SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Despite outscoring FCS opponent Sacramento State in the second half, the No. 13 Eastern Oregon University football team couldn't recover from a 38-point deficit and fell to the Hornets, 41-20.

"I am very proud of this team," said head football coach Tim Camp. "They continued to play hard together. They showed grit! Also, I'm very happy with the assistant coaches and their leadership that they continue to show each day."

Junior quarterback Zach Bartlow threw for 163 yards, completing 21 of 33 passes, including a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

Senior wide receiver Jace Billingsley logged 186 all-purpose yards, including a school-record 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, while sophomore wide receiver Brenden Kelly had two catches for 24 yards and a touchdown for the Mountaineers.

Defensively, senior linebacker Gary Posten and senior defensive back Adam Bese paced EOU with 13 and 11 tackles, respectively.

The Storyline

In the first quarter, EOU couldn't get anything going against a suffocating defense by Sacramento State, as four of the first five Mountaineer drives resulted in 3-and-outs.

Senior defensive back Byron Benson forced a fumble recovered by EOU to spark a little bit of momentum for the Mountaineers, but Sacramento State didn't care, as the Hornets compelled another quick 3-and-out in a little over a minute to regain possession.

Towards the end of the first quarter, the Hornets unleashed some built-up adrenalin, scoring a pair of touchdowns in a little over three minutes to snag a 14-0 advantage.

The second quarter reflected the same storyline as the first, as Sacramento State tacked on two touchdowns and a field goal to take a commanding 31-0 advantage into the locker room. After EOU opened the second quarter with a 3-and-out, Sacramento State's Isiah Hennie returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown to keep the momentum in the hands of the Hornets.

Sacramento State registered 279 total yards in the first half compared to only 76 by EOU. The Mountaineers, which boasted the second-best running game in the Frontier Conference last season, were held to just one rushing yard on nine carries.

Although the Hornets (1-0) opened the third quarter with an 11-play, 77-yard drive capped by Daniel Kniffin's first rushing touchdown of the night, Billingsley responded with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to put the Mountaineers on the board, 38-6.

Following a Hornet field goal, the Mountaineers had a chance to add to their scoring tally after sophomore running back Alonso Mendoza rushed 28 yards for the first down at the Sacramento State 23-yard line, but the Hornets ultimately sacked Bartlow on 4th-and-five to force the turnover on downs.

Though the game may have been out of reach, EOU refused to bow down quietly. After a defensive stop, junior wide receiver TJ Esekielu capped a 12-play, 80-yard Mountaineer drive with a 1-yard carry into the end zone at the 3:14 mark of the fourth quarter.

Then, with 43 ticks on the clock, Bartlow found Kelly for the 11-yard touchdown to cap EOU's scoring for the night, 41-20.

Stats of the Game

27 – First downs by Sacramento State compared to 13 by EOU.
20 ­– Of the final 23 points of the game scored by the Mountaineers. 

Up Next

EOU (0-2) returns to the gridiron on Sept. 12 for a showdown with No. 1 Southern Oregon in Ashland, Ore., at 1 p.m.