By admin 
The move up in NCAA Division I football classification complete, the Sacramento State Hornets now bound into the beat of their schedule, and none of it will be easy.
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This all inspires the guys in Hornets green more than deters them, because in this sport, one cannot afford to flinch.
Fresh off of a 52-0 win over FCS-level Mississippi Valley State in front of a Hornet Stadium home-opening record crowd of nearly 19,000 on a night of Historic firsts, Sac State now embarks on its only California road trip of the season.
The Hornets play at new Pac-12 member Fresno State on Saturday night, a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Then on Sept. 12 they’ll host North Dakota State, a 10-time FCS national champion in the last 15 years that has moved up to the FBS level and into the Mountain West Conference in which Fresno State once resided.
Then it’s the remainder of the Mid-American Conference schedule in a crunch. The Hornets dropped their MAC opener, which was also their season opener, 28-17 at Eastern Michigan.
“We’ve had wonderful FCS tradition here, but we’ve moved up now,” Hornets coach Alonzo Carter said late Saturday night, the glow still in his voice after his first Hornets victory and the program’s first as an FBS program after 33 years in the FCS.
“We’re going to go toe-to-toe every week with our opponents. We know that there are a lot of things we need to overcome. We know the hand that we’ve been dealt. We know the challenges but also know the plusses.”
Getting FBS-ready on the fly
The challenges include getting a full roster of FBS-level players and upgrading facilities. The Hornets anticipated another year in the FCS, as an independent without a conference, if the invite from the MAC did not come, and Sac State recruited and scheduled accordingly.
Sac State has 73 new players a year after having 75 new players. The program will need roster stability to handle the rigors of the FBS, even in this era of transfer portal comings and goings.
Because the MAC’s five-year invitation to compete in football only came sooner than Sac State administrators anticipated, the program had to hit the ground running. Long term, Sac State president Luke Wood and athletic director Mark Orr have said that they would like to schedule more California FBS programs, including Fresno State in coming seasons in addition to exploring games with San Jose State.
Sac State opens at Cal in 2027, and the Hornets have an early season game at the Oregon Ducks in 2028 in an effort to take on top teams on the West Coast.
Carter said he has been excited, proud and humbled at this opportunity. He is an Oakland native who dreamed of landing the Hornets gig after previously interviewing for the position. He knows that his program will be measured by wins and losses and that opponents do not care about the stepping stones to competitive respectability.
“We have this thing that we way say: ‘It’s process over outcome,’” Carter said. “Too many people get so caught up on the outcome that they have no idea what our process is. They had no ideal that when I took this job it was an FCS opportunity. They had no idea that three weeks after I took the job, we find out, ‘Oh, you’re going to be playing FBS ball. Oh, OK. In 2027? No, no, no, no, no — 2026.’ I didn’t flinch.
“I know what this program can be. I know how special it can be.”
Sacramento State (1-1) at Fresno State (0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
On air: CBS Sports Network, ESPN 1320 AM radio
Of note: Fresno State opened at No. 14 USC and dropped a 39-0 contest in the Coliseum as the Bulldogs were held to 116 yards of total offense while allowing 552. That marked Fresno State’s first season-opening shutout since 1944.
Sac State is making its sixth trip to Fresno State, seeking its first victory against the Bulldogs. Fresno State coach Matt Entz has a son, Konner Entz, who is a pitcher on the Sac State baseball team.
Jackson Sharman will start at quarterback for Sac State after starting against Mississippi Valley State in place Carson Conklin, who is sidelined with a wrist injury. Conklin was a Hornets FCS Freshman All-American in 2024 before transferring to Fresno State last season. Sharman was sharp last week, passing four 247 yards and four touchdowns, three to receiver Matt Coleman.
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