The Fresno State Bulldogs got the best of the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks, prevailing 18-3 in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday, Dec. 27.
Showing posts with label fresno state. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fresno state. Show all posts
Fresno State: 2023 New Mexico Bowl Champions
Mikey Keene threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns Saturday as Fresno State walloped New Mexico State 37-10 to win the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque.
Keene completed 31 of 39 passes with an interception. He also contributed a rushing touchdown for the Bulldogs (9-4), who looked more like the team that was ranked in the top 25 earlier in the season instead of the one that limped into the bowl with a three-game losing streak.
Fresno State won despite the absence of head coach Jeff Tedford, who took a leave of absence on Dec. 1 to address a medical condition. Assistant coach Tim Skipper ran the program and extracted one of its top performances of the season.
The Bulldogs outgained the Aggies 500-200, nearly doubling them in first downs (23-12) and converting 8 of 13 third downs. Malik Sherrod was a workhorse for Fresno State, rushing for 90 yards on 20 carries and catching eight passes for 81 yards.
New Mexico State (10-5) won 10 games for just the second time in school history but couldn’t cope with its Mountain West Conference foe. Diego Pavia completed only 11 of 25 passes for just 58 yards, although he did rush for 74 yards and the team’s only touchdown.
The Bulldogs carved out a 17-3 halftime lead. Dylan Lynch hit a 32-yard field goal with 6:17 left in the first quarter and Keene connected with Josiah Freeman for a 28-yard touchdown pass less than three minutes later.
Ethan Albertson got the Aggies on the board with a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter but Keene and Jaelen Gill hooked up for a 23-yard scoring strike at the 7:02 mark to up the margin to 14 points.
After Lynch converted a 25-yard field goal just over three minutes into the third quarter, Pavia got New Mexico State within 20-10, spinning off tacklers on a 14-yard scoring run.
But Keene’s 4-yard touchdown run with 13:20 left in the game fueled a 17-point fourth quarter that put the game away.
–Field Level Media
Fresno State: 2022 LA Bowl Champions
Fresno State — which won the Mountain West Conference title — is the first team to get to 10 wins after dropping four of the first five. The Bulldogs (10-4) were 1-4 in early October before winning their final nine games.
Mims accounted for 232 all-purpose yards and outgained Washington State, which had 182 offensive yards. Both of Mims' touchdowns were on direct snaps out of the Wildcat formation.
Early in the second quarter, the senior went 4 yards around left end to give the Bulldogs a 14-0 advantage. In the fourth quarter, he carried it 2 yards up the middle to make it 29-6.
Haener completed 24 of 36 passes for 284 yards in his final game for Fresno State. The senior connected with Zane Pope on a 22-yard touchdown to complete the Bulldogs’ opening possession. He added an 11-yard score to Nikko Remigio late in the third quarter to extend the lead to 22-6.
Cameron Ward was 22 of 32 for 137 yards for Washington State (7-6).
Nakia Watson rushed for 33 yards and had the Cougars only touchdown in the third quarter, when he scored from 1 yard to bring Washington State within 16-6.
Fresno State: 2022 Mountain West Football Champions
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Jake Haener threw for 184 yards and a touchdown, Nikko Remigio returned a punt 70 yards for a score, and Fresno State defeated Boise State 28-16 to win the Mountain West Conference championship Saturday afternoon.
Fresno State (9-4) overcame a 1-4 start to the season and a rash of injuries to win its final eight games, claiming the program's third Mountain West crown.
Boise State (9-4), which won 40-20 in the regular-season match-up between the teams, fell to 3-3 in Mountain West title games.
Boise State controlled the game early but struggled to find the end zone, clinging to a 3-0 lead late in the first half. But that all changed when Fresno State scored two touchdowns in a span of 2:36 right before halftime.
Remigio's electric return snaking back and forth across the field sparked Fresno State before Cameron Lockridge intercepted the first of two passes, returning it 25 yards to the Broncos' 17-yard line. Three plays later, Jordan Mims scored on a 2-yard run to put the Bulldogs up 14-3. They never relinquished the lead.
After Boise State edged within 14-9 in the third quarter, Fresno State tacked on two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Jordan Mims rushed for 83 yards and a pair of scores for Fresno State.
Boise State's Taylen Green was 17-of-38 passing for 175 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
THE TAKEAWAY
Boise State: While Broncos quarterback Green made his initial splash on the team with his legs, it's his arm that turned the season around. However, Green was often off-target against Fresno State.
