Sacramento State Hornets
Overall Rank: #39
#4 Big Sky
Sacramento State Team Page
2010 Record: (6-5, 5-3)
2010 Postseason: none
Coach: Marshall Sperbeck (20-25 at Sacramento State, 129-78 overall)
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Bryan Hilliard, RB, 852 yards
Passing: Jeff Fleming, QB, 2,044 yards
Receiving: Chase Deadder, WR, 788 yards
Tackles: Kyle Monson, DB, 47
Sacks: Zack Nash, DE, 13.0
Interceptions: Kyle Monson, DB, 2; Osagie Odiase, DB, 2
In a conference with Eastern Washington, Montana and Montana State, it is difficult for Sacramento State to garner much attention. The situation will get even more muddled next season when the Big Sky absorbs most of the Great West conference. But, for now, Sacramento State is positioning itself to make a run at the big three. This is a group that returns enough talent on both sides of the ball to give the big guys a run for their money again this season. Last year the Hornets lost by a grand total of ten points to EWU, Montana and Montana State. Do not be surprised if they squeak out a win or two in 2011.
Strengths:
It will be the offense that leads the way. Quarterback Jeff Fleming threw for a school record 23 touchdowns last season and did a superb job of keeping the offense moving smoothly. The 6-4 senior has turned into a fine leader who is ready to take the next step. He is even surprisingly elusive and is not afraid to tuck and run when he the situation calls for it. Fleming will have plenty of help too. Receivers Chase Deadder and Morris Norrise were Fleming’s obvious favorite targets and both should be in for big seasons. Deadder is a big play threat and averaged 21.3 yards per catch last season and, at 6-5, most opposing corners have a very tough time covering him. As good as the passing game has been, it was the ground attack that paved the way for the offense’s success last year. That should be the case again with the return of Bryan Hilliard. The 5-11, 220 pound senior rushed for nearly 100 yards per game and reached the end zone a dozen times. With all of those weapons, Sacramento State should be able to outscore most of their opponents.
Weaknesses:
The defense returns eight starters from a unit that ranked third in the conference in total defense. But the story is not about who is back, it is about those three players the Hornets lost. The secondary and the linebacker corps will be very different without Peter Buck, Zach Schrader and Dana Willis. Those three were Sacramento State’s top three tacklers a year ago and will not be easily replaced. Buck will especially be missed. His versatility and knack for finding the ball really turned this defense into something special. The good news is the front four should be in great shape. Zack Nash is coming off a superb season in which he tallied 16.5 tackles-for-loss and 13.0 sacks. With Nash leading the way, the defense can be pretty good, but somebody has to step up and replace all the production lost with Buck, Schrader and Willis. Junior Jeff Badger is the likely candidate to emerge as a leader among the linebackers. As a sophomore in 2010 he tallied 41 tackles and has the skills to double that number in 2011. The secondary has a few more impact players already on hand. Corners Kyle Monson and Osgaie Odiase can make some big plays. Monson is an experienced cornerback, while Odiase is an emerging sophomore who is ready to step up and turn into one of the better players on the team. It is at the safety spots where there are big questions.
The Bottom Line:
If Sacramento State hopes to make a big jump this season, they will have to find those playmakers on defense. The top two returning tacklers were both cornerbacks. That goes to show just how important Buck, Schrader and Willis were to this team. The front four will give the defense every opportunity to be successful, but Coach Sperbeck better have some new guys ready to step up or the defense will keep Sacramento State out of the Big Sky race and out of the FCS playoff picture.
Projected Postseason: none
2010 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 169.45 (40th in nation, 4th in conference)
Passing Offense: 208.73 (51, 7)
Total Offense: 378.18 (37, 5)
Scoring Offense: 32.09 (13, 2)
Rushing Defense: 112.36 (16, 2)
Pass Defense: 221.64 (80, 3)
Total Defense: 334.00 (39, 3)
Scoring Defense: 24.73 (58, 3)
Turnover Margin: .36 (30, 3)
Sacks: 2.36 (26, 3)
Sacks Allowed: 1.45 (32, 2)
Madness 2011 FCS Football Recruit Rankings
#71 Justin Cox
#102 Jake Geringer
