Weber State football: Bankston’s career night for naught in 51-48 overtime loss at Sac State
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- Sacramento State receiver Anderson Grover, left, tries to slip away from Weber State defenders Frankie Edwards, BJ Carey and Raimoana Tinirauarii (40) on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif.
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- Weber State running back Damon Bankston (1) runs for a 54-yard touchdown against Sacramento State on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif.
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- Weber State’s Frankie Edwards III, left, tackles Sacramento State’s Anderson Grover on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif.
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- Weber State running back Davion Godley, left, runs for a 28-yard touchdown against Sacramento State on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif.
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- Weber State running back Damon Bankston, center white, is taken down by Sacramento State’s Eian Moore (0) and teammates on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif.
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- Weber State’s Angel King, right, and Jalon Rock, bottom, tackle Sacramento State running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver (4) on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif.
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- Weber State’s Frankie Edwards, center, tackles Sacramento State’s Curron Borders (14) on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif.
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- Weber State kicker Kyle Thompson (41) makes a first-half kick against Sacramento State on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif.
Failing to score a touchdown from the 1-yard line. Missing a short field goal. Strong drives ending in turnovers on downs. The defense failing to get out of third-and-longs.
Several of the same errors through Weber State’s first seven games factored again in the Wildcats’ loss Saturday in Sacramento.
Damon Bankston had a career night and Weber State rallied from 17 points down in the second half, then lost 51-48 in double overtime when Kyle Thompson — who became WSU’s career scoring leader — missed a 27-yard field goal to send Sacramento State to its first Big Sky win of the season.
Weber State, now 3-5 overall, enters its bye week likely having said goodbye to a chance at a playoff berth. The Wildcats are 3-4 against FCS opponents with the four losses coming by a combined 10 points.
Bankston had Weber State’s first 200-yard rushing game in six years, his 234 yards on 25 carries tying for 10th in WSU’s single-game history. And, senior receiver Jacob Sharp hauled down nine catches for 119 yards and three touchdowns with many family and friends looking on who traveled the hour from the Vallejo area to Sacramento.
But after clawing back into it, Weber State’s offense couldn’t deliver the chances it had to deal the final blow.
Sacramento State (3-4, 1-2 Big Sky), which was 6 of 8 on third downs through three quarters, scored on all six of its first-half possessions, including a 70-yard scoring run from Elijah Tau-Tolliver. The junior running back finished with 141 yards on 19 carries and 85 yards on 11 receptions.
Weber State had its big plays — a 28-yard Davion Godley touchdown run and a 37-yard pass from Richie Muñoz to Sharp — but seemed to be losing touch when Sac State quarterback Carson Conklin (32 of 47 for 357 yards and three TDs) hit Anderson Grover (136 yards on eight catches) for a 54-yard score to put the home team up 31-17 with 1:41 left before halftime.
A 40-yard Bird Butler kickoff return set up Bankston for a 54-yard touchdown run two plays later to cut it to 31-24.
Still, the Hornets marched in the final 1:20 and were kept from the end zone mostly because of a Kao Hansen sack that slowed the home team just enough, forcing a 41-yard Zach Schreiner field goal as time expired to put Sac State up 34-24 at the half.
Weber State took its sixth possession of the game right down the field to start the second half (largely on 49 Bankston yards) before Muñoz committed his third goal-line or end-zone turnover in less than two games, trying to loft a pass to Sharp over Zelmar Vedder from the Sac State 7-yard line. But the throw wasn’t high enough and Vedder leaped for a one-handed interception in the end zone.
The Wildcats finally forced Sac State’s first punt of the ballgame only to have a blitzing Vedder crush Muñoz while he threw three plays later. Ultimately ruled a forced fumble, the ball flew directly into the arms of defensive lineman Ben Ahio for a turnover.
The Hornets used the resulting 29-yard field for a quick touchdown drive and a 41-24 lead with 6:30 left in the third quarter.
The game felt all but over when Weber State answered by turning the ball over on downs at the Sac State 30 late in the quarter.
That feeling was overwhelming when Conklin threw a 27-yarder to Jared Gipson, getting the Hornets to the WSU 8-yard line.
But instead of going up 48-24, Sac State went into its bag of tricks. Conklin handed off to a sweeping Tau-Tolliver going right, who threw back to Conklin running left. WSU freshman cornerback Frankie Edwards III read the QB’s route and Tau-Tolliver’s lofted throw gave Edwards enough time to get there.
