Fresno State-Northern Illinois Postgame Notes

Toss: NIU wins, defers
Captains: Devo Bridges, Tuasivi Nomura, Mose Vavao

Team Notes:

With the loss, Fresno State snapped its five bowl game winning streak. Its last loss in a bowl game was a 30-6 loss to Rice in the 2014 Hawai’i Bowl.
Fresno State played its third overtime bowl game, and first since the 2009 New Mexico Bowl against Wyoming.
Fresno State moves to 1-2 in overtime bowl games. The Bulldogs’ OT win came against Virginia in the 2004 MPC Computers Bowl.
In the second quarter, Fresno State produced its second fourth-down goal-line stop of the season.
The Bulldogs have forced four turnovers on downs inside the 10 this season.
Fresno State lost the time of possession battle for the fifth straight game. NIU won the possession time battle 39:14 - 20:46.
Fresno State scored zero points in the second half (of regulation) for the second time this season.
Fresno State played its final game under the leadership of Tim Skipper. As interim head coach of the program, Skipper coached the ‘Dogs to a 7-7 record.
Fresno State had its first losing season since 2019.
Fresno State had 62 scholarship players available for the game.
Fresno State had five players earn their first career starts this season, bringing the team’s season total to 18. Fresno State had 40 different players start start at one point this season.
Fresno State had its eighth one-score game of the 2024 season. The Bulldogs were 2-6 in those contests.

Offensive Notes:

QB Jayden Mandal earned his first career start.
WR Lyndon Ravare earned his first career start.
WR Chedon James earned his first start as a Bulldog.
RB Bryson Donelson scored his third career rushing touchdown.
QB Joshua Wood scored his sixth rushing touchdown of the season.
Wood became the second Bulldog quarterback to have six rushing touchdowns in a season in the last 30 years.
Wood had a career-high 180 yards passing.
WR Mac Dalena surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the season with a 54-yard reception in the first quarter. He became the 13th Bulldog in program history to have 1,000 yards receiving in a single season.
Dalena had his second career 100-yard receiving game.
Wood hit Dalena for a 54-yard completion to get Dalena over the 1,000-yard mark. The 54-yard completion was the longest of Wood’s career. It was the fifth time this season that Dalena had a catch of longer than 50 yards.
WR Jordan Brown had a career-high 38 yards receiving

Defensive Notes:

CB Loyall Mouzon earned his first career start.
Mouzon finished with a career-high eight tackles. He finished third on the team.
DT Auckland Asiata earned his first career start.
S Jayden Davis grabbed his first career interception, picking off the Huskies’ first pass attempt on their first play of the game.
LB Malachi Langley finished the game with nine tackles. He finishes his career ranked fourth in program history with 327 career tackles.
Langley is the first player since Ben Jacobs in 2010 to enter the Top 5 in the program’s career tackles list.
LB Tuasivi Nomura led the team in tackles for the fourth time this season, finishing the game with 12 (11 solo).

Special Teams Notes:

Jordan Brown had his first kickoff return, taking one back 16 yards in the first quarter.
Mac Dalena had a 36-yard kickoff return. It was his first career return.
Kosi Agina blocked a punt in the second quarter. It was his first career blocked punt, and the second for the Bulldogs this season.
Dylan Lynch had three missed field goals. It was his third game this season with multiple misses, and first time in his career with three misses.

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