Fresno State Athletics
Saturday, November 14
Logan, UT
11:30 a.m. PT
Fresno State
3-1 , 3-1
35
at
16
Utah State
0-4 , 0-4
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Fresno State
7
21
0
7
35
Utah State
13
3
0
0
16
Bulldogs' offense brings the heat to Maverik Stadium in 35-16 win
11/14/2020 5:00:00 PM | Football
LOGAN, Utah – One big play after another. That was the story on Saturday afternoon as Fresno State left Maverik Stadium with its third-straight win, a 35-16 victory over Utah State.
The home team may have had two big plays before the Bulldogs got going but Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener wouldn't let those be the last of the game. The redshirt junior quarterback tossed a career-high 422 yards and four touchdowns, passing at a clip of 76.3 percent (29-of-38). It was the most passing yards by a Fresno State quarterback since Derek Carr's 2013 Mountain West championship game performance. Fifteen of Haener's completions were 10 or more yards, including touchdown throws of 44, 59 and 71 yards.
While Josh Kelly may have caught the longest pass from Haener (71 yards), it was Jalen Cropper who Haener looked to time and time again. Cropper hauled in 10 receptions for 202 yards and three touchdowns. It was the most receiving yards by a Bulldog since Davante Adams had 264 yards on Nov. 29, 2013.
Possibly overshadowed by the aerial show was the work of Ronnie Rivers who churned out 183 yards of offense on 31 touches (132 yards rushing, 51 yards receiving). The all-purpose back also scored a touchdown for the 12th straight game, the longest active streak in the NCAA.
Fresno State's defense also locked in following the Aggies' early scores, holding USU to three points and 257 yards over the final 49 minutes of the game. A week after piling up six sacks at UNLV, the 'Dogs racked up six more without the services of Kwami Jones, the league's sack leader. Kevin Atkins led the team with 2.0 on the day.
How It Happened
Utah State became the first team to score before the Bulldogs could this season, scoring one play after an interception using an 86-yard run from Jaylen Warren. Evan Williams blocked the point after try.
The Bulldogs answered with a methodical 13-play drive. Haener capitalized on a fourth-and-4 red zone conversion to tight end Rory Hanson, then found Cropper on the edge for a 9-yard score to go up 7-6. That advantage quickly disappeared behind a 94-yard kickoff return from the Aggies' special teams ace, Savon Scarver.
Fresno State regained the lead,14-13, early in the second quarter and never trailed again. A 28-yard run from Rivers deep in the Bulldogs' territory gave the 'Dogs some breathing room.Two plays later, Haener connected with Cropper for a 59-yard touchdown to cap a quick four-play, 96-yard drive over just one minute, 27 seconds.
With less than six minutes remaining in the half, Haener bested what was his career-long pass earlier to Cropper, linking up with Josh Kelly along the sideline for 71 yards. The redshirt freshman receiver stayed in bounds and broke free from the defense, racing into the end zone for his first career touchdown.
Utah State countered on the ensuing drive, netting a 38-yard field goal with 1:59 on the clock to cut the Bulldogs' lead to five at 21-16. That was enough time for Fresno State to tack on seven more points as Haener completed five-straight passes to quickly move the 'Dogs 70 yards down the field. Rivers finished off the drive with a 4-yard run up the middle to give the Bulldogs a 28-16 advantage at the half.
After the defenses took over for much of the second half, the Bulldogs' offense could not be contained for the entirety of it like the Aggies were. The big-play connection of Haener and Cropper appeared once again in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs' signal caller found the receiver in stride over the top of the Aggie defense for his third receiving touchdown of the game, a 44-yard score to give the 'Dogs the final result, 35-16.
Notable
Kalen DeBoer, Fresno State head coach
Opening statement
"As always, when we get a win and even when we don't, I am proud of this team. I am proud of how we go about our business during the week. I am proud of how we respond to the good and the bad, and how we stay together. There were some ups and downs, and I think we took their best shot in the first quarter. Offense and defense really did a good job at picking each other up during the game. I am really proud with how we responded. There are areas that we can be better, but I like what I see. I am excited about the direction that we are headed. There are some things that we can improve on, but I know that with our mindset and the direction we are headed, we will have no problem taking care of that next week."
