Instant analysis: Fresno State wins fourth straight, thumping Hawaii. Why the ‘Dogs are rolling
FINAL: Fresno State 55, Hawaii 13
Fresno State appears to be hitting its stride, nine games into an injury-riddled season.
THE LATEST: Robert Kuwada goes inside the historic numbers
The Bulldogs built a lead as great as 55 points while slicing up Hawaii on Saturday in front of 39,005 at Valley Children’s Stadium.
It was Fresno State’s fourth win in a row, achieved with quarterback Jake Haener hitting 24 of 29 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns. Haener threw scoring strikes from seven and 59 yards to Jalen Moreno-Cropper, 16 yards to Erik Brooks and 11 yards to Nikko Remigio.
It is the fifth time Haener has had four touchdown passes in a game in his Fresno State career, third on the Bulldogs’ all-time list behind Derek Carr with 14 and David Carr with seven.
He also has passed for more than 300 yards in four of five games he has played this season and 16 times in his career, which is second in school history behind Derek Carr with 20.
Running back Jordan Mims rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown, his fourth game with 100 or more this season and second in three games.
BULLDOGS POURING IT ON, LEAD 55-0
Fresno State with backup quarterback Logan Fife in the game has taken a 55-0 lead on a 7-yard touchdown run by Elijah Gilliam with 9:33 remaining.
Fife led the Bulldogs 76 yards in just six plays for the score, the biggest chunks coming on a 22-yard run by Malik Sherrod and a 21-yard run by Gilliam.
Fresno State is now 8 for 8 scoring on its drives with six touchdowns and two field goals.
FIFE IN FOR HAENER
Fresno State has put backup quarterback Logan Fife into the game, up 48-0 in the fourth quarter.
Jake Haener finished 24 of 29 (82.8%) for 327 yards with touchdowns of seven and 59 yards to Jalen Moreno-Cropper, 16 yards to Erik Brooks and 11 yards to Nikko Remigio.
HAENER HITS 4TH TD PASS
Fresno State has extended its lead to 48-0 with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jake Haener to Nikko Remigio with 14:18 remaining.
The four touchdown passes is a season high and Haener now has seven in two games since returning from a lower leg injury that had him on the sidelines for four games. He has hit 78.4% of his passes in those games.
HAENER HITTING AT HIGH PERCENTAGE
Fresno State is going into the fourth quarter with a 41-0 lead and not sure how much longer Jake Hener will be in this game, but at this point he is 23 of 28 for 316 yards and three touchdowns.
He has hit 82.1% of his passes, a little short of the Fresno State single-game record. That is held by Derek Carr, who was 28 of 32 (87.5%) in a victory over Air Force in 2012.
Kevin Sweeney is second on that list, going 22 of 27 (84.1%) against Wichita State in 1985.
DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING
Fresno State has scored 10 or more points three quarters in a row, with 17 in the first quarter, 14 in the second and now 10 in the third. That is the first time the Bulldogs have pulled that off this season.
They have had six series in this game and scored on every one of them.
BULLDOGS HIT A DEEP BALL, LEAD 41-0
Fresno State hit what has been a rarity this season - a deep ball for a touchdown. Quarterback Jake Haener hit Jalen Moreno-Cropper for a 59-yard touchdown and a 41-0 lead with 6:22 remaining in the third quarter.
It is the Bulldogs’ third longest play from scrimmage and the second that went for a touchdown.
Haener hit Moreno-Cropper for a 75-yard touchdown at New Mexico, and Josh Kelly with a 60-yard pass that went for a first down against Oregon State.
Haener is now 21 of 26 for 266 yards with three touchdowns and has three chunk passing plays of 20 or more yards. He has hit Nikko Remigio for 36, Kelly for 24 and the 59-yard touchdown to Moreno-Cropper.
DRIVE STALLS, ‘DOGS SETTLE FOR FG
Fresno State has kicked another short field goal after failing to score a red zone touchdown, a 25-yard kick by freshman Dylan Lynch that pushed the Bulldogs lead to 34-0 with 9:12 remaining.
The Bulldogs have kicked 13 field goals this season, 12 after they have reached the red zone. They at least are keeping good company. Going into the weekend, the teams leading the FBS in red zone field goals were No. 16 Illinois with 14, No. 3 Georgia with 13 and No. 5 Michigan with 13.
Texas-El Paso also had 13 red zone field goals.
MIMS TOPS 100
Fresno State Jordan Mims just picked up three yards on a 2nd-and-4 play, going over the 100-yard mark for the fourth time this season and second time in three weeks.
Mims this season has had 122 rushing yards against Oregon State, 114 at USC, 165 at New Mexico and still is at work against the Rainbow Warriors.
NO YAC
Hawaii has completed only seven passes for 46 yards, but one reason that second number is so low - the Bulldogs are doing a good job of getting the Rainbow Warriors receivers to the ground.
They have just 10 yards after the catch, 1.4 per reception.
