Incarnate Word QB Lindsey Scott Jr. ends Sac State’s dream season in FCS playoff classic in coach Taylor’s last game

The Sacramento State Hornets have encountered many talented playmakers over the last three college football seasons, but none by the name of Lindsey Scott Jr.

Scott, the much-traveled, 24-year old senior quarterback, was every bit as good as advertised for Incarnate Word of San Antonio. He left his footprints and a lasting impression on the Hornets on Friday night, delivering a 66-63 knockout in the highest-scoring FCS playoff game in history in the final Sacramento State game for coach Troy Taylor, who on Saturday met with Stanford players he will now lead.

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Scott passed for 219 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 183 yards and two scores to slam the brakes on Sacramento State’s finest season, one that included 12 victories and this lone loss in front of 13,722 at Hornet Stadium.

After winning three consecutive Big Sky Conference championships under Taylor, Sacramento State this season won its first FCS playoff game and first of any sort since 1988, when the program was in Division II. As delighted as the players were to get this far, they were equally as crushed that it did not lead to a semifinal game against storied North Dakota State, winner of nine of the last 11 FCS championships.

Scott’s perfectly thrown 21-yard touchdown strike to Taylor Grimes in the corner of the end zone with 1:16 left to play was the winner. Did he catch it? Did he bobble it? That’s the debate, but the only view that matters is that of the referees who called it a touchdown on the field and then had it stand after reviews.

The Hornets didn’t question it after the game, many of them emotional that this ride was over, and none more pained than the seniors, some of whom were with the program in 2018 when Sacramento State went winless in the Big Sky before Taylor and his staff took over to lead the program to its greatest heights.

Sacramento State three times overcame an 11-point deficit against UIW, recovering two onside kicks in the second half and scoring touchdowns each time. The Hornets piled up a program-record 738 yards on a program-record 109 plays, but they had no answers for the dynamic Scott, who has a bevy of single-season FCS records, including touchdown passes with 59.

“He’s unbelievable,” Taylor said. “Electric.”

Said UIW coach G.J. Kinne, “He’s the best player in the country. He proved it.”

Said the humble Scott, “We have the best offense in the country. I can do all the boasting when the season is done. For now, I’m just a quarterback of an amazing offense.”

UIW (12-1) came into this game as the FCS’s highest-scoring team at 52.0 points per game. The Cardinals had 362 yards rushing and 579 total, and they needed every bit it to hold off the Hornets, who came in fourth in the FCS in scoring at 42.0 points per game.

Sacramento State’s final effort was a Hail Mary by Jake Dunniway into the end zone as time expired, a pass that fell incomplete. Dunniway and Asher O’Hara were stalwarts in their Hornets run, the seniors rotating seamlessly and gutting out aches and pains. Dunniway shook off a sore knee to pass for 228 yards and two touchdowns. O’Hara passed for 158 yards and a score and ran for 87 yards.

Marshel Martin caught three fourth-quarter touchdowns. Cameron Skattebo rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns, and threw his first collegiate touchdown, a 19-yarder to Martin, to pull Sac State within 45-41 with 12:08 left to play.

Taylor said he told his team after Friday’s loss, “how much I love them and how proud I am. It hurts when you don’t win the last game. It doesn’t change how I feel about them. It was an unbelievable effort. Our guys always think we’ll find a way. This is a special group. Pretty phenomenal.”

Skattebo, the local star from Rio Linda High School, finally looked spent after a game. A lot of that was the emotion of knowing the season is over, but the Big Sky’s leading rusher praised his coaches for being the only scholarship program to offer him a chance.

“This was my funnest and most joyous year,” Skattebo said. “I love all my guys.”