Fresno State Athletics
Saturday, November 2
Honolulu, HI
9:00 PM PT
Fresno State
4-4 , 2-2
41
at
38
Hawai'i
5-4 , 2-3
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Fresno State
7
7
17
10
41
Hawai'i
0
24
0
14
38
Photo by: Courtney Metzger
‘Dogs win in walk-off fashion at Hawai'i, 41-38
11/2/2019 11:35:00 PM | Football
HONOLULU – In a game that had multiple momentum swings with both teams leading by double digits, Fresno State walked out of Aloha Stadium on Saturday evening on the leg of Cesar Silva as the Bulldog junior hit a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the 'Dogs a 41-38 win. It was the Bulldogs sixth-straight victory over the Rainbow Warriors on their home field.
With 1:08 left in the game after Hawai'i knotted the game, 38-38, senior quarterback Jorge Reyna led the offense to the 20-yard line to set Silva up for the attempt. Reyna would finish the game with 284 yards of offense with 188 coming through the air and a career-high 96 on the ground. Ronnie Rivers recorded his second-straight 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 103 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Jalen Cropper, who was a spark throughout the night, totaled 159 yards of offense (36, passing, 61 rushing, 62 receiving) and threw a touchdown.
Juju Hughes registered a game-high 10 tackles and two pass breakups on the defensive side of the ball. Evan Williams produced Fresno State's lone takeaway, grabbing his first-career interception.
How It Happened
The Bulldogs grabbed the lead halfway through the opening quarter as they methodically moved the ball down the field after starting at their own 10-yard line. Sitting at the Hawai'i 36-yard line, Reyna gave the ball to Cropper, who was in motion, and the former high school quarterback stopped in the backfield, and tossed a touchdown pass down the right sideline to Zane Pope.
Averaging less than three punts per game this season, Fresno State forced a pair of Hawai'i punts in the first quarter as the Bulldogs kept a potent Rainbow Warrior offense out of the end zone during the opening 15 minutes of play with three defensive stops. That changed in the second quarter as UH scored on all four of its possessions. The third score, a 50-yard field goal from Ryan Meskell gave Hawai'i a 17-7 advantage with 1:06 remaining in the half. Cropper struck again for the Bulldogs just 89 seconds later as he recorded the third-longest run from scrimmage for the 'Dogs this season. The freshman wideout took a handoff from Reyna, slipped past a blocker on the edge, broke through a pair of tacklers and ran free down the left sideline for a 53-yard touchdown. On the ensuing possession, Hawai'i capitalized on a slip in the Bulldog secondary, which led to a 48-yard pitch and catch from Cole McDonald to JoJo Ward to give the home team a 24-14 lead heading into the half.
It took Fresno State less than two minutes into the second half to chip into the Hawai'i lead. On the fourth play of their opening drive of the half, Rivers broke loose for a 44-yard run to make it a 24-21 game. With the Rainbow Warriors driving on their first possession of the half, the Bulldogs' defense came up with a stop on fourth-and-5 with their backs up against the wall at their own 26-yard line. The 'Dogs capitalized on the defensive stand, working nearly six minutes off the clock on offense before leveling the game, 24-24, by way of a 22-yard field goal from Silva.
With the momentum seemingly turning, Fresno State's defense forced a three-and-out to put the Bulldogs' offense in position to strike again. After an incompletion on first down, Reyna connected with Cropper for a 48-yard gain and put the 'Dogs at the Hawai'i 14-yard line. Three plays later, facing a third-and-6, Reyna found Jared Rice who got just enough for the first down. Rivers gave the Bulldogs' the lead on the next play with a four-yard run.
True freshman Evan Williams would produce a crucial play in the game just minutes into the fourth quarter, intercepting McDonald at midfield. The Bulldogs would work just over three minutes off the clock before Reyna found Rice for another big play, this time resulting in a 26-yard touchdown to give the 'Dogs a 38-24 lead with 10:01 remaining in the game.
Following their third fourth-down stop of the night with Hawai'i on their doorstep at the six-yard line, the Bulldogs took over with 6:24 on the clock. Fresno State, though, would be forced to punt with under four minutes remaining on the clock. It would take the Rainbow Warriors just 1:32 to cut into their deficit as backup quarterback Chevan Cordeiro led UH down the field for a touchdown.
Hawai'i then proceeded to recover an onside kick to keep the game alive with 2:12 to play. UH took advantage of the mishandled ball on the kick and Cordeiro would again lead the the Rainbow Warriors down the field. The quarterback finished off the drive himself, with a 10-yard run into the end zone to tie the game, 38-38, with 1:08 remaining.
