Sacramento State coach Jody Sears says there are “no moral victories” in trying season

Nearing the end of a season filled with lopsided losses, Sacramento State football coach Jody Sears pointed to last week’s setback at Northern Colorado as one of his team’s best collective efforts.

At 1-7 overall and 1-4 in the Big Sky Conference, the Hornets are looking for signs of improvement rather than sweeping changes to a program headed for its third losing season in the last four years.

Sacramento State forced a season-high four turnovers against the Bears — two interceptions, two fumbles — but was only able to score 10 points off those extra possessions. A stagnant offense that’s averaging a conference-low 18.5 points per game did little to help an improved defensive performance.

“We really played some of the best ball we’ve played all year, especially defensively,” Sears said. “But at the same time, there’s no moral victories. You take the good, you grow from it, you get better.”

It’s been a difficult year for the Hornets to measure growth. They lost four consecutive games to begin the season, held off last-place Montana State on Oct. 1, and have lost three straight since. Sacramento State has been out-scored 135-33 in its last three outings.

In the high-scoring Big Sky where six teams average more than 30 points per game, the Hornets have struggled to keep pace. They rank last in scoring offense (18.5 points per game), total defense (500 yards per game), pass efficiency (96.6), sacks against (26) and red zone defense, where opponents are scoring at a 92.9-percent rate.

“Sacramento State has always been a team that’s tough to figure out,” Cal Poly coach Tim Walsh said. “Because athletically, you watch them and you go, ‘they’re good.’ For whatever reason, they find ways not to win games and they play kind of up and down.”

Sophomore quarterbacks Nate Ketteringham and Nolan Merker have both played in all eight games and yielded largely mixed results. Ketteringham was pressed into action late last year in what was expected to be a redshirt season, and he passed for 335 yards against the Mustangs on the road.

Merker broke his ankle in the first game last season and it was an uphill battle for the Hornets the rest of the way. He saw extended playing time against Northern Colorado last week, though he and Ketteringham went a combined 9 of 32 for 108 yards, an average of 3.3 yards per attempt.

“It’s all about how we set the tone at the line of scrimmage,” Cal Poly defensive tackle Marcus Paige-Allen said. “If we’re able to, early on, make sure that the o-linemen understand we’re there, we’re a forced to be reckoned with.”

This story was originally published October 28, 2016 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Sacramento State coach Jody Sears says there are “no moral victories” in trying season."