Nov. 17, 2007
Final Stats
Sacramento, CA --- Josh Barnett became the all-time leading rusher in Idaho State history, scoring two touchdowns in the process, but Idaho State turned the ball over twice inside the Hornet 5-yard line as Sacramento State held off Idaho State in the season finale for both teams 41-30 at Hornet Stadium.
The Bengals finished the year 3-8 overall and 2-6 in the conference, while the Hornets also went 3-8, but 3-5 in the league.
Barnett broke the record with 4:43 left in the second quarter after entering the game needing 16 yards to move past Alfredo Anderson's 3,370 yards. Barnett took a handoff and went around the right end, getting a nice block from Aaron Klovas for a nine-yard run. Barnett, who also became the second Bengal to ever have two 1,000-yard rushing seasons, finished the season at 1,022 yards, and ended his career at 3,412 yards.
The game was a slugfest early, and a slugfest late. Sacramento State and the Bengals combined for five touchdowns on the first five drives of the game. The Hornets drew first blood, going 71 yards in 11 plays culminating in a Bryan Hilliard 1-yard run. Hilliard had three touchdowns on the day with a career-best 243 yards rushing. ISU answered right back, marching 62 yards in 10 plays, with ISU tying the game on a Ken Cornist 2-yard option run.
The Hornets responded, going back up 14-7 on another Hilliard 1-yard run, but ISU came right back, going 76 yards in four plays, the big one being a 71-yard swing pass to Ken Cornist that beat a blitz, with Cornist getting tackled at the 1-yard line. Josh Barnett barreled over from a yard out to tie it again.
Sacramento State went up for good when Travon Jones scored from seven yards out, one play after the Hornets eschewed a field goal to go for it on fourth-and-four. From there, the offenses bogged down a bit, although ISU was poised to tie the game with 3:27 left in the half. After ISU made their own fourth-down conversion at the Hornet 11, Russel Hill hit Trevor Messersmith on a crossing route, and safety Brent Webber hit him as he was trying to dive towards the end zone, and the ball popped loose, with Mike Brannon recovering at the 3-yard line.
After Brandon Jones hit a 46-yard field goal in the third to chisel into the lead and make it 21-17, ISU survived a missed field goal and marched right down the field. Clint Knickrehm to a swing pass 27 yards down to the five-yard line, and with ISU poised to take the lead, Russel Hill threw a costly interception in the end zone on 1st-and-goal at the 5-yard line, ending the threat.
That pick, only the sixth all season by the Hornets, gave them life, and they marched 80 yards for a back-breaking touchdown and a 28-17 lead. ISU then went for it on 4th-and-inches, but Josh Barnett was swallowed up on a short side sweep, and the Hornets took over at the ISU 36, and the Hornets scored six plays later after another converted fourth down to make it 35-17.
The Bengals did get two late touchdowns to keep in interesting, as Hill connected with Eddie Thompson for an 8-yard touchdown, and Barnett scored with touchdown with one second left to end the scoring for ISU.
Hill set career-highs in completions (30), attempts (48) and yards (376) in the loss, and his 2,313 yards is the third-most ever by a freshman. Barnett's 1,022 yards marked the first time a Bengal senior had a 1,000-yard campaign. Also, Eddie Thompson ended the year with 83 catches, second-most in school history, and Ryan Phipps had a career-best 18 tackles, giving him a team leading 116 for the season.
NOTES: Sterling Mennear had the only Bengal sack, and he picked off his first pass of the season in the third quarter, leading to a field goal ... both teams went 3-for-4 on fourth down ... The Hornets outrushed ISU 335 to 46 .. ISU punted three times for a 36.7-yard average, and Sacramento State punted just once for 12 yards.
