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Weber State running back Josh Davis (20) runs past Sacramento State defender Daron Bland (37) during a game Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif.

Bob Solorio, Sacramento State Athletics

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Weber State defensive backs Eddie Heckard (5) and Ja'Kobe Harris (24) wrap up a Sacramento State ball carrier during a game Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif.

Bob Solorio, Sacramento State Athletics

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The last time Weber State and Sacramento State played was three years ago. The Hornets were ranked No. 6 and the Wildcats went into Sacramento and won handily, 36-17.

That early November matchup is the only Big Sky game head coach Troy Taylor has lost in three seasons leading the Hornets.

No. 2 Sacramento State (8-0, 5-0 Big Sky) puts long winning streaks on the line at 1 p.m. Saturday against No. 5 Weber State (7-1, 4-1).

The Hornets have been nothing short of great this season, joining Weber as the two teams in the Big Sky with FBS wins by bashing Colorado State. Now their win streak is at eight games after rallying to force overtime against Montana and winning in the extra period, then surrendering a late lead to Idaho only to drive and score for the win.

Sac State has won 16 straight conference games, which is tied for the second-longest streak in Big Sky history. Montana won 16 straight from 2006-07. The Griz hold the all-time mark at 25 straight from 1999-2002.

How have they done it? With an all-world rushing attack that ranks third nationally at 266 yards per game.

“They do a good job with their run game. The O-line is physical, they do a good job, they fit up into blocks the right way,” WSU head coach Jay Hill said.

That’s led by sophomore battering ram Cameron Skattebo, a 5-foot-10 bruiser with speed, and a back who has endless throwback-football-guy energy. He runs for 123 yards per game (sixth-best nationally) on 7.8 yards per carry (second nationally). He adds 30 receiving yards per game and occasionally makes waves in the return game.

Simply put, Skattebo is a problem. But he’s not the only one.

The Hornets start senior Jake Dunniway at quarterback, a traditional passer who was pressed into duty due to injury in Weber’s 2019 matchup with Sac State and did not fare well. He’s older now, throwing for 186 yards per game on a 60% completion clip, with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions in eight games. He usually plays winning football for his team.

But lurking on the sidelines is senior Asher O’Hara. At any moment, and often in crunch-time situations, Taylor will call on O’Hara and a run package created around him. It’s a mix of power-run with leading fullbacks and pulling guards, read-option looks and fakes to sweeping motion men, and more.

O’Hara has only three fewer rushing attempts than Skattebo for the season, averaging 76 yards per game and punching in 14 touchdowns, fourth-best nationally, on 5 yards per carry. It’s a wild change-up that has worked wonders for Sac State when they need a scoring drive the most. O’Hara is also 40 for 53 (75%) passing for 43 yards per game with five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

O’Hara scored Sac State’s overtime touchdown against Montana and the game-winning score against Idaho — the latter a leaping, twisting dive into the end zone.

It’s another strength-versus-strength matchup like Weber had at Montana State, a game where the Wildcats hope they learned plenty of lessons when the Bobcats scored 43 points and QB Tommy Mellott rushed for 273 yards.

“The biggest thing we can take from that is when we do our job, we’re pretty good. When we start trying to do other people’s job and we lose our assignments or start trying to do too much, we’re not what we should be,” Hill said. “We’ve got to get back to basics in stopping the run, just like we did last week against Montana. And we’ve got to come with a physical, hard-nosed mentality.”

INJURY REPORT

Hill said after last week’s win over Montana that running back Josh Davis and receiver Jacob Sharp will both play this week against Sac State. Kick returner Abraham Williams will also be active after going out during the Montana State game with concussion-like symptoms and missing the Montana game.

Running back Damon Bankston went down late in last week’s game and will be a game-time decision. Offensive lineman Jordan Lutui had his leg rolled on during the end of a run play last week and will be out Saturday.

TEAM VS. TEAM METRICS

Weber State’s offense averages 35.8 points (16th nationally) and 417.4 yards per game (32nd). Sacramento State’s defense averages allowing 21.5 points (30th) and 374.2 yards per game (54th).

Sacramento State’s offense averages 44 points (third nationally) and 498.1 yards per game (fourth). Weber State’s defense allows 16.25 points (fifth) and 284.2 yards per game (seventh).

ODDS & PREDICTIONS

Jeff Sagarin, longtime college football computer ratings guru, ranks all of FBS and FCS together. His system ranks Weber State No. 83 out of 261 Division I teams. Sacramento State is No. 75 overall. Using his predictive element and accounting for home-field advantage, Sagarin’s formula is a pick ’em with Weber State technically favored by 0.29 points.

Bill Connelly, another longtime CFB statistician now at ESPN, publishes weekly predictions using his SP+ system. His SP+ formula marks this week’s game as a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown, as Weber State moved up eight spots to No. 2 this week. The system predicts a virtual pick ’em with Weber State winning 30.3 to 29.9.

DRatings also has a pick ’em, favoring Weber State by a score of 28.9 to 28.8 with a 50.5% win probability.

WEATHER

Kickoff at Stewart Stadium is at 1 p.m. The forecast in Ogden calls for a high of 44 degrees with a 90% chance of rain. It will be about 42 degrees at kickoff.

“We already had a game like this once this year (at Montana State), so we pretty much know what to expect and I don’t think there’s going to be any issues,” Hill said.

‘GO W’ THROWBACK

Weber State will wear the white helmets it debuted on the road at Montana State, but this time with the classic purple “Go W” symbol on the side. The first 3,500 fans will receive a free “Go W” T-shirt.

TV & RADIO

Saturday’s game will not air on television. The video broadcast will be on the ESPN+ subscription service. Tony Parks and Riley Jensen will be on the call.

Steve Klauke and Jerry Graybeal will have the Weber State radio call locally on 103.1 FM and streaming online at www.1031thewave.com.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Weber State leads the all-time series 16-8 with a five-game win streak, including a 12-1 mark in Ogden with three straight wins. Sac State’s last win in the series came in 2014.

Troy Taylor is in his third season at Sac State, as the Hornets did not play in the spring 2021 season, and is 20-1 in Big Sky games. Jay Hill is in his ninth season at Weber State with a 48-18 Big Sky record.

AROUND THE BIG SKY

Outside of the game in Ogden, No. 15 Idaho hosts struggling Eastern Washington in a rivalry contest. No. 16 Montana hosts Cal Poly, winless in Big Sky games, trying to end its three-game losing streak. No. 3 Montana State travels to Northern Arizona, and high-scoring UC Davis looks to win its fourth straight in a bid to win out and make the playoffs by hosting Idaho State.

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