1.  Get There Early And Stay Late
Prior to the start of the game, Sacramento State will recognize members of its senior class. Five members of the class have spent their entire collegiate careers at Sacramento State comprised of offensive linemen Aidan Meek, Kenndel Riley and Sawyer Hays, punter Cal McGough and running back Michael Johnson.  On the other side, 15 players joined the team prior to the start of this year. In all 19 players have already earned their bachelor's degree.
 
Following the action, Sacramento State will continue its postgame concert series with BLXST. The concert included with a game ticket and is available for all fans. (Note: The concert is weather permitting).
 
2. Milestone Watch
After a series of monster rushing games, Rodney Hammond, Jr., enters this week's game against Idaho needing 47 yards to reach 1,000 yards this season. If he is able to reach that total, Hammond would become the 16^th player in school history to accumulate 1,000 rushing yards in a season. The last Hornet to do so was Cameron Skattebo who had 1,373 in 14 games in 2022. Hammond is averaging a Big Sky-leading 133.0 yards per game in the six conference games this season.
 
3. What's At Stake
A win would guarantee the Hornets a winning record for the fourth time in the last five seasons played and would also keep the team's FCS Playoff hopes alive. The magic number to earn an at-large playoff berth in the past has been eight wins and Sacramento State still has that option on the table. Entering this week, the Hornets are 20^th in the Massey Index and are garnering votes in the FCS media and coaches polls.
 
4.  1v1
Saturday night's matchup will pit two first year head coaches against one another. Brennan Marion has already earned six victories in his first season which ranks fourth in program history (Troy Taylor, 9, Andy Thompson, 8; Jody Sears, 7). On the other sideline is Thomas Ford, Jr., who returned to Idaho this offseason after Jason Eck took the head job at New Mexico. Ford was previously the running back's coach for the Vandals from 2022-23 before coaching at Oregon State in 2024.
 
5. How To Follow The Action
The game will be televised locally on KMAX 31 and streamed on ESPN+ with Jason Ross (play-by-play) and former Hornet and Arena League Hall of Famer Darren Arbet (analyst). Fans can also listen on ESPN 1320 and the Audacy app to Dave Lewis (PBP), Steve McElroy (analyst) and Danny Sullivan (sideline).