Reyna stayed calm under center, starting the final drive off with a 17-yard run up the middle of the Hawai'i defense. Back-to-back completions to Rice would get the 'Dogs to the UH 44-yard line. Two plays later, Reyna would use his legs again, taking off for an 11-yard gain. Facing a third-and-11 at the 33-yard line, Rivers would find a hole in the line and surge up field for a 13-yard run before going down with six seconds remaining. After calling a timeout to the stop the clock, Silva trotted on to the field and knocked through a 37-yard walk-off field goal.
Quotable
Jeff Tedford, Fresno State head coach
Opening statement…
"We found a way to win. Down the stretch it was nerve wracking for sure. Hawai'i is a good football team and to be able to come back in the second half and win it at the end it big. I am really proud of Cesar [Silva] for getting it through the uprights."
On fighting through the adversity…
"You just have to keep playing. Sometimes those things go your way and sometimes they don't. It seemed like tonight, every single review didn't go our way which is unfortunate but you have to keep playing. I was proud of our kids for continuing to battle. It was far from perfect, but you have to find a way to win. That is an explosive team right there. To be able to come here and leave with a victory is big for us."
Jorge Reyna, Fresno State senior quarterback
On the win…
"It felt great to all come together despite our adversity this season. We came together and we gelled, we dedicated our win to Matt Smith."
On being ready for this moment…
"It is not a singular thing. This moment was about everybody. Those drives couldn't of happened without the offensive line, without the receivers catching the ball, or without our defense making stops. What you see out there is a collection of everybody. If I go through something bad, everybody goes through something bad. We have to learn how to pick each other up. We did and we came out victorious."
Cesar Silva, Fresno State junior kicker
On hitting the game-winner…
"It feels great. I have been dreaming of this ever since I was a kid. It feels really good. As soon as I kicked it, I knew it was good. The only thing on my mind was to make sure I took a good first step and attack the ball."
Notable
Fresno State returns home to Bulldog Stadium on Nov. 9 to host Utah State on Salute to Services Day. The Aggies will come into Fresno on a two-game losing skid, falling by 20-plus points to Air Force and BYU. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT and will air on CBS Sports Network.
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateFB
Instagram: Fresno_State_Football
Facebook: FresnoStateAthletics
With 1:08 left in the game after Hawai'i knotted the game, 38-38, senior quarterback Jorge Reyna led the offense to the 20-yard line to set Silva up for the attempt. Reyna would finish the game with 284 yards of offense with 188 coming through the air and a career-high 96 on the ground. Ronnie Rivers recorded his second-straight 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 103 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Jalen Cropper, who was a spark throughout the night, totaled 159 yards of offense (36, passing, 61 rushing, 62 receiving) and threw a touchdown.
Juju Hughes registered a game-high 10 tackles and two pass breakups on the defensive side of the ball. Evan Williams produced Fresno State's lone takeaway, grabbing his first-career interception.
How It Happened
The Bulldogs grabbed the lead halfway through the opening quarter as they methodically moved the ball down the field after starting at their own 10-yard line. Sitting at the Hawai'i 36-yard line, Reyna gave the ball to Cropper, who was in motion, and the former high school quarterback stopped in the backfield, and tossed a touchdown pass down the right sideline to Zane Pope.
Averaging less than three punts per game this season, Fresno State forced a pair of Hawai'i punts in the first quarter as the Bulldogs kept a potent Rainbow Warrior offense out of the end zone during the opening 15 minutes of play with three defensive stops. That changed in the second quarter as UH scored on all four of its possessions. The third score, a 50-yard field goal from Ryan Meskell gave Hawai'i a 17-7 advantage with 1:06 remaining in the half. Cropper struck again for the Bulldogs just 89 seconds later as he recorded the third-longest run from scrimmage for the 'Dogs this season. The freshman wideout took a handoff from Reyna, slipped past a blocker on the edge, broke through a pair of tacklers and ran free down the left sideline for a 53-yard touchdown. On the ensuing possession, Hawai'i capitalized on a slip in the Bulldog secondary, which led to a 48-yard pitch and catch from Cole McDonald to JoJo Ward to give the home team a 24-14 lead heading into the half.
