Sac State makes history with dominant second half against Kent State

Trailing 10-6 at halftime to Kent State (3-6, 2-3 MAC), familiar feelings hovered over the heads of Sacramento State (2-7, 1-5 MAC), who had entered each FBS game of their season down at half.

After a stop in Kent State’s first drive of the second half, the Hornets finally roared to life.

Junior quarterback Jackson Sharman put Sac State in field goal range after finding junior wideout Onterrio Smith Jr. on a gorgeous back-shoulder throw, setting up Grant Meadors for a 36-yard field goal.

In response, the defense and special teams came up big, forcing a three-and-out and capitalizing on a weak punt, giving Sharman and the Hornet offense the ball in Kent State territory.

True freshman running back Isaiah Ene took the handoff on the initial play of the drive, burst through a well-blocked hole. and made both of the second-level defenders miss, throwing both hands skywards before crossing the plane of the goal line, scoring a cathartic 35-yard touchdown run to give the Hornets the lead.

It’s fitting that Ene opened the floodgates for the Hornets, who would score 25 points unanswered to win not only their first FBS game and their first MAC game as a conference member, but arguably their biggest game in recent program history.

Ene, who has been the life of this Hornets team, finished his night with 117 yards and a pair of scores, solidifying his standing as one of college football’s most electrifying young runners.

“We all felt like we were due for a win,” Ene said. “We didn’t let the moment get too big, everyone in that [locker] room has been playing football their entire lives, they’re not here for no reason. We settled down, calmed down, and then did what we needed to do.”

Up seven going into the fourth quarter, the Hornet defense fell into lockstep, forcing a punt on Kent State’s response drive. But after Sac State was forced to punt, Kent State and Dru DeShields began to build some momentum, converting on a third-and-10 for a new set of downs.

DeShields looked toward the sidelines, aiming for an open man in the flat, but he had put too much onto it. The ball sailed over his receiver and into the waiting arms of senior safety Donovan Turner. The play wasn’t dead; Turner shook off the initial two tacklers finding himself with room to run and a herd of motivated Hornets ready to set blocks.

He weaved through the crowd and into the endzone, all but icing the game for Sac State.

“We dove into the film [on DeShields],” Turner said. “Pre-snap, we knew that when they put the tight end all the way split out to one, it’s just a decoy. The quarterback overthrew the ball due to the pressure and I caught it. After that, I couldn’t be denied.”

Turner’s interception was the defining moment of a dominant defensive performance, one that saw the Hornets force five turnovers and hold Kent State scoreless for the entirety of the second half.

For head coach Alonzo Carter, the play carried additional significance. Turner had battled injuries throughout the spring, fall camp and regular season, but remained a vocal leader for the Hornets even when he couldn’t take the field.

“For him to come back and make the play, to me that was the game, that was the nail in the coffin,” Carter said. “Our kids play on momentum and Donovan is a very strong leader.”

The Golden Flashes finished with 302 yards of offense– but 92 of those came on a single first-quarter touchdown pass from DeShields to junior wide receiver Wayne Harris. Outside of that explosive play, Kent State struggled to generate consistent offense against a Sacramento State defense that had been among the team’s biggest weaknesses throughout the season.

Sac State’s defensive front was particularly disruptive, recording 11 quarterback hurries and two sacks. Senior defensive lineman Xavier Williams led the charge with four pressures, while sophomore linebacker Fata Puloka forced two fumbles and senior defensive back Boogsie Silvera recorded a game-high 10 tackles.

“We knew he could make plays with his legs, but we want to stop their run game,” Carter said. “I think the defense stood the test. They took the test, they passed the test, and then added even more in the second half.”

The Hornets’ pressure was relentless in the fourth quarter, forcing DeShields into mistakes and giving Kent State little opportunity to mount a comeback.

After Turner’s interception return stretched the lead to 24-10, Williams forced a strip sack on Kent State’s next possession, which was recovered by senior linebacker Miles Bailey. The Hornets couldn’t capitalize on the short field, but the defense continued to hold firm.

Kent State’s next possession ended in another fumble, forced by Puloka and recovered by Bailey, before the Golden Flashes turned the ball over on downs with just under three minutes remaining.

Ene needed just one play to make them pay.

Taking the handoff at Kent State’s five-yard line, Ene bounced outside and crossed the goal line for his second touchdown of the night, putting the finishing touches on a victory that had eluded Sacramento State for much of the season.

For the Hornets, the win wasn’t necessarily a product of an offensive explosion. Sacramento State finished with just 278 total yards, and junior quarterback Jackson Sharman completed 14 of his 25 passes for 117 yards.

Instead, it was a complete team performance, with the defense creating opportunities, special teams winning the field-position battle and the offense doing enough to capitalize.

“Tonight was the complimentary football we’ve been looking for,” Carter said. “I’m so happy for the players. They’ve put in the work all season and now they can walk on campus with their heads up.”

The victory also represented a breakthrough for a Sacramento State team that had spent much of its inaugural FBS season searching for answers.

After eight games of growing pains, lopsided losses and flashes of potential that rarely translated into results, the Hornets finally put together a performance that showed what they could accomplish at college football’s highest level.

More importantly, they did it against a conference opponent, earning their first MAC victory and giving themselves something tangible to build on with three games remaining.

The significance of the moment wasn’t lost on Carter, who became emotional on the field following the victory, thinking about his late mother and brother, neither of whom had the opportunity to watch him coach college football.

“It’s very emotional when you stacking those losses, man, and the way we were losing, it just wasn’t what we were teaching and I know what we’re coaching,” Carter said. “It wears on you.”

For Carter, the mounting losses had taken a toll, particularly as the team’s performances failed to reflect what he believed they were capable of accomplishing.

“I take this job very serious,” Carter said. “I’m here to build a championship program and we will continue to develop these players and these young men and they will grow on and off the football field.”