On QB Jake Haener...
"I think his confidence rose because of the experience that you go through together. There are moments of situational football that, until you have done it together, it is hard to talk through. You gain that confidence because you know what you have talked over and you know that it is so important to him. He will remember that he can do this or this the next time that a certain look comes out. I am really pleased with how he played. He came out slinging in the first half and put the ball where it needed to be."
Jake Haener, Fresno State quarterback
On how good he thinks this offense can be...
"I think we can be really good. I think we have all the tools. It's a 'never satisfied' mentality. We score 28 points in the first half, then seven in the second. It's just not acceptable and that is not the standard we want to have on offense. I think we can be better and have a lot of room for improvements, and that is encouraging for us."
Kevin Atkins, Fresno State defensive tackle
On the win...
"It propels us forward and shows us how good of a team we can be when we come together and play to our full potential."
On the defensive line putting pressure on the quarterback...
"We work together as a unit. It is not just one person, it's a unit. We work as a piece of the puzzle to the whole defense."
Next Up
Following back-to-back road games, Fresno State returns home to host San Jose State in a battle for the Valley Trophy. Kickoff from Bulldog Stadium is slated 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
The home team may have had two big plays before the Bulldogs got going but Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener wouldn't let those be the last of the game. The redshirt junior quarterback tossed a career-high 422 yards and four touchdowns, passing at a clip of 76.3 percent (29-of-38). It was the most passing yards by a Fresno State quarterback since Derek Carr's 2013 Mountain West championship game performance. Fifteen of Haener's completions were 10 or more yards, including touchdown throws of 44, 59 and 71 yards.
While Josh Kelly may have caught the longest pass from Haener (71 yards), it was Jalen Cropper who Haener looked to time and time again. Cropper hauled in 10 receptions for 202 yards and three touchdowns. It was the most receiving yards by a Bulldog since Davante Adams had 264 yards on Nov. 29, 2013.
Possibly overshadowed by the aerial show was the work of Ronnie Rivers who churned out 183 yards of offense on 31 touches (132 yards rushing, 51 yards receiving). The all-purpose back also scored a touchdown for the 12th straight game, the longest active streak in the NCAA.
Fresno State's defense also locked in following the Aggies' early scores, holding USU to three points and 257 yards over the final 49 minutes of the game. A week after piling up six sacks at UNLV, the 'Dogs racked up six more without the services of Kwami Jones, the league's sack leader. Kevin Atkins led the team with 2.0 on the day.
How It Happened
Utah State became the first team to score before the Bulldogs could this season, scoring one play after an interception using an 86-yard run from Jaylen Warren. Evan Williams blocked the point after try.
The Bulldogs answered with a methodical 13-play drive. Haener capitalized on a fourth-and-4 red zone conversion to tight end Rory Hanson, then found Cropper on the edge for a 9-yard score to go up 7-6. That advantage quickly disappeared behind a 94-yard kickoff return from the Aggies' special teams ace, Savon Scarver.
Fresno State regained the lead,14-13, early in the second quarter and never trailed again. A 28-yard run from Rivers deep in the Bulldogs' territory gave the 'Dogs some breathing room.Two plays later, Haener connected with Cropper for a 59-yard touchdown to cap a quick four-play, 96-yard drive over just one minute, 27 seconds.
With less than six minutes remaining in the half, Haener bested what was his career-long pass earlier to Cropper, linking up with Josh Kelly along the sideline for 71 yards. The redshirt freshman receiver stayed in bounds and broke free from the defense, racing into the end zone for his first career touchdown.
Utah State countered on the ensuing drive, netting a 38-yard field goal with 1:59 on the clock to cut the Bulldogs' lead to five at 21-16. That was enough time for Fresno State to tack on seven more points as Haener completed five-straight passes to quickly move the 'Dogs 70 yards down the field. Rivers finished off the drive with a 4-yard run up the middle to give the Bulldogs a 28-16 advantage at the half.
After the defenses took over for much of the second half, the Bulldogs' offense could not be contained for the entirety of it like the Aggies were. The big-play connection of Haener and Cropper appeared once again in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs' signal caller found the receiver in stride over the top of the Aggie defense for his third receiving touchdown of the game, a 44-yard score to give the 'Dogs the final result, 35-16.
