Sacramento State holds off feisty, winless Northern Colorado 21-13 behind Bennett's 3 TDs

Updated Oct. 14, 2023 6:56 p.m. ET

Associated Press

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — Kaiden Bennett threw for three touchdowns and Sacramento State beat feisty Northern Colorado 21-13 on Saturday.

Bennett threw a 15-yard score to Devin Gandy for a 7-3 lead in the first quarter and then made it 14-3 with an 8-yard pass to Ezra Moleni with 34 seconds left in the first.

Northern Colorado drew within 14-10 when Jacob Sirmon threw a 41-yard score to Brayden Munroe to end a five-play, 92-yard drive with 7:47 before intermission.

The Hornets (5-1, 2-1), ranked No. 5 in the FCS, took control near the end of the third with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that used 4:41 and concluded when Bennett threw a 20-yard touchdown to Carlos Hill as the quarter expired.

Leading 21-13, the Hornets' defense held David Afari to a 1-yard run with the Bears facing fourth-and-2 at Sac State's 24-yard line with 1:29 left to seal it.

Sirmon threw for 257 yards and a touchdown for Northern Colorado (0-6, 0-3).

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