# 2018 Sacramento State Hornets football team

The 2018 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Jody Sears in his fifth and final season as head coach, Sacramento State compiled an overall record of 2–8 with a mark of 0–7 in conference play, placing last out of 13 teams in the Big Sky. The Hornets played home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.
On November 26, Sears was fired. He finished his tenure at Sacramento State with a record of 20–35.

## Preseason
### Big Sky Kickoff

On July 16, 2018, during the Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane, Washington, the Hornets were predicted to finish in fifth place in the coaches poll and seventh place in the media poll.
Coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Eastern Washington | 134 (6) |
| 2 | Weber State | 124 (3) |
| 3 | Northern Arizona | 121 (3) |
| 4 | Idaho | 101 (1) |
| 5 | Sacramento State | 94 |
| 6 | Southern Utah | 91 |
| 7 | Montana | 82 |
| 8 | Montana State | 76 |
| 9 | UC Davis | 64 |
| 10 | Cal Poly | 40 |
| 11 | Northern Colorado | 30 |
| 12 | Idaho State | 29 |
| 13 | Portland State | 21 |
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Eastern Washington | 651 (27) |
| 2 | Weber State | 636 (19) |
| 3 | Northern Arizona | 535 (1) |
| 4 | Montana | 496 (2) |
| 5 | Idaho | 483 (3) |
| 6 | Southern Utah | 449 (1) |
| 7 | Sacramento State | 415 |
| 8 | Montana State | 391 (1) |
| 9 | UC Davis | 331 (1) |
| 10 | Idaho State | 170 |
| 11 | Cal Poly | 169 |
| 12 | Northern Colorado | 166 |
| 13 | Portland State | 103 |

### Preseason All-Conference Team

The Hornets had three players selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
Andre Lindsey – Sr. WR
George Obinna – Sr. DE
Mister Harriel – Sr. S

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 6:00 p.m. | St. Francis (IL)* | Hornet StadiumSacramento, CA | CW 31 | W 55–7 | 6,944 |
| September 8 | 6:00 p.m. | at San Diego State* | SDCCU StadiumSan Diego, CA | | L 14–28 | 45,755 |
| September 15 | 1:00 p.m. | at Northern Colorado* | Nottingham FieldGreeley, CO | ELVN | W 28–25 | 3,768 |
| September 22 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 19 Montana | Washington–Grizzly StadiumMissoula, MT | RTNW | L 34–41 | 24,060 |
| October 6 | 6:00 p.m. | Cal Poly | Hornet StadiumSacramento, CA | CW 31 | L 27–41 | 8,930 |
| October 13 | 5:00 p.m. | at Southern Utah | Eccles ColiseumCedar City, UT | Pluto TV 236 | L 27–48 | 10,424 |
| October 20 | 6:00 p.m. | North Dakota | Hornet StadiumSacramento, CA | CW 31 | L 15–41 | 10,709 |
| October 27 | 6:00 p.m. | Portland State | Hornet StadiumSacramento, CA | CW 31 | L 14–41 | 3,267 |
| November 3 | 11:00 a.m. | at No. 4 Weber State | Stewart StadiumOgden, UT | Pluto TV 235 | L 14–26 | 7,857 |
| November 10 | 6:00 p.m. | Northern Arizona | Hornet StadiumSacramento, CA | CW 31 | Cancelled | |
| November 17 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. No. 9 UC Davis | Mackay StadiumReno, NV (Causeway Classic) | ELVN | L 13–56 | 2,482 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Pacific time |||||||
* ↑ The game against Northern Arizona on November 10 was cancelled due to unhealthy air quality as a result of the Camp Fire in Northern California.
* ↑ The game against UC Davis on November 17 was moved to Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nevada due to unhealthy air quality as a result of the Camp Fire in Northern California.
Despite Northern Colorado also being a member of the Big Sky Conference, the September 15 game against Sacramento State was considered a non-conference game.

## Game summaries
### St. Francis (IL)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Saints | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Hornets | 10 | 21 | 14 | 10 | 55 |

### At San Diego State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Aztecs | 7 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 28 |

### At Northern Colorado

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 25 |

### At Montana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 14 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 34 |
| No. 19 Grizzlies | 14 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 41 |

### Cal Poly

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mustangs | 14 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 41 |
| Hornets | 14 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 27 |

### At Southern Utah

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 21 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 27 |
| Thunderbirds | 7 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 48 |

### North Dakota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Hawks | 14 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 41 |
| Hornets | 3 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 15 |

### Portland State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 21 | 3 | 14 | 41 |
| Hornets | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

### At Weber State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| No. 4 Wildcats | 3 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 26 |

### At UC Davis

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| No. 9 Aggies | 14 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 56 |