona and Lynn at Oregon.
Sacramento State assistant coaches Mike Preacher and Stephon Pace faced the Golden Bears as players. Preacher punted at Oregon while Pace was a defensive back at USC.
Hornet running back coach Jamie Christian coached against Cal while at Oregon State.
The two teams combine to have five graduates of Long Beach Poly High School and four from San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno.
Cal has four players from the Sacramento area high schools comprised of Brian Harrison (Granite Bay), Marvin Philip (Oak Ridge), Jared Vanderbeek (Granite Bay) and Worrell Williams (Grant).
Cal secondary coach J.D. Williams played at Fresno State under Tedford and Mooshagian while graduate assistant coach Kevin Daft quarterbacked UC Davis against the Hornets in the Causeway Classic.
The Good Kind of Loss
Senior Matt Logue has made a habit of terrorizing the opposition's backfield during his three years with the Hornets. The linebacker, who earned second team all-Big Sky Conference honors last season, enters the year with 32 career tackles-for-loss. That total was aided by 14 TFL's last season to tie defensive end Jacob Houston for the team high.
A graduate of Bear River High School in Grass Valley, Calif., Logue played under his father, Terry, during high school. As a true freshman, he played in all 12 games, starting four. That year he recorded 54 total tackles and five tackles-for-loss. The next year, Logue tallied 58 total tackles and 13 TFL's. As a junior, he broke out with a career-high 89 total stops while starting every game.
Logue's career total of 201 tackles currently ranks sixth in the Hornet record book. He needs nine stops to catch Carlos Williams (210) for fifth and 11 to match Ramon Payne's 212.
Holy Mole-y
After an amazing freshman season, there is little doubt who Sacramento State's starting running back will be to begin 2005 - Ryan Mole. The sophomore from Santa Maria, Calif., amassed 858 yards last season in nine games en route to being named co-Big Sky Newcomer of the Year and Div. I-AA Freshman All-America.
Mole picked up 41 yards in his first collegiate game at Nevada. He then responded with 114 yards against Southern Utah and 132 at UC Davis. After three modest efforts and then missing the next two games, Mole rushed for 245 yards and two touchdowns in the Hornets' 38-28 win over 17th-ranked Montana State.
He added 177 yards at No. 8 Montana the following week before leaving the Cal Poly game with an injury in the season finale.
Mole's total was the most by a Sacramento State player since quarterback/running back Garrett White amassed 887 yards in 2002. His total was also nearly 300 yards more than three-time All-American Charles Roberts (587) rushed for as a freshman.
Part of Mole's success is his ability to make the big play. Last season, he had six rushes over 30 yards, including scores of 87, 63 and 50-yards.
QB Shuffle
For the first time in four years, Sacramento State will enter a season with a quarterback other than Ryan Leadingham. A four-year starter, Leadingham left the Hornets as the program's all-time leader in passing yards, completions, attempts and touchdowns.
This season, five quarterbacks are battling for the starting nod against Cal. The group is comprised of seniors Chris Hurd and Brad Tredway, juniors Tim Bessolo and Chris Cavender and sophomore Crosby Wehr.
Hurd came to the team during the first week of training camp after transferring from UTEP. The Antioch, Calif., native began his collegiate career at Washington State before transferring to the Miners. Although he has been cleared to practice with the team, Hurd has not been cleared for game duty by the NCAA. His status for the Cal game is unknown at this time.
The lone player to have taken a game snap at Sacramento State, Tredway is the current favorite for the starting job. Last season, he played in four games, completing 11-of-27 passes for 132 yards and a TD.
Bessolo is a transfer from Long Beach City College. The 6-4, 230-pounder has also played at Marshall.
Cavender is a mobile QB from Mendocino JC where he earned first team all-Bay Valley Conference honors last season after throwing for 2,645 yards and rushing for 351.
Wehr is the most veteran member of the unit as he is now in his third season. However, the Oakmont High School graduate has yet to play in a game.