Fresno State: The Bulldogs' 10-3 campaign a year ago served as a springboard for sustained success in 2022. However, Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford, who has now won two Mountain West titles, will have his work cut out for him in 2023 as his talented team is losing eight seniors on offense and five more on defense. If he chooses to utilize the transfer portal, he could shore up the team's short-term needs and keep Fresno State in contention for another conference title.
Fresno State: 2021 New Mexico Bowl Champions
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- — Jordan Mims ran for 165 yards and two touchdown and caught five passes for 71 yards and another score to help Fresno State beat UTEP 31-24 on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl.
Fresno State (10-3) won the bowl game for the first time in three tries.
Jake Haener was 26 of 41 for 286 yards and a touchdown. His status had been somewhat in doubt when he briefly entered the transfer portal after coach Kalen DeBoer took the job at Washington.
Mims' 22-yard catch and run late in third quarter gave the Bulldogs a 26-17 lead. But it was setting the tone with the ground game that was important, he said.
"The offensive line, we preached running the ball hard all this week," Mims said. "Even though they have a good defense, it's all about us and what we do and I think we showed that (Saturday) by running the ball."
Taking advantage of Mims was a key part of the game plan, said Bulldogs interim head coach Lee Marks.
"We knew we were going to be able to rely on Jordan," he said. "To be honest, he's such a good player. One cut, get vertical, just downhill. He told me coach, 'I'm not going to get tired. And he did not. That's tremendous for him."
The Miners (7-6) pulled to 26-24 early in the fourth quarter on Calvin Brownholtz's 51-yard touchdown pass to Trent Thompson.
But Fresno State got a field goal, followed by a UTEP safety, before the Bulldogs ran out the clock.
UTEP's Gavin Hardison threw for 252 yards and a touchdown. But one play after completing a 27-yard pass on fourth and five, Hardison fumbled at the end of a 10-yard scramble and the Miners never saw the ball again.
"Fresno has a really good defense and Gavin did a lot of positive things," UTEP coach Dana Dimel. "He threw for 200 yards in their first half alone. He did so many positive things. He just keeps getting better and better and better."
UTEP has lost the New Mexico Bowl in all three of its appearances and has a seven-game bowl losing streak dating to 1967.
It is the third time in the past five years that Fresno State has reached he 10-win mark.
"For any program, getting 10 wins is a big deal," Marks said. "It hasn't happened a lot in our program."
MILESTONE
With his second completion of the game, a 53-yarder to Reynaldo Flores, UTEP quarterback Gavin Hardison surpassed the 3,000-yard mark on the season, the first Miners quarterback to do so since 2009.
TURNOVERS
For only the second time this season, the Bulldogs did not commit a turnover.
TAKEAWAY
Fresno State: The Bulldogs will be spending the offseason readjusting to new/old coach Jeff Tedford, who returns following a two-year, health-related absence after coaching the team from 2017-19.
UTEP: With Hardison having at least two seasons of eligibility remaining, as well top running back Ronald Awatt and top receiver Jacob Cowing, also scheduled to return, UTEP is well positioned for next season.
Fresno State: 2018 Las Vegas Bowl Champions
LAS VEGAS -- Running back Ronnie Rivers might be the embodiment of Fresno State's turnaround.
It wasn't guaranteed Rivers would be able to play this season after sustaining a foot injury in spring practice, and he was limited by a shoulder injury late in the year. But Rivers was there, leading the way as the Bulldogs completed their journey after going 1-11 two seasons ago.
Rivers rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns to help No. 19 Fresno State beat Arizona State 31-20 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday.
Anthoula Kelly had a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown, and Marcus McMaryion rushed for a touchdown and was 15-of-29 passing for 176 yards to help Fresno State (12-2) set a school record for wins in a season.
"It's a group that persevered," Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford said. "This group can be remembered as the only team in NCAA history that went from a double-digit losing season to back-to-back double-digit winning seasons."
Rivers put Fresno State back in front 24-20 with a 68-yard touchdown run up the middle in the third quarter and had a 5-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter to seal it. The Bulldogs were 2-0 against Pac-12 opponents this season, also beating UCLA 38-14 in September.
"We've been emphasizing on the word `finish' this past week and just going out there and finishing the job, getting this 12th win," said Rivers, who gained 156 yards on 15 carries in the second half and was honored as the game's most valuable player.
Fresno State was able to overcome turnovers on three consecutive drives in the second half, including when McMaryion threw the first of two interceptions to set up Brandon Ruiz's 44-yard field goal that gave Arizona State a 20-17 lead.
Dejonte O'Neal also fumbled off the pylon when reaching out to score on a throwback screen.
"But I think it says a lot about our team," Tedford said. "Our team plays together, believe in one another. They don't panic and they just keep playing."
