Fresno State Athletics
Las Vegas Bowl Recap
12/4/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 18, 1999
Score By Quarters Fresno State 7 0 3 6 - 16 Utah 7 0 7 3 - 17
Scoring FS-P.Williams 75 return of blocked field goal (Hanna kick), Utah-M. Anderson 34 run (Truhe kick), 3:51. FS-FG Hanna 27, 9:24. Utah-M. Anderson 5 run (Truhe kick), 7:21. FS-Ward 2 run (kick failed), 14:57. Utah-FG Truhe 33, 5:03. Attendance: 28,277
LAS VEGAS - In their first bowl apperance since the 1993 season, the Bulldogs battled the Utah Utes of the Mountain West Conference in one of the best games of the bowl season. The was highlighted by the running of Mike Anderson, who ran for a game-record 254 yards and two touchdowns. Cletus Truhe kicked a 33-yard field goal with five minutes left as Utah beat Fresno State 17-16.Fresno State went ahead 16-14 on the first play of the fourth quarter, but Colby Knight blocked Jeff Hanna's extra point attempt, setting the stage for Truhe's game winner. The game-winning kick was vindication for Truhe, whose first two field goal tries were blocked by Fresno's Terence Brown. The first block was returned 75 yards for a touchdown by Payton Williams.
Anderson scored on runs of 34 and 5 yards, the latter giving Utah (9-3) a 14-10 third-quarter lead. Fresno State answered with Derrick Ward's 2-yard TD run as the fourth quarter opened, giving the Bulldogs a 2-point lead.
Utah dominated the ball, gaining a bowl-record 334 yards rushing. Despite outgaining Fresno State 331 yards to 103, the Utes managed only a 7-all tie at halftime, the score coming on Anderson's 34-yard run with 3:51 left in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs went ahead 10-7 on Hanna's 27-yard field goal with 9:24 remaining in the third quarter.
The Utes regained the lead when Anderson finished a 68-yard drive with a 5-yard scoring run, breaking three tackles en route to his second touchdown of the night.
With Anderson breaking off key gains, the Utes drove 70 yards to the Bulldogs 14 before Truhe came on to kick the game-winning field goal with 5:03 remaining.