Taking Aim
The most glaring whole on offense comes at receiver where All-American Fred Amey has played for the past four years. Amey, who is currently a member of the San Francisco 49ers, ended his career with 4,049 receiving yards and 6,343 all-purpose yards. He holds the school records in both of those categories as well as receptions (248) and touchdowns (27). Last season, Amey set the single-season mark with 76 receptions and the single-game record with 15 at Eastern Washington.
The challenge to replace Amey will primarily rest in the hands of junior Ryan Coogler and sophomore Phillip Perry. Coogler started nine games during his first season with the team after transferring from Saint Mary's. He ended the season with 28 receptions for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Perry played in 10 games and ranked third on the squad with 18 receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown.
Also slated to start at the third receiver is sophomore Nick Miller. Freshman Bobby Mooshagian, sophomore Jordan Farrell and Iowa transfer Tyler Fannuchi could also contribute.
Patrolling the Skies
With three returning starters, the Sacramento State secondary was already in good shape heading into 2005. The addition of a Div. I-A transfer and the return of two former starters have only boosted the expectations.
Cornerback Brandon Smith and safeties Brent Webber and Brett Shelton all return to their starting spots in 2005. Kiel McDonald, a transfer from Arizona, is slated to take the other cornerback spot.
Smith was named honorable mention all-conference despite the fact that he only played in seven games last season due to a kidney laceration. Fully healthy, he will be one of the most experienced members of the unit.
Webber and Shelton were both named Div. I-AA Freshman All-America last season as the pair made a smooth transition to college. Shelton recorded 83 tackles while Webber tallied 56.
A junior from Denver, Colo., McDonald started two games at Arizona before a shoulder injury forced him out of the lineup. Prior to going to UofA, McDonald played two seasons at Sacramento City.
Safety Jared Elarmo and cornerback Jody Johnson both return to the team after redshirting last season. The sophomores each started games in 2003. Sophomore Bryan Parker, who played in all 11 games in 2004 and junior Richard Moore will also see considerable action.
Houston Creates Problems
Senior Jacob Houston wasted little time making an impact at Sacramento State. The Fresno City College transfer tallied three sacks in the team's victory over Southern Utah during week two to earn Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Houston earned second team all-Big Sky honors after ending the year with 10.0 sacks. That mark, not only led the team and ranked third in the Big Sky, it tied him for 10th on the school’s career chart.
This season, Houston will again put pressure on the quarterback from the end. However, he will have some additional help with the return of James Henderson and the addition of Mike Brannon.
A starter in 2003, Henderson redshirted last season but returned during the spring and is contending for a starting job. Brannon committed to Sacramento State in 2004 but did not enroll full-time at the University until the spring. The Cordova High School graduate is, arguably, the biggest surprise of training camp with his mix of speed and power.
The middle of the line features two returning starters in senior Walter Brock and sophomore Chris Hurts. A transfer from Saint Mary's, Brock earned his degree during the summer but returned for his senior season. Hurts has bulked up to nearly 300 pounds and is a force against the run.
Junior college transfers Levi Ehnisz and Adolph Stone will backup the middle while Landon Ellis will provide assistance outside.
Trying to Become Special
A point of heavy emphasis during camp has been special teams. New coordinator Richard Sanchez has implemented his system to try to put the Hornets over the top and boost its return game.
Last season, Sacramento State averaged 17.1 yards per kick return and a paltry 3.7 yards per punt return. Those numbers hardly compared to what the team was allowing (25.2 kor, 10.9 pr).
Ryan Coogler and Kris Daniels will attempt to spark the kickoff return while Nick Miller will handle punt returns.
One stable factor is the kicking game. Junior Mitch Lively will handle kickoffs and the punting chores while redshirt freshman Juan Gamboa will place kick.
Lively was an honorable mention all-Big Sky selection last season after averaging 40.8 yards per punt and recording 13 touchbacks on kickoffs.
Gamboa came in highly-touted last season but a quadriceps strain forced him to redshirt. The San Jose, Calif., native did attempt one field goal in the season opener, but missed the 47-yarder.
History on Its Side
Some college coaches might dread the fact that his team was picked last in the conference's preseason poll. Steve Mooshagian, however, would not be one of them.