It took Fresno State less than two minutes into the second half to chip into the Hawai'i lead. On the fourth play of their opening drive of the half, Rivers broke loose for a 44-yard run to make it a 24-21 game. With the Rainbow Warriors driving on their first possession of the half, the Bulldogs' defense came up with a stop on fourth-and-5 with their backs up against the wall at their own 26-yard line. The 'Dogs capitalized on the defensive stand, working nearly six minutes off the clock on offense before leveling the game, 24-24, by way of a 22-yard field goal from Silva.
With the momentum seemingly turning, Fresno State's defense forced a three-and-out to put the Bulldogs' offense in position to strike again. After an incompletion on first down, Reyna connected with Cropper for a 48-yard gain and put the 'Dogs at the Hawai'i 14-yard line. Three plays later, facing a third-and-6, Reyna found Jared Rice who got just enough for the first down. Rivers gave the Bulldogs' the lead on the next play with a four-yard run.
True freshman Evan Williams would produce a crucial play in the game just minutes into the fourth quarter, intercepting McDonald at midfield. The Bulldogs would work just over three minutes off the clock before Reyna found Rice for another big play, this time resulting in a 26-yard touchdown to give the 'Dogs a 38-24 lead with 10:01 remaining in the game.
Following their third fourth-down stop of the night with Hawai'i on their doorstep at the six-yard line, the Bulldogs took over with 6:24 on the clock. Fresno State, though, would be forced to punt with under four minutes remaining on the clock. It would take the Rainbow Warriors just 1:32 to cut into their deficit as backup quarterback Chevan Cordeiro led UH down the field for a touchdown.
Hawai'i then proceeded to recover an onside kick to keep the game alive with 2:12 to play. UH took advantage of the mishandled ball on the kick and Cordeiro would again lead the the Rainbow Warriors down the field. The quarterback finished off the drive himself, with a 10-yard run into the end zone to tie the game, 38-38, with 1:08 remaining.
Reyna stayed calm under center, starting the final drive off with a 17-yard run up the middle of the Hawai'i defense. Back-to-back completions to Rice would get the 'Dogs to the UH 44-yard line. Two plays later, Reyna would use his legs again, taking off for an 11-yard gain. Facing a third-and-11 at the 33-yard line, Rivers would find a hole in the line and surge up field for a 13-yard run before going down with six seconds remaining. After calling a timeout to the stop the clock, Silva trotted on to the field and knocked through a 37-yard walk-off field goal.
Quotable
Jeff Tedford, Fresno State head coach
Opening statement…
"We found a way to win. Down the stretch it was nerve wracking for sure. Hawai'i is a good football team and to be able to come back in the second half and win it at the end it big. I am really proud of Cesar [Silva] for getting it through the uprights."
On fighting through the adversity…
"You just have to keep playing. Sometimes those things go your way and sometimes they don't. It seemed like tonight, every single review didn't go our way which is unfortunate but you have to keep playing. I was proud of our kids for continuing to battle. It was far from perfect, but you have to find a way to win. That is an explosive team right there. To be able to come here and leave with a victory is big for us."
Jorge Reyna, Fresno State senior quarterback
On the win…
"It felt great to all come together despite our adversity this season. We came together and we gelled, we dedicated our win to Matt Smith."
On being ready for this moment…
"It is not a singular thing. This moment was about everybody. Those drives couldn't of happened without the offensive line, without the receivers catching the ball, or without our defense making stops. What you see out there is a collection of everybody. If I go through something bad, everybody goes through something bad. We have to learn how to pick each other up. We did and we came out victorious."
Cesar Silva, Fresno State junior kicker
On hitting the game-winner…
"It feels great. I have been dreaming of this ever since I was a kid. It feels really good. As soon as I kicked it, I knew it was good. The only thing on my mind was to make sure I took a good first step and attack the ball."
Notable
- Fresno State now owns a six-game win streak on the Island (2009, '11, '13, '15, '17, '19).
- Fresno State held Hawai'i scoreless in the first quarter. It was the second time the Bulldogs held their opponent scoreless in the opening quarter this season. It was the first time the Rainbow Warriors were held from scoring in the first quarter since traveling to Washington earlier this season.
- Fresno State allowed 24 points in the second quarter; it was the most points allowed in a single quarter this season. It was the most allowed in a single quarter since traveling to Washington on Sept. 16, 2017 (27).
- Fresno State manufactured a season-high 514 yards offense; the last time the Bulldogs surpassed 500 yards offense in a game was the last time they faced Hawai'i, at Bulldog Stadium in 2018.
- Fresno State improved to 22-3 under Tedford when holding a lead entering the fourth quarter.
