Sac State loses 66-63 thriller to Incarnate Word in FCS quarterfinals
SACRAMENTO — Sac State's last-second hail mary fell incomplete and the Hornet's undefeated season came to an end in a thrilling 66-63 loss to Incarnate Word in the FCS quarterfinal matchup at Hornet Stadium on Friday night.
The Hornets and Cardinals put on an instant classic with a back-and-forth shootout up until the final whistle. Sac State broke a program record with 738 total yards of offense.
There were several lead changes in the 4th quarter alone. UIW scored the game-winning touchdown with 27 seconds left, leaving the Hornets with two timeouts down three points. But the Hornets couldn't get it past midfield on their final drive and a hail mary pass was broken up in the endzone.
A major question surrounding the game was whether or not this would be Head Coach Troy Taylor's final run with the Hornets. Stanford is conducting a national search for their open head coach position and Taylor's name has been heavily tied to that search.
After the game, Coach Taylor spoke with the media but did not confirm what his future holds.
"I'll kind of take it a day at a time right now. I'm just really focused on taking this all in and all the relationships and then kind of deal with that tomorrow," Taylor said in a post-game interview.
He later added, "Sacramento will always be home to me, no matter what the future holds."
TROY TAYLOR: Sac State Head Coach would not confirm anything after the Hornets 66-63 loss to UIW in the FCS Quarterfinals, but if you read between the lines it sounds like Taylor has coached his final game at Sac St.@CBSSacramento @saratalkssports @A_G_Haubner pic.twitter.com/KrNLbQkoRv
— Jake Gadon (@JakeGadon_TV) December 10, 2022
Taylor is a leading candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Stanford. Another notable candidate, former Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett, officially bowed out of the running on Thursday.
Check back here for a full game recap.