Just minutes after finding out that the Hornets were picked to tie for seventh in the Big Sky by both the coaches and the media, Mooshagian quickly pointed out that it might not be as bad as it sounds.
In 2003, Weber State brought up the rear in the preseason prognostications but the Wildcats posted an 8-4 overall mark and finished fourth in the league at 4-3.
Last year, Portland State was picked for the cellar and the Vikings responded by going 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the league to tie for third.
Returning Up Front
When Sacramento State took the field against Nevada last season, the team did not have one offensive lineman who had played for the Green & Gold before. This season, the Hornets have plenty of experience led by tackles Dustin Nicolodi and Chris Samuels.
Nicolodi was to be the leader of the 2004 line but a freak injury early in training camp left him with a broken leg and forced him to miss the first five games. This season, the senior from Modesto, Calif., has shifted from center to tackle and is one of leaders for the entire offense.
Samuels, a senior from Reedley Junior College, will line up at left tackle after starting every game last season at left guard.
The duo will also be joined by senior Jake Kellom at left guard, senior Travis Johnson at center, and senior Heath Prichard at right guard.
Senior Mason Mitchell could also see time on the line after shifting from the defensive line midway through camp. Mitchell was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA due to a back injury which forced him to miss two entire seasons.
Moving On Up
Saturday's contest will mark the fourth straight season that the Hornets have faced a Div. I-A opponent. Before playing at UTEP in 2002, Oregon State in 2003, and Nevada last year, Sacramento State had not met a I-A school since playing at Pacific on Sept. 25, 1993.
Next year, Sacramento State is scheduled to open the season at San Diego State.
Just the Facts
Memorial Stadium's capacity of 67,537 is the second largest facility in which the Hornets have played. The largest came in 1968 when Sacramento State faced Grambling State in the Junior Rose Bowl (100,069).
Sacramento State has changed its helmet for the fifth straight season. This season's changes include a darker green shell, a black face mask and the removal of the gold stripe down the center.
Wide receiver Billy White will not play this season after having offseason surgery.
Freshman Westy Guill, who was a three-sport star at Clovis East High School, will redshirt this season after having shoulder surgery.
A Look at the Golden Bears
Despite losing Rodgers and Arrington, Cal's offense is in fine shape behind the legs of Marshawn Lynch. The Freshman All-American in 2004, averaged 8.8 yards per carry last season and scored eight touchdowns.
Cal's offensive line, which averages 6-foot-4 and 334 pounds, is led by Oak Ridge High School graduate Marvin Philip. The senior is ranked as the best center in the country by The Sporting News.
The Golden Bears allowed only 16.0 points per game last season and return three starters on defense.
The game marks the first time Cal has faced a Div. I-AA opponent.
The Series
This is the first meeting between the two schools.
Who's Up Next
Sacramento State will travel to Cal Poly to face the Mustangs on Sept. 10 at 6:05 p.m.
Big Sky Notes
The Big Sky faces some tough challenges in the opening week of the 2005 season. Along with Sacramento State taking on Cal, Eastern Washington will play at San Jose State, Montana State travels to Oklahoma State and Portland State plays at Oregon State. The other half of the league has it a little easier as Idaho State welcomes I-AA Southern Utah, Montana hosts Fort Lewis, Weber State plays Western State and Northern Arizona squares off against Adams State.
Eastern Washington was picked first by both the coaches and the media in the preseason polls. However, Montana (third) is ranked higher than the Eagles (fourth) in the preseason national poll. Below is a list of the Big Sky preseason polls.
Coaches
1. Eastern Wash. (6) 48
2. Montana (2) 43
3. Portland State 32
4. Montana State 30
5. Northern Arizona 29
6. Idaho State 20
7. Sacramento State 11
Weber State 11
Media
1. Eastern Wash. (18) 303
2. Montana (19) 302
3. Montana State (4) 258.5
4. Portland State 187
5. Northern Arizona 175.5
6. Idaho State (1) 118
7. Sacramento State 84
Weber State 84
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