Edwards corralled the interception and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown, making it 41-31 with 13:26 left — and the game flipped entirely on that play.
Sacramento State totaled 478 yards of offense and had punted just once before the trick-play pick-six; the Hornets would gain just 29 yards for the rest of regulation.
Defensive tackle Steven Bryant hurried Conklin into a third-down incompletion and Butler returned the ensuing punt 21 yards to the Sac State 40.
Three plays later, Muñoz lined a 24-yarder to Sharp in the end zone to make it 41-38 with 10:28 left.
Five plays more and the Hornets were punting again, giving WSU a 55-yard field with 9:08 left. An 11-yard run from Godley and Sharp drawing one of the several pass interference flags he induced had Weber to the Hornets’ 31. Bankston rushed for 11 yards on third-and-12 but was then stopped on fourth-and-1 at the Sac State 22. Replay showed Bankston appearing to get inside the 21 but the play was not reviewed.
Still, a BJ Carey third-down tackle forced Sac State’s third punt of the quarter and got Weber State another 55-yard field with 4:58 to go.
Another Sharp-induced pass interference and a third-down 12-yarder to tight end Pete Knudson had Weber marching. Bankston gashed for 7 yards on third-and-6 and had Weber State to first-and-goal at the 1.
Even after Bankston took a 1-yard loss on first down, Weber State had second down from the 2 and Sacramento State burned its final timeout with 1:40 left.
But like in losses to Lamar and Northern Colorado, Weber State could not punch in a touchdown from inside the opponents’ 5-yard line.
Godley took a loss of 2, then Bankston picked up just 1 yard going left on third down. WSU ran the clock down, called timeout, and Thompson booted through a 20-yard field goal with 4 seconds left, sending the game to overtime at 41-41.
Just like its overtime win at Montana, Weber State lost the coin toss and had the ball first in overtime.
Bankston ran for 19 yards on two carries, setting up a Muñoz-to-Sharp scoring slant of 3 yards to go up 48-41.
Sac State answered when Conklin threw to Danny Scudero for 11 yards, then Grover capped his big night with a 9-yard touchdown reception — sending it to a second overtime session at 48-48.
The Hornets took the ball next and Weber State’s fourth-quarter defense reappeared, using the help of a false start to chase Conklin around on two pass plays that ultimately resulted in Sac State settling for a Schreiner 36-yarder, which he sneaked inside the right upright for a 51-48 lead.
With a touchdown sending WSU home victorious, Bankston appeared to set his team up on a third-down pickup to the Sac State 14.
After two short gains, Weber drew up an end-zone fade to Sharp on the wide side; he was double-covered on the third-down throw, which went high.
WSU sent Thompson out for a 27-yarder. In a duplicate look from his miss to end the game at Lamar, Thompson’s attempt from the left hash simply stayed left, missed the mark, and sent the Hornets reveling onto the field while WSU players trudged off in disbelief.
The freshman Godley complemented Bankston’s career night with 76 yards on 13 carries, giving Weber State 316 rushing yards for the game. Bankston is now fifth in FCS rushing yards with 926.
Saturday saw the return of sophomore lineman Vae Soifua from injury after missing six weeks, and the return of Lavaka Taukeiaho after he missed the previous game.
Senior linebacker Garrett Beck missed his second straight game with a leg injury. Sophomore linebacker Mayson Hitchens led WSU with nine tackles and Edwards had seven. Linebacker Nakian Jackson led the game with 12 tackles for Sacramento State.
Sac State edged WSU 544-527 in total yards. Ultimately, Weber State was 11 of 20 on third downs while the Hornets went 8 of 14. It was also a penalty-filled affair; WSU’s 12 flags for 79 yards largely came in the first three quarters, while Sac State’s struggle to keep up with Sharp helped pile up 11 penalties for 115 yards for the home team.
Weber State byes before hitting the road again to Northern Arizona (4-4, 2-2) on Nov. 2.
Elsewhere in the Big Sky, No. 3 Montana State routed Portland State 44-14. No. 6 UC Davis led 28-9 at halftime and put down Eastern Washington 48-38.
No. 13 Idaho rallied from down 14-6 at halftime to beat Cal Poly 34-29. No. 11 Montana was off. Northern Arizona scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to edge Idaho State 30-26.
In an ESPN2 showdown, the Dakota Marker game went to No. 2 North Dakota State, defeating No. 1 South Dakota State 13-9 on a 20-yard passing touchdown with 1:49 left.
