Three-time defending champ Sac State and UC Davis projected as Big Sky football contenders

In a tight race that figures to also play out to the finish on the field, Big Sky Conference football coaches and media on Monday projected Sacramento State and UC Davis to finish high enough to be in the championship chase and to return to the FCS playoffs. The media day function was held in Spokane and included head coaches and players from all 12 teams.

The three-time defending Big Sky champion Hornets, who went 12-1 in 2022, were picked by media to place fourth in 2023, garnering 334 votes. Sacramento State was third in the coaches poll with 94 votes. UCD, seeking its second Big Sky crown since 2018 and fourth playoff appearance in that stretch, was picked to finish second by the coaches with 96 votes and fifth by the media with 330 votes.

Montana State was projected to win the Big Sky by coaches and media, earning 10 of 11 first-place votes in the coaches poll for 120 points and 26 of 39 first-place selections in the media poll for 447 points. UCD and Sac State each received one first-place vote from coaches.

“It’s the greatest (FCS) league in the country,” UC Davis coach Dan Hawkins said.

Sacramento State landed five first-team preseason All-Big Sky picks in running back Marcus Fulcher, tight end Marshel Martin, offensive lineman Jackson Slater, linebacker Armon Bailey and defensive back Caleb Nelson. Sacramento State has 15 returning starters for first-year coach and former Hornets defensive coordinator Andy Thompson.

UCD has three preseason All-Big Sky selections in offensive lineman Jake Parks, defensive lineman Zach Kennedy and defensive back Rex Connors for Hawkins, preparing for his seventh season in Davis.

Sacramento State and UC Davis both start practices next week in preparation for their Aug. 31 season openers on the road. The Hornets open at Nicholls State and UCD at Texas A&M University-Commerce. The rivals will cap the regular season with the 70th Causeway Classic on Nov. 18 at UCD.

Hornets on a roll

In 2018, Sacramento State did not win a single Big Sky game. Since that time, the Hornets have gone 23-1 in the Big Sky, the deepest FCS conference in the land, including winning all 16 Big Sky games in 2021 and 2022.

The Hornets last season were ranked as high as No. 2 in the FCS polls and set a bevy of school scoring records while averaging 15,502 fans at Hornet Stadium. It was far and away the best season for the program since it started playing the sport in 1954.

A lot of the credit went to coach Troy Taylor, who in turn pointed to his staff and players for the success. Taylor now heads Stanford, which will host the Hornets on Sept. 16. Taylor has called new Hornets coach Thompson “the smartest football guy” he’s known.

Bobby Fresques takes over as the team’s offensive coordinator. Fresques has the task of finding a new field general after Sacramento State graduated Jake Dunniway and Asher O’Hara, who orchestrated a wildly successful two-quarterback system. The quarterback battle will include one-time Sacramento Bee Player of the Year Kaiden Bennett, a junior out of Folsom High School, along with Dorian Hale, South Dakota transfer Carson Camp and freshman Carson Conklin.

Marshel Martin had 879 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Fulcher will take over the bulk of the rushing load in place of Cameron Skattebo, who took his bruising and entertaining style to Arizona State via transfer. The offensive line returns four starters for position coach Kris Richardson in Jackson Slater, Troy Stiefel, Nathan Mejia and Ivan Garza with Kenndel Riley also back, having started two games in the playoffs last fall.

On defense, eight of Sacramento State’s top 11 tacklers are back, including safety Cameron Broussard, linebackers Brock Mather and Jeremy Harris and defensive lineman Jett Stanley.

Aggies staying power

The Aggies return eight All-BIg Sky picks from a 6-5 team that won five of its last six games. UCD fell by six points or fewer in three setbacks to FCS top-10 teams in facing the most difficult schedule in program history, dating back to 1915.

Leading the charge for an offense that scored 36 points per game is 2022 first-team All-Big Sky quarterback Miles Hastings, who will start his third season for UCD. He passed for 3,048 yards and 20 touchdowns last fall. Hastings is so humble, his coaches say, that he gladly helped tidy up the banquet room after a Sunday event.

“I’ve seen his confidence level and leadership go off the charts,” Hawkins said.

Hastings’ top receiver may again be C.J. Hutton of Folsom, who had 47 catches for 506 yards and four touchdowns. Justin Kraft of Whitney High had two touchdowns. All-purpose star Trent Tompkins can catch the ball and run it.

Also back is return specialist Lan Larison, who may also get a lot of carries at running back as the Aggies bid farewell to their all-time career rushing leader, Ulonzo Gilliam Jr. Larison has rushed for 1,068 career yards and 11 touchdowns. Thompkins has rushed for 687 career yards and 14 touchdowns.

The offensive line will be bolstered by returning All-Big Sky picks Jordan Ford and Jake Parks. Third-team returners for the Aggies are defensive tackle Chubba Maae, linebacker Teddye Buchanan and cornerback Jehiel Bidgett. Connors emerged as a star as a freshman, leading the Aggies with 92 tackles and five interceptions.

Other Big Sky talking points

▪ Will Montana regain Big Sky supremacy, or at least in-state honors? The Grizzlies have dropped five of the last six games to fierce rival Montana State, which rolled to the FCS championship game last season.

▪ Can Idaho back up its big 2022 breakthrough? Second-year coach Jason Eck led the Vandals to their first FCS playoff since 1995. His team was picked to finish second by the media and fifth by the coaches.

▪ Can the class and calm of one of the best people in coaching in Paul Wulff make a difference at Cal Poly? It has to, as the Mustangs have gone 4-21 in the last three seasons and 13-45 in the last six. Wulff is a graduate of Davis High School who starred at center at Washington State and was the head coach at Eastern Washington and WSU. He has long been inspired by his mother, Dolores, who disappeared when he was a young teenager in 1979. She was murdered and wasn’t identified until a 2020 DNA test.

▪ Can Cody Hawkins infuse new life into Idaho State, coming off successive 1-10 seasons and two winning records in 19 seasons? The son of the UCD coach brings optimism, is a hometown favorite and vows to open up the offense, having worked as his father’s offensive coordinator last season.

Dan Hawkins joked on Monday that he crashed in his son’s hotel room after an outdoor concert kept him awake. He said of Cody, “It’s fun seeing Cody here. I miss him. He’s been my best friend. I miss my grandkids a lot.”

Preseason Big Sky Coaches Poll

(With first-place votes, total points)

1. Montana State (10/120)

2. UC Davis (1/96)

3. Sacramento State (1/94)

4. Weber State (91)

5. Idaho (89)

6. Montana (89)

7. Eastern Washington (52)

8. Portland State (45)

9. Northern Arizona (44)

10. Northern Colorado (37)

11. Cal Poly (25)

12. Idaho State (15)