Notable
- Fresno State improved its all-time series record over Utah State, 18-13-1.
- Fresno State is on its first three-game win streak since 2018.
- In its current win streak, Fresno State has scored 35+ points in each contest.
- Fresno State has outscored its opponents 20-0 in the fourth quarter over the last two games.
- The Bulldogs have a four-game streak of 400+ total yards offense. It's the longest stretch since 2013. It is the first time since 2009 that the Bulldogs' have gone for more than 400 yards in their first four games of a season.
- With 541 yards total offense, the 'Dogs recorded 500+ yards total offense for the first time since recording 514 at Hawai'i on Nov. 2, 2019. And it was the most yards since totaling 562 versus Hawai'i on Oct. 27, 2018.
- The Bulldogs shutout an opponent in the second half for the first time since Nov. 17, 2018 (versus San Diego State).
- Fresno State forced two turnovers – both forced fumbles.
Kalen DeBoer, Fresno State head coach
Opening statement
"As always, when we get a win and even when we don't, I am proud of this team. I am proud of how we go about our business during the week. I am proud of how we respond to the good and the bad, and how we stay together. There were some ups and downs, and I think we took their best shot in the first quarter. Offense and defense really did a good job at picking each other up during the game. I am really proud with how we responded. There are areas that we can be better, but I like what I see. I am excited about the direction that we are headed. There are some things that we can improve on, but I know that with our mindset and the direction we are headed, we will have no problem taking care of that next week."
On QB Jake Haener...
"I think his confidence rose because of the experience that you go through together. There are moments of situational football that, until you have done it together, it is hard to talk through. You gain that confidence because you know what you have talked over and you know that it is so important to him. He will remember that he can do this or this the next time that a certain look comes out. I am really pleased with how he played. He came out slinging in the first half and put the ball where it needed to be."
Jake Haener, Fresno State quarterback
On how good he thinks this offense can be...
"I think we can be really good. I think we have all the tools. It's a 'never satisfied' mentality. We score 28 points in the first half, then seven in the second. It's just not acceptable and that is not the standard we want to have on offense. I think we can be better and have a lot of room for improvements, and that is encouraging for us."
Kevin Atkins, Fresno State defensive tackle
On the win...
"It propels us forward and shows us how good of a team we can be when we come together and play to our full potential."
On the defensive line putting pressure on the quarterback...
"We work together as a unit. It is not just one person, it's a unit. We work as a piece of the puzzle to the whole defense."
Next Up
Following back-to-back road games, Fresno State returns home to host San Jose State in a battle for the Valley Trophy. Kickoff from Bulldog Stadium is slated 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
USU
Total Yards
541
343
Pass Yards
422
144
Rushing Yards
119
199
Penalty Yards
39
40
1st Downs
25
12
3rd Downs
6
3
4th Downs
1
1
TOP
33:49
26:11
1st Quarter
FS 0, USU 6
USU - WARREN, Jaylen 86 yd run (COLES, Connor kickblocked), 1 plays, 86 yards, TOP 0:13
FS 7, USU 6
FS - CROPPER, Jalen 9 yd pass from HAENER, Jake (SILVA, Cesar kick) 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 6:10
FS 7, USU 13
USU - SCARVER, Savon 94 yd kickoff return (COLES, Connor kick)
2nd Quarter
FS 14, USU 13
FS - CROPPER, Jalen 59 yd pass from HAENER, Jake (SILVA, Cesar kick) 4 plays, 96 yards, TOP 1:27
FS 21, USU 13
FS - KELLY, Josh 71 yd pass from HAENER, Jake (SILVA, Cesar kick) 4 plays, 85 yards, TOP 1:20
FS 21, USU 16
USU - COLES, Connor 38 yd field goal 8 plays, 44 yards, TOP 3:35
FS 28, USU 16
FS - RIVERS, Ronnie 4 yd run (SILVA, Cesar kick), 7 plays, 74 yards, TOP 1:20
4th Quarter
FS 35, USU 16
FS - CROPPER, Jalen 44 yd pass from HAENER, Jake (SILVA, Cesar kick) 7 plays, 72 yards, TOP 3:12
Players Mentioned
DT
/ Football
QB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
DE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DB
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