I thought they could get 5 wins this season. After watching the EW game I’m very bullish on the hornets. This is a damn good football team. They put a licking on #22 EW 48-27 and I don’t see any reason this can’t be a playoff caliber team. Pretty amazing what those coaches have been able to do. I hope some of those local recruits seriously consider sac state. How fun would it be to see a powerhouse fcs program.
Yeah, I'm pleasantly surprised. A lot of Hornets fans I know thought 2 wins was likely due to the schedule (IIRC they have the toughest in FCS).
Going into the season I felt 3-5 was possible and that anything over that was gravy. I still feel that way.
This upcoming game against Montana State is pivotal. They manage to win it, and the sky's the limit. They lose it and it's doubtful they'll be in the mix for a playoff spot.
It was been a great start to the Troy Taylor era. Something I look for in coaching transition is how much talent was left, who kind of guys the new staff looks to bring in and how they develop.
Curious what the talent level looked like after last year. I seem to remember Sac State had some tough injuries last year
But to have this kind of success before the roster is filled with "their guys" bodes well for Sacramento State in the future.
I've read a few quotes from Coach Taylor where he has been complimentary about the talent and types of kids Jody Sears recruited the past few years. I can't recall his exact words, but he seemed to indicate that they have good character, strong work ethic and love for the game. Which are the types of players he looks for himself.
And they did return some pretty nice talent. They were also fortunate to have players such as Kevin Thomson and George Obinna granted additional seasons of eligibility by the NCAA.
Another factor I've heard mentioned during the TV broadcasts is that Taylor hired a full time strength and conditioning coach. Apparently the program didn't have that luxury beforehand and it has been paying dividends. AD Mark Orr & President Nelsen have noticeably been investing into the football program, which is precisely why Taylor was sought out as HC.
Lastly, I completely agree that it is exciting to think of what the future of the program might be once Coach Taylor and staff get a few more recruiting classes under their belt. I follow several of the coaches on twitter and one of them mentioned an increase in interest in the program among prospective recruits. Apparently a lot of HS/JC players are reaching out to them.
They have leaned heavily on their stud RB Elijah Dotson the past couple of years and I've noticed his numbers are down this year.
One of my only gripes with Taylor and his offense this season is not getting the ball in Dotson's hands more via traditional runs. He has a lot of receptions, but his carries are way down. Part of that is due to how games have unfolded (blowouts), part of it is due to Elijah nursing an injury. But there have been times when Taylor has refused to run the ball during stages of the game where it's needed. It's almost like they've been using Dotson as a decoy.
Although they finally started feeding #33 the ball during the 2nd half of the last game against EWU. Not so coincidentally he had his most productive rushing performance of the season.