In the Bulldogs’ victory over San Diego State last week, the Aztecs’ receivers had 137 yards after the catch, averaging 7.2 on each reception.
BEST FANS, BULLDOGS OR BOISE STATE?
Fresno State has a chance to lead the Mountain West in attendance this season, with a solid lead with one home game remaining on Boise State.
The Bulldogs are averaging 38,837, the Broncos 35,865.
Fresno State and Boise State both play their final home games on Friday, Nov. 25, the day after Thanksgiving. That game has not traditionally been a hot ticket in Fresno.
The Bulldogs have been stuck playing a home game that holiday weekend six times in the past nine non-COVID seasons and the average attendance has been only 28,979 for those games with attendance of 20,991, 26,375 and 26,162 in the equation. Another game like that, and that lead on Boise State might disappear.
THE DRIVES
Fresno State ran four series in the first half and scored on every one of them, with a field goal by Abraham Montano, a touchdown runs by Jordan Mims and TD passes from Jake Haener to Jalen Moreno-Cropper and Erik Brooks.
The Bulldogs have 272 yards of offense, and are averaging 7.0 yards per play.
HAENER FIRES SECOND TD PASS
Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener has thrown his second touchdown pass, this one 16 yards to Erik Brooks, to extends the Bulldogs’ lead to 31-0 with 41 seconds remaining before halftime.
Haener got a little lucky with this one. He scrambled right and away from pressure, firing the ball to the right pylon toward Brooks. A Hawaii defender got a hand on the ball, knocking it into the air. He thought he had a PBU, but Brooks was able to locate and catch the ball for a touchdown.
The Bulldogs’ quarterback hits halftime 18 of 23 for 178 yards with two touchdowns.
FILLING IT UP
Fresno State will announce an attendance of 39,005 for this game, bringing its season average to 38,837. The Bulldogs rank third among Group of Five conference programs in attendance.
FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY
Hawaii was last shutout in a 38-0 loss at Utah State on Nov. 18, 2017.
HAENER HITS MORENO-CROPPER FOR TD
Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener hit Jalen Moreno-Cropper with 7-yard touchdown pass to extend the Bulldogs lead to 24-0 with 7:16 remaining in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs drive was 71 yards in 14 plays.
Haener is 14 of 19 for 137 yards with the touchdown. Moreno-Cropper has four receptions on five targets for 34 yards and the touchdown. Haener did not throw any of his first nine passes in that direction, but five of his past 10 have gone to Moreno-Cropper.
MIMS’ TD STREAK
Fresno State running back Jordan Mims has rushed for a touchdown in four games in a row, the longest streak of his career.
Ronnie Rivers, the Bulldogs’ all-time touchdowns leader, who was recruited to Fresno State the same year as MIms, had streaks of six and five games in a row with a rushing touchdown in his career.
MIMS TD RUNS PUTS ‘DOGS UP 17-0
Fresno State has extended its lead to 17-0 on a 22-yard touchdown run by Jordan Mims with 1:59 remaining in the first quarter, capping a six play, 81 yard drive.
The touchdown was the 10th this season for Mims. Starting the week, only three players in the Mountain West had scored 10 or more touchdowns - Air Force running back Brad Roberts (13), Nevada running back Toa Taua (11) and Hawaii running back Dedrick Parson (11).
Mims already has 60 rushing yards and the touchdown on just six plays.
LOCKRIDGE GETS FORMER TEAMMATES
Fresno State cornerback Cameron Lockridge, a transfer from Hawaii, just picked off a Brayden Schager pass and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead with 4:55 remaining in the first quarter.
The interception was the second this season for Lockridge, who started this game in place of an injured Bralyn Lux.
The touchdown was the first scored by the Bulldogs’ defense this season.
Lockridge called it during the week. The interception, at least. “I can’t wait to play all them boys,” he said, on Tuesday. “Brayden, Bryaden is going to throw me a pick ...”
THE RETURN OF JOSH KELLY
Fresno State wideout Josh Kelly had a 2-yard reception on the Bulldogs’ opening series. It was his first receptions since the 35-32 loss to Oregon State in the second game of the season.
Kelly did not catch a pass the next week at USC and missed the next four games with a foot injury. He returned last week in the victory over San Diego State, but did not catch a pass.
BULLDOGS RED ZONE WOES CONTINUE
Fresno State has a 3-0 lead on a 31-yard field goal by Abraham Montano with 6:54 remaining in the first quarter. But the Bulldogs continue to struggle in the red zone.
Quarterback Jake Haener and the Bulldogs were moving well, gaining 14, 7, 5, 5 and 21 yards on five of their six plays from scrimmage, but once set up at the Hawaii 15-yard line stalled.
Haener hit Josh Kelly for a 2-yard gain, but misfired on his next two passes, leading to the field goal.
The Bulldogs have scored a touchdown on 47.2% of their red zone possessions, ranking just seventh in the Mountain West.
