GREELEY — With nearly 1,000 yards of total offense that resulted in a whole lot of running up and down the field, it could have been a spring track meet.
But with the trees around Nottingham Field showing traces of yellow leaves, it was fall and football.
The Sacramento State Hornets (4-3, 1-2 Big Sky) and Northern Colorado Bears (2-4, 1-2) gave the crowd of 2,701 a classic offensive show. Sacramento State quarterback Garrett Safron put on the best show, leading the Hornets to a 43-38 win in a shootout.
In a game that produced 81 points and 970 total yards, the outcome was decided by a yard the Bears couldn’t gain when trailing by 13 points with 2:26 left.
A goal-line stand by the Hornets turned back Bears quarterback Sean Rubalcaba twice from the 1-yard line and tossed running back Robert Holland for a 3-yard loss on fourth down. Holland rushed for 122 yards.
“We practice goal-line (defense) every week,” said Sacramento State coach Jody Sears. “They played it like we practice it. The big thing was the heart of our players.”
Safron completed 20-of- 30 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns. The senior from Santa Monica, Calif., also hurt the UNC defense with 86 yards rushing on nine carries.
Rubalcaba, from Grand Junction, completed 25-of-35 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns.
Rubalcaba wasn’t pleased that he was unable to score from the 1-yard line.
“I thought on the second try (on third down) that I got in,” Rubalcaba said. “That’s the way the cookie crumbles. The officials made the call. You have to score when you get the chance.”
UNC coach Earnest Collins Jr. wished he had called a timeout during the Hornets’ goal-line stand.
“Two things: We can’t punch it in, and I didn’t manage the time as I should have,” Collins said. “When you can’t punch it in from the 1, it messes up everything.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296, imoss@denverpost.com or