- Fresno State held Hawaii to 0-of-3 on fourth down conversion attempts. Hawai'i entered the game leading the Mountain West in the category having gone 14-of-20 entering the game.
- True freshman Evan Williams, in his first career start, led the team at halftime with seven tackles and finished with nine; he entered the game with two tackles in the previous seven games this season.
- True freshman Jalen Cropper recorded his second rushing touchdown of the season on a 53-yard scamper. Cropper has been a part of the three longest rushes for Fresno State this season (82, 79, 53).
- Ronnie Rivers has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games for the first time in his career. He rushed for 146 against Colorado State and 104 against Hawai'i.
- Rivers has rushed for two TDs in a game in three straight contests. He is the first Bulldog to accomplish that feat since Ryan Mathews did it during the 2009 season.
- Jorge Reyna rushed for a career-high 96 yards, surpassing his previous high of 88 in the season opener at USC.
- Jared Rice recorded his third touchdown of the season, a 26-yard reception from Reyna. It places him tied for second in career touchdown catches by a tight end in program history (Bear Pascoe-10, Jared Rice-10, Marty Thompson-11).
- Cesar Silva hit a game-winner as time expired, a 37-yarder. The last time Fresno State hit a game-winning kick was versus Louisiana Tech on Nov. 21, 2009.
Fresno State returns home to Bulldog Stadium on Nov. 9 to host Utah State on Salute to Services Day. The Aggies will come into Fresno on a two-game losing skid, falling by 20-plus points to Air Force and BYU. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT and will air on CBS Sports Network.
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateFB
Instagram: Fresno_State_Football
Facebook: FresnoStateAthletics
Team Stats
FS
UH
Total Yards
514
555
Pass Yards
224
346
Rushing Yards
290
209
Penalty Yards
45
135
1st Downs
26
25
3rd Downs
6
10
4th Downs
1
0
TOP
27:34
32:26
1st Quarter
FS 7, UH 0
FS - POPE, Zane 36 yd pass from CROPPER, Jalen (SILVA, Cesar kick) 9 plays, 90 yards, TOP 3:47
2nd Quarter
FS 7, UH 7
UH - MCDONALD, Cole 6 yd run (MESKELL, Ryan kick), 9 plays, 82 yards, TOP 4:47
FS 7, UH 14
UH - HOLLY III, Fred 1 yd run (MESKELL, Ryan kick), 11 plays, 84 yards, TOP 4:23
FS 7, UH 17
UH - MESKELL, Ryan 50 yd field goal 4 plays, 1 yards, TOP 0:55
FS 14, UH 17
FS - CROPPER, Jalen 53 yd run (SILVA, Cesar kick), 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:29
FS 14, UH 24
UH - WARD, JoJo 48 yd pass from MCDONALD, Cole (MESKELL, Ryan kick) 4 plays, 69 yards, TOP 0:37
3rd Quarter
FS 21, UH 24
FS - RIVERS, Ronnie 44 yd run (SILVA, Cesar kick), 4 plays, 67 yards, TOP 1:44
FS 24, UH 24
FS - SILVA, Cesar 22 yd field goal 12 plays, 70 yards, TOP 5:56
FS 31, UH 24
FS - RIVERS, Ronnie 4 yd run (SILVA, Cesar kick), 6 plays, 62 yards, TOP 2:29
4th Quarter
FS 38, UH 24
FS - RICE, Jared 26 yd pass from REYNA, Jorge (SILVA, Cesar kick) 6 plays, 58 yards, TOP 3:25
FS 38, UH 31
UH - REED, Miles 3 yd run (MESKELL, Ryan kick), 6 plays, 63 yards, TOP 1:32
FS 38, UH 38
UH - CORDEIRO, C. 10 yd run (MESKELL, Ryan kick), 5 plays, 49 yards, TOP 1:04
FS 41, UH 38
FS - SILVA, Cesar 37 yd field goal 9 plays, 55 yards, TOP 1:08
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
17
TD
1
YDS
188
INT
0
CMP
1
TD
1
YDS
36
INT
0
Players Mentioned
DB
/ FootballWR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
RB
/ Football
K
/ Football
OL
/ Football
DB
/ FootballFB Media Availability [9/16]: QB EJ Warner
Tuesday, September 16
FB Weekly Press Conference [9/15]
Monday, September 15
FB highlight vs Southern University [9/13/25]
Monday, September 15
Post-Game Press Conference [9/13]
Sunday, September 14