Eno Benjamin rushed for 118 yards a one touchdown for the Sun Devils (7-6) in their third straight bowl loss. Manny Wilkins threw for 129 yards, with a 3-yard scoring pass to Kyle Williams and two interceptions.
First-year coach Herm Edwards put the loss on the failure to score points off takeaways, getting three points following the three Fresno State turnovers. Arizona State had 63 yards of offense in the second half.
"We made it a game we wanted to play in. We made it uncomfortable for them," Arizona State coach Herm Edwards said. "But then they got a score. We had to catch up a little bit and that's where they can really come after you."
Benjamin set the school single-season rushing record on a 13-yard run in the second quarter, finishing with 1,642 yards rushing to break Woody Green's mark of 1,565 yards in 1972.
Wilkins said he did not sustain an injury despite taking a hit to the knee on the final pass of his college career, which was intercepted by Juju Hughes.
"I'm good. I left it all out there, so that's all I needed to do," Wilkins said.
THE TAKEAWAY
Arizona State: The Sun Devils will be disappointed to finish with the exact same record as last season, but signs of progress under Edwards were evident. The defense found several young playmakers and played well against Fresno State without freshman linebacker Merlin Robertson. The offense, which played without star wide receiver N'Keal Harry after he declared for the NFL draft, needs to be upgraded to contend in the Pac-12.
Fresno State: The Bulldogs used a strong second half to complete its best season in school history. The senior-heavy offensive line led the way for Rivers, who will be the focal point of the offense in 2019. With a 22-6 record in two seasons at Fresno State, Tedford has reminded everyone why he is one of the best coaches in college football.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Fresno State will finish the season ranked for the third time in school history and should earn its highest final-ranking ever. Arizona State could merit consideration from voters in the preseason poll.
UP NEXT
Arizona State: The Sun Devils need to replace Wilkins, and with commitments from three top high school quarterbacks, it seems his successor might not have been in uniform at the Las Vegas Bowl. If Arizona State can find stability there quickly, the pieces look to be in place to challenge in the Pac-12 South.
Fresno State: The Bulldogs are looking at a major roster overhaul, losing McMaryion, four of five starting offensive linemen and four defensive starters. However, a return to the Mountain West Conference title game isn't an unreasonable expectation based on what Tedford has accomplished in his first two seasons at Fresno State.
Fresno State: 2017 Hawaii Bowl Champions
HONOLULU -- Marcus McMaryion could not have envisioned this success when he joined Fresno State four months ago.
McMaryion threw for a career-best 342 yards and Jimmy Camacho made four field goals to help Fresno State beat Houston 33-27 on Sunday in the Hawaii Bowl.
The Oregon State-transfer completed 33 of 48 passes to tie the Hawaii bowl record for completions set by Hawaii's Colt Brennan against Arizona State in 2006 and also matched by Fresno State's Derek Carr against SMU in 2012.
"I definitely came to just kind of help out and change the program, but I would be lying if I told you that I thought I'd be standing in this position right now, but I'm just glad that I was able to experience it with these guys," said McMaryion, who joined the team in early August as a junior.
"I think I fell into a really good situation. When I got here the guys had the attitude and the work ethic and someone else said that I was just the cherry on top of it. The work ethic and everything was instilled that coach (Jeff) Tedford brought here, so it was just a great year overall and it's great to finish with a `W," McMaryion said.
The Bulldogs (10-4) had their first 10-win season in five years and completed the biggest turnaround in FBS this season. They went 1-11 last year and became just the second team in FBS history to go from double-digit losses one season to double-digit wins the next.
"It's a great way to end the season here in Hawaii after a great week with win number 10, but it's all about these kids," Tedford said.
The Cougars (7-5) were seeking their fifth consecutive season of eight or more wins.
Camacho was busy in his final game for Fresno State. He attempted six field goals, with makes of 27, 38, 26 and 33 yards, but missed a 56-yarder in the second quarter -- which would have been a career long -- and had a 24-yard try blocked and returned for a touchdown in the third quarter. Camacho broke the Hawaii Bowl record for field goals.
Fresno State finished with 480 yards of total offense to Houston's 341.
Defensive tackle Ed Oliver, the first underclassman to win the Outland Trophy, had his first career carry -- a 1-yard touchdown run -- to cap Houston's first scoring drive in the first quarter.
Camacho lined up a 24-yard field goal attempt late in the third quarter, but it was blocked by Houston's Jeremy Winchester and returned 94 yards for a touchdown by Alexander Myres.
The Bulldogs took the lead for good on Camacho's 26-yard field goal with 13:57 left to play and stretched the lead to 26-20 with his 33-yarder with six minutes remaining.