NELSON GETS START AT RIGHT TACKLE
With Dontae Bull out for the season with a broken leg, Braylen Nelson moved into the starting lineup at right tackle, his first start of the season.
The Bulldogs also started Jacob Isaia at left guard, so in has two changes in its starting lineup from last week, and is starting a sixth different lineup in seven games.
BULLDOGS GET A STOP
Fresno State started with its defense on the field and stopped Hawaii, which missed a 48-yard field goal attempt on on its opening drive.
Fresno State had allowed points on it past two game-opening drives, a field goal at New Mexico and a touchdown last week against San Diego State.
The Bulldogs take over at their 31-yard line, 10:46 remaining in the first quarter.
PREGAME NOTES
Fresno State can move one more step closer to a West Division title in the Mountain West and its spot in the conference championship game on Saturday with a victory over Hawaii, which has struggled to this point.
The Rainbow Warriors are 10th in the league in scoring offense and last in scoring defense, but have fared much better against Mountain West opponents. The Warriors (2-7 overall, 1-3 Mountain West) allowed 45.4 points per game during nonconference play but surrendered only 19.0 points game in conference play.
During nonconference action, Hawaii played Vanderbilt and Michigan, but also Western Kentucky, FCS Duquesne and New Mexico State.
The Bulldogs, who are tied atop the division is San Jose State but hold a head-to-head tie-breaker over the Spartans, will have to target a Hawaii run game that has had some success lately.
The Rainbow Warriors rushed for 6.1 yards per play in a 16-14 loss at San Diego State, 4.9 in a 31-16 victory over Nevada and 5.0 in a 27-20 loss last week to Wyoming.
Fresno State has been fairly solid against the run since the fourth quarter of a 40-20 loss at Boise State when the Broncos rushed the ball on 22 of 23 plays from scrimmage and the Bulldogs allowed 115 rushing yards.
“From a defensive standpoint we just had to look at ourselves in the mirror,” linebacker Levelle Bailey said. “Early on in the season, we didn’t do well as a team finishing games. We would be there the first three quarters, and we would just let off the gas. That was something that we had to change.
“We have our physical back. We have our mental back. We have our swag back. We have Evan Wiliams back. I feel like we’re on the right page.”
The Bulldogs since that loss at Boise State has allowed San Jose State 32 yards on 23 plays (1.4 ypp), New Mexico 87 yards in 27 plays (3.2) and San Diego State 158 yards in 38 plays (4.2) and 28 of those yards came on a TD scramble by quarterback Jalen Meydan.
Here’s how to catch the game on TV and radio:
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Valley Children’s Stadium
TV: FS2 (Guy Haberman and Will Blackmon)
Find it fast: Channels 651 and 1651 on AT&T Uverse, 410, 731 and 1208 on Comcast, 618 on DirecTV, 149 on Dish Network
Radio: Bulldog Sports Network (Paul Loeffler, Pat Hill, Cameron Worrell)
Find it fast: 1400 AM in Visalia/Tulare; 1340 AM in Fresno; 1280 AM in Stockton; 970 AM in Bakersfield; 92.9 FM in Modesto; 96.7 FM in Fresno
ATTENDANCE WATCH
Fresno State is expecting 37,000 to 38,000 for the game against Hawaii, continuing its run of solid crowds.
The Bulldogs rank third among Group of Five programs in attendance, averaging 38,795 per game. They have averaged more than 36,000 just once since 2008, drawing 36,917 in 2013 when quarterback Derek Carr and Davante Adams led Fresno State to an 11-2 record and Mountain West Conference title.
Here are the Top 5 Group of Five schools:
Central Florida: 40,997
East Carolina: 39,084
Fresno State: 38,795
Cincinnati: 38,018
Boise State: 35,716
Fresno State last season ranked sixth in the Group of Five, averaging 33,386 in attendance.
15 POINTS, 13 SECONDS
The 15 points Fresno State in a 13-second span late in the fourth quarter to beat San Diego State 32-28 last week turned that final 15 minutes the most productive of the season for the Bulldogs.
They had not scored more than 14 in a quarter against a FBS opponent all season, though they did score 21 on FCS Cal Poly in the first quarter of a 35-7 victory.
They had scored 10 or more points just seven times in their first 31 quarters.
MORENO-CROPPER STREAKING
Fresno State wideout Jalen Moreno-Cropper has caught at least one pass in 31 consecutive games, the third longest streak in school history behind KeeSean Johnson (50 in a row) and Henry Ellard (34).
Moreno-Cropper last went without a catch in a 2019 game against UNLV.
He has been targeted a team-high 64 times this season and has 51 receptions for 584 yards with one touchdown.
THE STARTING LINE
Hawaii has had 40 different players start at least one game, 19 on offense and 21 on defense. That is tied for seventh in the nation.
Fresno State obviously has had some injury issues of its own. The Bulldogs have had 39 players make a start.
