Fresno State hands No. 21 San Diego State 1st loss

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CARSON, Calif. — Fresno State erstwhile again came into Southern California and knocked disconnected a ranked opponent.

Jake Haener passed for 306 yards and a touchdown, Jordan Mims rushed for a career-high 186 yards and 2 scores, and the Bulldogs handed No. 21 San Diego State its archetypal nonaccomplishment of the play with a 30-20 triumph Saturday night.

Fresno State (7-2, 4-1 Mountain West), which knocked disconnected then-No. 13 UCLA past month, raced retired to a 20-0 second-quarter pb and dominated successful each 3 facets.

“I consciousness similar each week is simply a statement. We weren’t focused connected the ranking but who we were playing,” said antiaircraft extremity Kevin Atkins, who had a fumble recovery. “Our crippled program was to halt the tally and marque them aerial it out. We executed our crippled program amended than they executed theirs.”

The Bulldogs had 485 yards of full offense, ending San Diego State’s 29-game streak of holding opponents nether 450. Defensively, they forced 3 turnovers against an Aztecs squad that had committed lone six coming into the game.

“The physicality we brought disconnected the bat acceptable the tone. The defence did a large occupation of shutting down the tally and we came up with immoderate timely turnovers,” Fresno State manager Kalen DeBoer said. “We came retired beardown and played 1 of our amended archetypal quarters. The mindset we person had the past 2 weeks has been a assured shot team.”

Haener completed 25 of 42 passes for his sixth 300-yard crippled this season. After Evan Williams picked disconnected Lucas Johnson and returned it 36 yards to the San Diego State 31, Haener connected with Keric Wheatfall for a 16-yard TD conscionable wrong the near pylon 43 seconds into the 2nd 4th to springiness the Bulldogs a 14-0 advantage.

Mims had his 2nd consecutive 100-yard crippled and became the archetypal moving backmost this play to deed the period people against the Aztecs. The elder had 97 yards successful the archetypal half, including a 13-yard people with 3:53 remaining successful the archetypal 4th to headdress a 15-play, 86-yard drive.

Mims besides had a 15-yard touchdown during the 4th fourth to widen Fresno State’s pb to 30-13.

“We knew determination were going to beryllium immoderate pugnacious yards earned, but we could get a batch of large plays up apical which is what we did,” Mims said.

San Diego State (7-1, 3-1) came into the crippled 2nd successful the federation successful third-down percent defense, 4th against the tally and 5th successful full defense, but it struggled to support pace. Fresno State converted 9 of 18 3rd downs and went three-and-out lone 3 times successful 13 drives.

“I thought, honestly, we were sporadic. We were capable to determination the shot immoderate and past we got stalled by 1 crushed oregon another,” Aztecs manager Brady Hoke said.

Johnson had 280 yards of full offense. The elder backmost was 14 of 31 for 220 yards, a TD and 2 interceptions on with 60 yards rushing. Greg Bell, who came into the crippled 3rd successful the Mountain West successful rushing, was held to 63 yards connected 15 carries.

“They came retired acceptable to play and we came retired a small flat,” Johnson said. “I’ve got to bash a amended occupation of taking attraction of the shot and putting our squad successful amended situations.”

The Bulldogs extended their pb to 20-0 connected a brace of tract goals by Cesar Silva earlier the Aztecs got connected the committee precocious successful the 2nd 4th connected Tyrell Shavers’ 19-yard TD reception.

Silva kicked his 3rd tract extremity with 4 minutes remaining successful the 3rd 4th to enactment Fresno State up 23-7 earlier San Diego State responded with Bell’s 3-yard TD. The 2-point conversion failed, leaving the Aztecs trailing 23-13 going into the last 15 minutes.

After Mims’ 2nd touchdown, Will Haskell — who replaced Johnson — had a 7-yard tally to get the Aztecs wrong 10 points with 1:06 remaining.

HIGHLIGHT WORTHY

San Diego State cornerback Dallas Branch appeared arsenic if helium was going to intercept Haener’s agelong walk intended for Josh Kelly during the 2nd quarter, but the Bulldogs’ sophomore receiver was capable to snag it astatine the past 2nd and went 69 yards. It was Fresno State’s second-longest play this play and it led to Silva’s archetypal tract goal.

Kelly finished with 5 receptions for 107 yards.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

San Diego State’s four-week enactment successful the rankings is apt to extremity with this loss. However, Fresno State could participate for the 2nd clip this season. The Bulldogs moved into the Top 25 aft a triumph implicit UCLA connected Sept. 19.

“We person shown we tin bushed Top 25 teams. We’ve inactive got 3 games near successful the regular season, though, and can’t fto up,” DeBoer said. “We’ve already had that hiccup. If we support winning, (the ranking) volition happen. I deliberation we are a precise good, well-rounded and implicit team.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Fresno State: The Bulldogs person the wrong way to their 5th West Division rubric since 2013 and an quality successful the Mountain West title game.

San Diego State: The Aztecs committed 3 turnovers aft having 1 oregon nary successful six consecutive games. The 2 interceptions and 1 fumble led to 15 Fresno State points.