Sonoma State Football Dynasty: Texas State (5-6, 2-4) @ SSU (8-3, 4-2)
Hope everyone is doing well. This is the second edition of the chat gpt generated game preview's for the Sonoma State Dynasty, on the Rabbit Hole Sports & Media YouTube Channel. In the first edition I went for more of a straight forward preview, in this one I wanted to do something a little different. Through these I want to help create some additional backstory/context for the series that I can't do through the game. This makes the experience more fun in my opinion, and adds layers of depth to the challenge we face, winning a national championship (and hopefully multiple) as a smaller school at the top-level of college football.
In this entry I asked for more of a feature style article, creating background for our made up Sonoma State football program in a way that inspires the human-spirit. I'm very happy with the result. I fed certain details to it regarding the years things happen, but all names (except for the players currently on our team that will be mentioned in the article) are made up. I asked chat gpt to combine the writing style's of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Mitch Albom, two author's my girlfriend enjoys reading, and whose use of imagery and analogy create an image and feeling that's easy to sense as a reader. So please enjoy!
Links to videos on YouTube-
Episode version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ1bwZ6txN0
Full-game version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNWN8LfJLuw
Seawolves Rise: Senior Day Showdown Marks a New Chapter in Sonoma State Football's Epic Rebirth
By Westin Carver, Pacific Eleven Network
ROHNERT PARK, Calif. — On the northern edge of California wine country, beneath the redwood-shadowed foothills and beside the modest hum of campus life, something improbable is happening. Sonoma State football, once considered one of the worst jobs in the FBS, enters its Senior Day matchup against Texas State as an eight-win program, chasing bowl eligibility and perhaps something even greater: validation.
It was not long ago that the Seawolves were on life support. The program’s plunge into the deep waters of the FBS was supposed to be a triumphant crescendo after decades of quiet excellence. From 1968 to 2005, Sonoma was the whispering titan of Division II—two national championships, 21 playoff appearances, and a community of blue-collar believers. The 2006 jump to FCS brought near-instant success, culminating in a magical run to the national title game in 2007 and more semifinal trips in the years that followed.
Then came the storm. A brief lull in 2015 and 2016 preceded the retirement of legendary head coach Hank Tolliver, known for his granite-jawed leadership and steel-tempered defenses. His successor, Drew Alston, brought the Seawolves back to their old ways with a 27-10 run from 2017-2019, but a virus no one saw coming altered the course of the program forever. The 2020 season was cancelled. Alston retired suddenly that fall, citing family health and burnout. Dozens of players departed via the transfer portal, and a fragile dream began to crack.
When defensive coordinator Marcus Ware was promoted to head coach in early 2021, there was hope continuity could stitch the seams together. His first season ended with a valiant 9-4 record and national intrigue. But the program soon unraveled. In 2022, a 6-1 start devolved into six straight losses. 2023 was even more catastrophic—a 2-0 start led to ten consecutive defeats, including a 57-7 humiliation at the hands of bitter rival UC Santa Barbara, a program that had not only joined FBS the same year, but passed Sonoma in every measurable metric. Ware was fired after the eighth straight loss.
"At that point, you weren’t just wondering if we could win again," said senior linebacker Bubba Van Claiborne. "You were wondering if we’d survive."
The hiring of Calvin Zeljak in December 2023 was met with more raised eyebrows than fanfare. Just 35 at the time, Zeljak was plucked from being Michigan’s passing game coordinator—a title that seemed ironic for a program famous for its ground-and-pound identity. The media labeled it a panic hire, a symbolic throwback to a better era. Zeljak, after all, had played safety for Sonoma from 2007 to 2010 during its FCS golden age. Nostalgia, they said, wasn’t a strategy.
But the vision was deeper than sentiment. Zeljak brought not only a new offensive system—a creative, disciplined fusion of Don Coryell’s vertical passing roots with modern spread principles—but a cultural resurrection.
"Coach Z didn't talk about what we lost. He talked about what we could become," said senior tight end Scott McLawler. "The vibe changed. Everything became about team, about craft, about becoming a part of something bigger than yourself."
The 2024 season showed sparks of what was possible. Despite being the youngest roster in the country, the Seawolves doubled their win total from two to four, and led the nation in both total yards and rushing yards per game.
Now, entering the final home game of the 2025 regular season, Sonoma State is 8-3. They toppled then-No. 6 Syracuse in one of the most dramatic upsets of the year, and pushed another top-10 opponent, USC, to the brink in a 38-37 road loss.
And this week, in the mist of autumn and memory, they welcome a surging Texas State squad to Sonoma Stadium.
The Bobcats (5-6, 2-4 Pac-12) have won two straight, including a 33-0 dismantling of Wyoming—a team Sonoma beat 45-26 just a week prior. Texas State has secured its place in the Pac-12 next season, but will be fighting for bowl eligibility Saturday.
"They're hot, no doubt. We respect that," said cornerback Noah Collins. "But this is about us. This is about what we’ve built, what we’ve survived, and what we want to leave behind."
Indeed, Sonoma’s story is less about opposition and more about origin. Every brick of this season has been laid by belief. By pain. By return.
Left guard DeMarcus Perkins, a fifth-year senior who stayed through the chaos, reflected with emotion: "I could’ve left. I almost did. But something told me to stay. And man...to go from 2-10 to this? From an empty stadium to seeing kids in Seawolves jerseys? It's more than football now. This place feels like a family again."
The program’s renaissance has rippled beyond the field. Attendance is up 112% from 2023. Enrollment and applications have spiked. Social media is filled with messages from fans rediscovering their passion:
@RohnertParkGuy: "Never thought I'd see the day where Seawolves Football is the talk of the town again. Props to Coach Z. #PackMentality"
@SSU_Alum79: "Still remember the Tolliver days. This feels like that. Tough, smart, proud. Let’s ride."
@SonomaBluesFan: "From forgotten to feared. Love this squad. Let’s finish strong. #SeawolfStrong"
As the Seawolves run out of the tunnel for Senior Day, they carry not just the weight of a season, but the echoes of a journey through fire.
"Coach always tells us, ‘We’re not building a team. We’re building a way of life,’" said Van Claiborne. "That means sacrifice. That means unity. That means when it's hard, you run harder."
In the windswept fall light of Sonoma Stadium, the rebirth of a program won’t be measured by bowl projections or playoff hopes. It will be written in legacy—in the handshakes of families, the cheers of a reawakened crowd, and the unbreakable bond of those who stayed to build.
And maybe, just maybe, the Seawolves are only getting started.
Links to videos on YouTube-
Episode version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ1bwZ6txN0
Full-game version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNWN8LfJLuw