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OGDEN — In a wet and wild battle with Montana State, Weber State's only loss of the season, head coach Jay Hill reiterated that the close defeat would not define his team's season.
To that point in the season, the Wildcats had been undefeated and road an eight-game road winning streak that dated back to the previous season. Montana State was ranked No. 3 in the FCS rankings, and Weber State knew the game would be difficult.
While the loss disappointed many, Hill knew his team wouldn't have much time to dwell on it before entering one of the toughest stretches of the season.
"This game will not define the season; this one will not," Hill said at the time. "The next three or four absolutely will, but this game will not define the season — it's unfortunate."
Last weekend, Weber State played the first of three straight matchups that will most likely all come against ranked teams; and in it the Wildcats toppled the 11th-ranked Montana Grizzlies in a hard-fought battle. While it was a reason to celebrate, it doesn't get any easier for the Wildcats.
On Saturday, No. 5 Weber State (7-1) welcomes undefeated No. 2 Sacramento State (8-0) to Ogden in a national matchup of two of the top FCS teams in the country.
"(Head coach) Troy Taylor's done a great job there and implemented a very good culture," Hill said about the Hornets. "They play hard. They're very, very explosive on offense. They lead the Big Sky in total yards. They lead the Big Sky in points per game. They're second in the league in rushing. They're very balanced. ... It's a great opponent and a fun matchup for us."
If it feels like whenever Hill speaks about an opponent he usually refers to their offense first, it's because Weber State has played some incredible offenses this season. Half of the teams in the entire Big Sky average over 30 points per game, and the top two teams — Montana State and Sacramento State — average over 40 points.
The Hornets average just shy of 500 total yards of offense per game and they prefer to do their damage in the run game. Like the Wildcats, the Hornets have a win over an FBS opponent in Colorado State, and only two of their wins have been decided by one score or less — though if the Wildcats wanted to look for positives, those two close victories were in their last two games.
Sacramento State also comes into the game with an impressive streaks on the line. Like the Wildcats had going into the game against Montana State, the Hornets come into Ogden riding an eight-game road winning streak, which is currently tied for the longest active streak in the FCS.
Sacramento State has a 16-game winning streak going against Big Sky opponents, which covers the last three years — that's the longest active streak of conference victories in all of Division I football, FBS included. The last time the Hornets lost to a Big Sky opponent was on Nov. 2, 2019, in Sacramento against the Wildcats by a score of 36-17.
As the Wildcats enter the second game of a three-game home gauntlet against top conference opponents, Hill said he wants fans to remain a factor in the game and hey buoy the team.
"The crowds have been outstanding, and I can't thank the fans enough and the people that support us enough," Hill said. "The whole Ogden area, Weber County area, it's been absolutely huge for us to have them there. ... The crowds have been outstanding, and it's important for a college football team to have home field advantage — what a huge deal that is.
"So hopefully, (the fans) all show up this week. It's as good a team as we've had on our field, maybe ever. I mean, this is a very good football team coming in here."
