The sport every Hornet fan has been waiting for is back: Sacramento State’s football team will make its debut against San Jose State on Thursday with a reshuffled defense and an experienced offense.

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Hornets, who finished fifth in the Big Sky Conference media and coaches polls and had five players recognized for their projected performances last season.

Imparting wisdom

Sac State head coach Andy Thompson enters his second season leading the Hornet football team after learning a lot in his first season to help the Hornets take the next step.

“I’ve learned something new every week; every day something comes up and you have to be able to manage your time perfectly,” Thompson said. “You’re responsible for the whole team and the best thing I’ve learned last year is that communication is always key.”

For a team that has lost many of its stars, voices and leaders on both sides of the ball, Thompson made it a point to impart that knowledge to his players.

The team building efforts have created a bond between team members and a positive culture on and off the field.

“In some locker rooms, some people just don’t talk to certain people,” senior quarterback Kaiden Bennett said. “Whether it’s a defensive back talking to a lineman or a safety talking to a receiver, this year we’re a lot more connected in that regard, so it was a cool, fun vibe in the locker room.”

Oh captain, my captain

Speaking of Bennett, he will make his long-awaited return to the field after suffering a shoulder injury last year that hampered him for most of the season.

Despite the injury, Bennett finished the season with 2,767 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns, ranking seventh and 10th, respectively, in school history.

“I was never really injured, so it was a different scenario for me,” Bennett said. “The first couple of weeks, when I was healthy and feeling good, everything went back to plan.”

The days of the old football adage “if you have two quarterbacks, you have none” are long gone. Some of the Hornets’ most successful seasons came in 2021-22, when they played an intense two-quarterback system. There’s little reason to believe redshirt freshman quarterback Carson Conklin won’t play this season either.

Conklin completed over 50% of his passes and finished the season with 744 passing yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions, making a lasting impression despite his brief stint.

Conklin’s performance last year gives him an excellent chance to be the future of the team, and it shouldn’t be surprising if he gets more opportunities as this season progresses.

Under new leadership

The only returning starter on defense is veteran defensive back Gavin Davis-Smith. The defense lost 10 starters, which is not ideal for a defense built on trust and communication.

The Hornets will need to strengthen their defense if they want to finish atop the Big Sky, but the loss of leaders like linebacker Armon Bailey and safety Cameron Broussard will be mitigated by the signing of new recruits.

Will Leota, the 225-pound senior linebacker transferred from Utah Tech, is looking to make a name for himself in the Big Sky. Leota was named to the All-WAC team in 2022 and was on the All-WAC second team in 2021 and 2023. Thompson and Davis-Smith praised Leota’s leadership on the Hornets’ defense.

“He’s been a great leader for us,” Davis-Smith said. “I work with the linebackers who play nickel, so he did a great job coming in from Utah Tech and helping me with the defensive front.”

Davis-Smith also praised fellow senior defensive back Murvin Kenion III, who came over from Big Sky Conference rival Idaho and helped keep the younger players in the secondary under control.

The trenches

Thompson gave insight into his team-building philosophy at ESPN’s Big Sky Media Day.

“A great recipe for success is when you have guys up front that can control the line of scrimmage,” Thompson said. “And make it easy for all the speed and skill that we will hopefully always have at Sac State.”

The offensive line remains largely unchanged from last year and will continue to be a strength.

The offensive line is led by senior guard Jackson Slater, a two-time Big Sky first-team selection.

Slater is ready to continue his record-setting streak after being named preseason All-Big Sky, preseason Stats Perform FCS first-team All-American and being named to the Shrine Bowl 1000 and Senior Bowl watch lists.

Take the burden off my back. 405 new Power Clean PR pic.twitter.com/zNH1HLZCjp

—Jackson Slater (@jacksonslater75) March 11, 2024

On the other hand, the defensive line will be redesigned and used on a rotation basis, as in previous years.

Five defensive linemen return, most notably veteran defensive tackle Brandon Knott. Knott was praised by Thompson as the leader of the defensive line, with 71 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks over the last three years.

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Can anyone stop them?

Tackling was a weak spot in the game last season that the Hornets wanted to fix this season. Due to rules and regulations, there were limited opportunities to practice tackling and Thompson wanted to make the most of it.

“You only have a limited number of days you can do that,” Thompson said. “We’re going to use every single one of them, so whenever the rules allow us to attack, we’ll do it.”

Davis-Smith was fourth on the team in tackles last year and is the number one tackler after returning, but Leota had 75 tackles and four tackles for loss last year.

Hornets, Spartans: Can the real Leonidas please stand up?

The Sacramento State Hornets will travel to CEFCU Stadium on Thursday to begin their season against the San Jose State Spartans.

In theory, the Hornets will be stronger when they face an FBS team from the Mountain West Conference. Thompson and his squad will face a Spartan team with a new head coach, new stars on offense, including quarterback, and a whole new culture.

The Spartans’ offense may struggle to get going early in the season. Combine that with the Hornets’ reshuffling of the defense, and the game should be sluggish, with each side having a chance to gain momentum.

The Hornets defense is itching for a chance and the best experience is game experience, so why not test themselves against another exciting team?

With so many unknowns for the Spartans, including who their quarterback will be, Thompson wants the team to focus on itself.

“It’s all about us,” Thompson said. “Going into the first game, you have to make sure everyone on the team is playing their best, and we’ve talked a lot about playing our best every game, every play.”