Sacramento State running back Jamar Curtis (1) celebrates a touchdown with tight end Cedric Anton (88) in the first half against Mississippi Valley State on Saturday in Sacramento.
JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS
jvillegas@sacbee.com
It was a night of historic firsts for the Sacramento State Hornets on Saturday.
In rolling past Mississippi Valley State, 52-0, the Hornets earned their first victory of the season in their first season as an NCAA Division I upper-subdivision FBS program.
Players and coaches celebrated their spirited first-year coach Alonzo Carter, who was a winner in his first season leading a four-year college program, having coached high school ball in the Bay Area and serving as a top assistant at San Jose State and Arizona State.
A crowd of 18,523 watched the action on a perfect night for football, the fifth-largest in the 73-year history of the program and the most to attend a Hornet Stadium home opener.
And more: Jackson Sharman dazzled in his first start at quarterback for Sac State in his first season with the program after his transfer from Idaho State.
Sacramento State quarterback Jackson Sharman drops back to pass in the first half against Mississippi Valley State on Saturday in Sacramento. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
Starting in place of Carson Conklin, who was sidelined with a wrist injury, Sharman completed 18 of 28 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns, three of them going to Matt Coleman, who became the first Hornets receiver to have three scoring catches in a game since Pierre Williams in 2019.
On his first snap in his first game action for Sac State, redshirt freshman quarterback Jaylen Patterson kept the momentum rolling, bolting for a 43-yard touchdown to make it 44-0 with 12:07 left to play. The defense stifled the FCS-level Delta Devils and pitched the program’s first shutout since 2021 and largest margin in a shutout victory since 1988, when the Hornets competed in Division II.
Sacramento State running back Isaiah Ene is tackled by Mississippi Valley State cornerback Malek Jackson in the first half on Saturday in Sacramento. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com Celebrity guests and Mississippi Valley ties
MC Hammer, he of “U Can’t Touch This” musical fame, was a special guest of Carter. The two are decades-long friends and Oakland natives. Carter was a backup dancer and lead choreographer for Hammer when he starred on the music scene in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Rapper MC Hammer watches the action between the Sacramento State Hornets and Mississippi Valley State in the first half Saturday in Sacramento. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
Coleman played in 36 games over four seasons at San Jose State and had the best game of his life on Saturday against a Mississippi Valley State program that his father knew well. Herman Coleman played quarterback at Southern University in Louisiana from 1980-83, and those teams played against Mississippi Valley State in conference games, including when Jerry Rice starred as receiver for the Delta Devils.
A Hall of Fame great who helped the San Francisco 49ers win three Super Bowls, Rice was a special guest of his alma mater on Saturday.
Herman Coleman died in 2020 from pancreatic cancer. His son caught a 5-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead, a 19-yarder to make it 24-0 and a 63-yarder for a 38-0 advantage with two minutes to play in the third. Sharman praised his offensive line and Coleman’s effort.
“It was a full-circle moment for me,” Coleman said. “I wish my dad was here. I know he’d be proud of me. I think about him all the time.”
Said Sharman, “Matt and I have been building chemistry since I got here in January. I trust this guy to make plays. It was a historic night.”
Sharman said he and Conklin have backed and supported each other as teammates and friends since the start of spring drills. That included Saturday night.
“He told me tonight, ‘Hey, dude, I’ll be right here with you.’ I’m going to need him.”
Dominant defense on ‘historical’ night
Sac State allowed just 43 yards passing and 104 yards rushing on 34 carries a week after limited Eastern Michigan to 69 yards on the ground in a Mid-American Conference opening 28-17 setback.
Carter, the coach, brought his game ball to the postgame media session. He spoke about this being “truly a full-circle moment.”
“I came to games here as a fan or as a visiting high school coach. I’ve seen the football here, the crowds. I’m very thankful to be the coach of this program.”
The coach praised his team, and his leaders praised him.
Said Sharman, “This is a historical night. Coach Carter, he pours in a lot for this team. The biggest thing we can do is have his back. It’s on us to give our best effort. We’re all super grateful to be here.”
The Hornets play next on Sept. 12, at Fresno State.
Sacramento State Hornets head coach Alonzo Carter, left, embraces Mississippi Valley State head coach Terrell Buckley following the Hornets 52-0 victory on Saturday in Sacramento. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
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Joe Davidson has covered sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1989: preps, colleges, Kings and features. He was in early 2024 named the National Sports Media Association Sports Writer of the Year for California and he was in the fall of 2024 inducted into the California High School Football Hall of Fame. He is a 14-time award winner from the California Prep Sports Writer Association. In 2021, he was honored with the CIF Distinguished Service award. He is a member of the California Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Davidson participated in football and track in Oregon.