Sacramento State football will host the Weber State Wildcats in the homecoming game at Hornet Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m. looking for a much-needed win.

This season has been twofold for the Hornets so far. Two respectable losses to FBS teams to start the season; a tandem of puzzling conference losses and two dominant defensive wins for FCS teams in between.

Sac State has a 2-4 overall record and is 0-2 in the Big Sky Conference, while Weber State is 3-4 overall and 2-1 in the Big Sky Conference.

Doctor's orders: A colon exam

Sac State entered a lot of uncharted territory this week.

On Saturday, the Hornets will not play in a contest ranked in the top 25 of the FCS for the first time in 38 games.

After losses to Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington, Sac State is the only team in the Big Sky without a conference win. The Hornets had not lost consecutive conference games since 2018 and never in the Andy Thompson or Troy Taylor eras.

A season of postseason expectations grows bleaker with each passing week, and the Hornets are well aware of what lies ahead.

“To have a chance at the playoffs, we probably have to win,” senior guard Jackson Slater said. “But on the other hand, we are also good at taking it one game at a time. We can’t get to 6-0 if we don’t win 1-0 this week.”

Sac State head coach Andy Thompson’s message to the team this week was simple. Thompson said he knows very well where the team is in the season and that they don't approach any game differently than another.

“There is no magic potion,” Thompson said. “It takes a lot of work, a lot of details and everyone has to pull together.”

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Which Weber state are we talking about?

The Wildcats earned a 55-53 road victory over the No. 11 Montana Grizzlies two weeks ago in Missoula, where the away teams have won just 13% of games since 1986, according to Montana Athletics.

Weber State followed that win with a home loss to Northern Colorado, a team that had not won a game since November of the 2022 season.

The Wildcats' inconsistent play went hand in hand with their second-year signal caller, Richie Muñoz.

Muñoz was named Stats Perform National Player of the Week after throwing a career-best six touchdowns in Weber State's overtime win over Montana. The following week, Muñoz had four turnovers in the Wildcats' loss to Northern Colorado.

“He just tries to throw the ball in the air and makes a lot of mistakes — especially on third down,” senior safety Murvin Kenion III said. “I think we can really get our hands on the ball.”

Despite ranking second in the Big Sky with 6 interceptions this year, Sac State has yet to beat the opposing team's quarterback in conference play.

Kenion III acknowledged that the secondary's commitment to creating extra possessions for the offense is long overdue and that they have a great chance to make up for it this week.

“We just have to all commit to it, fill our right gaps and then everyone will flock to the ball to make a play,” Kenion III said.

Thompson said the Wildcats were solid in all three phases and Saturday will be a good challenge for Sac State.

Circle the cars

Slater said offensive line coach Kris Richardson's message to the team all week has been to circle the wagons.

The Hornets seem confident that the last two weeks have been an anomaly, and they have a chance to prove it going forward.

Thompson said last week that what matters is how you respond in times like these.

“I hope we go into it with the mindset that we want to play our best game,” Thompson said. “We work too hard year-round and in the off-season to stop in the middle of the year.”

Sac State's offense faltered in its first conference matchup against Northern Arizona, but seemed much more capable last week when redshirt freshman quarterback Carson Conklin threw four touchdown passes, a career-best.

Junior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver ran for 100 yards or more in three of the first four games this season, and while he has yet to top that mark in conference play, he was only 6 yards short against Eastern Washington.

The defense, which was questionable early in the season, has played well in spurts. Sac State ranks first in the entire FCS in sacks per game, is first in the Big Sky in forced fumbles, second in the conference in interceptions and had not allowed more than 85 rushing yards in a game before last week .

The task now is to bring it all together, or as Richardson would say, circle the wagons. What better time than Homecoming to keep the season alive?

Predictions:
Andrew Edwards, sports staff (0-0): Sac State hasn't needed a win in quite some time. I am still confident that this season can be saved. I think Thompson will have his team ready to go, and I expect the Hornet defense to get back into shape without having to contain an off-balance rushing attack like they saw at Eastern Washington. Expect Tau-Tolliver to have a big game on the ground against a team that is allowing 176 rushing yards per game.

Sac State: 34, Weber State: 24

Ryan Lorenz, sports editor (3-2): The Hornets have put themselves in a tough spot with back-to-back conference losses. The offense should focus on its ground attack and give Tau-Tolliver the ball to control the rhythm and pace of the game. The defense struggled mightily against Eastern Washington, but remains the FCS sacks leader with 20 sacks. If Sac State's defense can get back to the kind of defense that hasn't allowed points in consecutive games and the offense can control the flow of the game, then the Hornets will pick up their first win in conference play.

Sac State: 30, Weber State: 21

Adam Camarena, sports editor (3-2): Sac State is the most confusing team imaginable. One week their defense looks strong and the offense is failing to move the ball, the next the opposite is true. Conklin threw four touchdown passes in last week's game, but three came in the first half. The defense will have to lick its wounds and stop the run if the Hornets want to keep their season from falling into crisis. I don't think that will happen. I expect inconsistency again and think the Hornets will fall short late in the game for the second straight year.

Sac State: 26, Weber State: 34

Jack Freeman, Editor-in-Chief (4-1): On paper, this should be an excellent game for Sac State. They had success on the ground last week and that will certainly continue, but I'm not convinced it will be enough to slow Weber State's offensive power. For the Hornets to get past the Wildcats, the offense has to be perfect, and they haven't shown that they're capable of that this year.

Sac State: 30, Weber State: 35