Jaron Bryant's 44-yard interception return for a TD off a deflection with 3:49 wrapped up the win. D'Eriq King's pass was batted up in the air by defensive end Robert Stanley and fell into the hands of Bryant, who maneuvered his way along the left sideline for the score.
KeeSean Johnson caught eight passes for 95 yards for Fresno State and went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season.
Steven Dunbar, one of two senior receivers for the Cougars, had seven receptions for 168 yards.
McMaryion and Dunbar were selected as the game's most valuable players for each team.
THE TAKEAWAY
Houston: The Cougars brought the second-best completion percentage in the country at 70.1 percent. King completed 23 of his 43 pass attempts (53.5 percent) for 269 yards with an interception
Fresno State: The Bulldogs entered allowing 116.6 rushing yards per game, the fifth-best mark in FBS. They held the Cougars to 72 rush yards -- well below their per-game average of 175.5 -- on 30 carries, an average of just 2.4 yards per attempt.
UP NEXT
Houston, which must replace five starters on each side of the ball, will open its 2018 campaign on the road, but not far from home, when it visits Rice on Sept. 1.
Fresno State will lose a total of five starters from this year's squad. It will start off Tedford's sophomore season at his alma mater at home against Idaho on Sept. 1.
Fresno State Bulldogs: 2015-16 Mountain West Men's Basketball Champions
LAS VEGAS -- Back in October, during the Mountain West media days, Fresno State's Marvelle Harris said he wasn't thinking much about being voted as the preseason player of the year.
Honored, yes. But he had one goal in mind: to lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament.
Harris came through, scoring 18 points to lead his team to a 68-63 victory over San Diego State to win the Mountain West Tournament title and earn its first NCAA berth since 2001.
"It was incredible. Greatest feeling I've had in my whole basketball career," Harris said. "It's a big win for the program, community, fans, everyone. And it's just a great feeling. You're overwhelmed and you just kind of -- unbelievable."
San Diego State had a chance to tie the game with 28 seconds left, but Dakarai Allen missed the second of two free throws, and Bulldogs guard Julien Lewis drained four straight foul shots to put the game out of reach.
Karachi Edo scored nine points, while Lewis had eight points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs.
No. 2-seed Fresno State (25-9) beat the top-seeded Aztecs for the second time in three meetings this season.
"We outplayed them twice, so we knew they knew us," Harris said. "We knew their scouting report, so it was going to come down to players making plays. And I think in the final few minutes that's what happened."
And Edo made one of the biggest, when he blocked Jeremy Hemsley's shot with eight seconds left. Lewis grabbed the rebound, was fouled immediately and sealed the win.
"You can coach all you want, you better have some guys that can make some plays and get some things done," Fresno State coach Rodney Terry said.
San Diego State (25-9) will likely settle for the league's automatic bid to the NIT by virtue of winning the regular-season title.
The Aztecs were led by Malik Pope, who had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Winston Shepard, who added 15.
Though the Aztecs outscored Fresno State 38-18 in the paint, they suffered from poor shooting in the second half, hitting just 11 of 30 (36 percent), after hitting 48 percent in the first half.
"As disappointed as we are and I am, I'm 10 times more proud of who we are and what we've done and how we've done it," San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said. "We had chances. We didn't lose, we got beat. We fought. Fresno won the game."
Fresno State took advantage of 15 Aztecs miscues, scoring 18 points off turnovers, while its bench outscored San Diego State's, 18-13.
"We just didn't take care of the ball like we should have (at the end of the game)," Shepard said. "We should have been better with it."
Though Harris only scored four in the second half, they were big points, as he nailed a huge putback while falling down to start a 6-0 run that eventually tied the game at 52-all.
Moments later, with the Bulldogs down two, his layup sparked a game-closing 16-9 run that provided the final margin.
Harris, who was also the league's regular-season MVP, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
TWO FOR THE MONEY:
With Fresno State's win, the Mountain West's No. 2 seed improved to 8-1 in championship games, and 32-8 overall. The last No. 2 seed to win the title was in 2014, when New Mexico defeated San Diego State, 64-58.
TIP-INS
Fresno State: Harris, who averaged 22.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.6 steals during the regular season, finished the Mountain West tournament averaging 17.7 points in three games.
San Diego State: Pope averaged just 6.3 points per game during the regular season, but had his coming out party in the tournament, in which he averaged 14 points and 7.3 rebounds. His double-double was just his second of the season.
UP NEXT:
Fresno State receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
San Diego State receives the league's automatic bid to the NIT.
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