Anderson Grover’s father was hoping for a lot last Saturday. Not only did he want his son to score a touchdown for Sacramento State, but he also hoped the senior wide receiver would do so in the south end zone. Why stop there. How about a one-handed catch along with an order of nachos.
Grover’s parents, Tom and Christen, were seated just a few feet from the south end zone during the game against Weber State. They jumped to their feet to celebrate with Elijah Tau-Tolliver after his 70-yard touchdown dash in the second quarter. That was exciting, but it was not on Tom’s wish list.
Two items were checked off the list with 1:41 remaining in the first half. The Hornets forced a punt and Grover made a fair catch at the 46-yard line. On first down, Grover ran a post pattern and got free from Weber State’s Frankie Edwards to catch Carson Conklin’s pass for a 54-yard touchdown.
Grover’s route took him into the south end zone and right to his parents. He got a hug from his mother before celebrating with his teammates after giving Sacramento State a 31-17 lead. That he shared the moment with his parents meant as much as the play being the longest of his career.
“It was a really cool moment to be able to score right there and then celebrate with them. That will surely be a moment I remember,” said Grover, who set career highs for receptions (eight), receiving yards (136) and touchdowns (two) in a game.
Sacramento State led 41-24 in the third quarter, but Weber State rallied in the fourth and sent the game into overtime on Kyle Thompson’s 21-yard field goal with four seconds left. The Wildcats got the ball first in overtime and scored a touchdown to force the Hornets to respond in kind … or lose.
Grover scored again in the south end zone with a 9-yard catch to force a second overtime. It was then Sacramento State’s turn to take the first shot at breaking the tie and Zach Schreiner’s 36-yard field goal did it. Weber State also went for a field goal, but Thompson missed from 27 yards out
The game lasted 3:44, but it was worth every minute for the Hornets. The 51-48 win was their first in the Big Sky Conference after an 0-2 start and salvaged their season. It was not enough to get Sacramento State (3-4) into the FCS rankings, but there are five games remaining to work on that.
Every game from here on out will be do or die for coach Andy Thompson’s team. The first will be at Idaho State on Saturday in Pocatello. The Hornets did a number on the Bengals last season by setting a season high in points with a 51-16 win. Conklin led the way by passing for 235 yards and three touchdowns.
Conklin has seven touchdown passes in the past two games with three going to Grover, who scored just twice in the first five games. Grover has eclipsed his 2023 total of three touchdowns and is also on pace to surpass his 34 receptions for 431 yards last year with 26 for 388 this season.
His parents could only cheer for Grover after he scored in the first overtime. There was no time for a hug or high-five with the Hornets getting the ball first in the second extra period. Grover took a second to point to his parents before huddling with the offense, which gained eight yards in five plays before the call was made for Schreiner.
The Hornets realize what will be at stake in Pocatello. “In previous weeks, it wasn’t necessarily do or die. Last week we really took it as we can’t lose this game,” Grover said. “Every drive mattered. Every play mattered because that play could be the one that decides the outcome of the game.”
