Northern Colorado Bears at Sacramento State Hornets
· NCAA - Football
Sacramento St. holds off Northern Colorado 40-35 behind Hammond Jr., Smith and 4 Meadors field goals
Following Meadors' fourth field goal, a 42-yarder with 2:01 to play, Eric Gibson Jr. drove Northern Colorado to the Sacramento State 3 with 30 seconds left but threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-1.
Meadors' 34-yard field goal gave Sacramento State (4-3, 2-1 Big Sky Conference) a 37-35 lead with 9:30 remaining. He also made field goals from 37 and 28 yards in the first half.
Ricky Lee III's 34-yard pick-6 to start the fourth quarter gave Sacramento State a 34-28 lead. Northern Colorado answered with Carver Cheeks for a 35-34 advantage.
Hammond had 134 yards rushing on 21 carries that included a 46-yard touchdown. Smith carried 17 times for 103 yards. The Hornets ran for 323 of their 434 yards of offense.
Gibson was 21-of-33 passing for 321 yards and threw three touchdowns but four interceptions for Northern Colorado (3-4, 1-2). He also threw a 75-yard TD pass to Cheeks in the second quarter. Cheeks finished with nine catches for 223 yards and three touchdowns.
How To Watch
How can I watch Northern Colorado Bears vs. Sacramento State Hornets?
- TV Channel: Bears at Hornets 2021 College Football, week 8, is broadcasted on ESPN+.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
FG | 1st Period 7:08 | Grant Meadors 37 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 2nd Period 14:10 | Rodney Hammond Jr. 46 Yd Run (Grant Meadors Kick) |
 |
TD | 2nd Period 13:25 | Carver Cheeks 75 Yd pass from Eric Gibson Jr. (Jacob Willig Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 6:37 | Brandon Johnson 2 Yd Run (Jacob Willig Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 2:20 | Bear Tenney 25 Yd pass from Cardell Williams (Grant Meadors Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 0:24 | Carver Cheeks 6 Yd pass from Eric Gibson Jr. (Jacob Willig Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 10:29 | Sam Adams II 34 Yd Run (Grant Meadors Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 7:52 | Brandon Johnson 2 Yd Run (Jacob Willig Kick) |
|
FG | 3rd Period 0:47 | Grant Meadors 28 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 4th Period 14:53 | Ricky Lee III 34 Yd Interception Return (Grant Meadors Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 14:00 | Carver Cheeks 62 Yd pass from Eric Gibson Jr. (Jacob Willig Kick) |
|
FG | 4th Period 9:30 | Grant Meadors 34 Yd Field Goal |
|
FG | 4th Period 2:01 | Grant Meadors 42 Yd Field Goal |
Statistics
 UNCO |
 SAC |
|
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 1st Downs | 21 |
| 7-13 | 3rd down efficiency | 5-16 |
| 0-1 | 4th down efficiency | 3-3 |
| 484 | Total Yards | 434 |
| 321 | Passing | 111 |
| 21/33 | Comp/Att | 9/17 |
| 9.7 | Yards per pass | 6.5 |
| 163 | Rushing | 323 |
| 35 | Rushing Attempts | 57 |
| 4.7 | Yards per rush | 5.7 |
| 2-25 | Penalties | 7-60 |
| 4 | Turnovers | 0 |
| 0 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
| 4 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
| 24:03 | Possession | 35:57 |
Game Information
Location: Sacramento, CA
Attendance: 20,022 · Capacity:
College Football News
Montana's Bobby Hauck retires, saying football 'not enjoyable'
Montana coach Bobby Hauck, saying that college football has become "not enjoyable" amid the seismic shift in the sport, announced his retirement Wednesday.
Badgers' Luke Fickell asked to forgo extension amid struggles
Wisconsin football coach Luke Fickell, at his request, was not among the coaches to receive a customary one-year extension from the school's athletic board.
Cotton Bowl president Rick Baker retiring after 38 years
Cotton Bowl president and CEO Rick Baker announced Wednesday he is retiring after 38 years with the organization that operates the College Football Playoff game played in North Texas.
Roman Harper reconnects with familiar SEC faces at NFL Pro Bowl
Harper joins The Paul Finebaum Show to discuss his experience at the 2026 Pro Bowl, explaining the amount of SEC alumni present before previewing Bama's potential in 2026.
Chip Kelly sees Northwestern rising amid changing sport
New Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said he saw the Wildcats as an ascending program amid the rapid changes affecting college football.