Fresno State wins 38-7 at New Mexico, continues run through Mountain West

Final, 38-7

Fresno State continued its run through the Mountain West Conference with a 38-7 victory over New Mexico on Saturday at Dreamstyle Stadium, its defense again dominant and its offense again showing a spark after two sluggish games.

It is now 6-1, 3-0 in the Mountain West and bowl-eligible for the second year in a row. The Lobos fell to 3-4, 1-2.

The Bulldogs rolled up 433 yards and 29 first downs – they had only 29 in their past two games, 12 at Nevada and 17 against Wyoming. Quarterback Marcus McMaryion threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns, one to Ronnie Rivers and two to KeeSean Johnson. Rivers also scored twice on runs of 1 and 16 yards.

The Fresno State defense had its streak of quarters without allowing a touchdown snapped at nine when the Lobos scored in the second quarter, but it again controlled the game and might have caught a break with an injury to linebacker Jeff Allison.

The Bulldogs’ leading tackler came out in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury.

“He seems to be fine,” coach Jeff Tedford said, after the game.. “He’s in good spirits, walking around, moving around fine.”

New Mexico had come in averaging 38.2 points per game, third in the Mountain West Conference. But the Bulldogs allowed only 295 yards of offense, 99 of it coming in the fourth quarters after the starters were given the rest of the night off.

Safety Mike Bell had an interception for Fresno State, his third in as many games. it also was the fifth game in a row that the Bulldogs have picked off at least one pass – they have 13 on the season.

First down count …

The Bulldog have 27 first downs through three quarters. They had 29 in their past two games, 12 at Nevada and 17 against Wyoming.

It’s official: a rout

Marcus McMaryion has his third touchdown pass of the game, a 23-yard screen pass to Ronnie Rivers. The Bulldogs are up 38-7

McMaryion to Johnson, again

Fresno State has extended its lead to 31-7 on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Marcus McMaryion to KeeSean Johnson.

Johnson now has seven receptions for a season-high 136 yards and two touchdowns.

McMaryion is 18 of 27 (66.7 percent) for 244 yards and two touchdowns.

On the run

Fresno State has rushed the ball 19 times for 68 yards, just 3.6 yards per play.

The Bulldogs have had some success on first down, though. It has run it 10 times, gaining 45 yards and that includes runs of 5, 5, 9. 16 and 6 yards.

The Bulldogs went into the game ranked 10th in the Mountain West Conference in rushing offense, averaging just 132.7 yards per game and 3.7 yards per play.

Lost yards

New Mexico has 63 rushing yards. It has 84 passing yards. It has been penalized six times for a total of 90 yards.

Can’t cover KeeSean

The Bulldogs KeeSean Johnson has five receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown in the first half, coming close to a season-high for receiving yards. The list …

Idaho: 6 for 118 yards

Minnesota: 6 for 89 yards and one TD

UCLA: 8 for 85 yards

Toledo: 6 for 102 yards and 2 TDs

Nevada: 7 for 65 yards and 1 TD

Wyoming: 5 for 51 yards

A quick answer

The Bulldogs answered quickly, Marcus McMaryion hitting KeeSean Johnson with a 34-yard touchdown pass.

Fresno State again leads by 17, up 24-7.

The Bulldogs scored in just 21 seconds, taking advantage of a 15-yard face mask penalty and a 15-yard personal foul for taunting the Bulldogs bench, both penalties on cornerback De’John Rogers.

New Mexico has been penalized five times and all of them have been for personal fouls.

Streak over

New Mexico quarterback Sheriron Jones hit Elijah Lilly with a 16-yard touchdown pass with 57 seconds remaining in the first half. cutting the Bulldogs lead to 17-7 and ending their streak of touchdown-less quarters at nine.

Fresno State had beaten Nevada 21-3 and Wyoming 27-3 in its past two games.

17-0

Ronnie Rivers has his second touchdown run, scoring from 1-yard out and the Bulldogs lead is now 17-0. There is 3:29 remaining in the first half, the score set up by the interception by Bell.

The Bulldogs have now scored 76 points off turnovers. Their opponents? Just 17.

Mike Bell, three in a row

Fresno State safety Mike Bell just picked off a pass from Sheriron Jones, his third game in a row with an interception.

The Bulldogs now have 13 interceptions this season and have at least one in five games in a row. They had nine interceptions last season.

Targeting, and out …

New Mexico just had running back Zahneer Shuler ejected for targeting. The Lobos ran a pass, with a reverse and Shuler hit linebacker George Helmuth high on a block.

The Bulldogs declined the penalty – the result of the play was a loss of six yards, with linebacker Jeff Allison making getting the TFL.

Fresno State has allowed the Lobos only 49 yards on 17 plays.

Bulldogs’ running it

Ronnie Rivers scored on a 16-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds to go in the first quarter, extending the Bulldogs lead to 10-0.

Fresno State has rushed the ball nine times for 38 yards and the touchdown.

43 and counting

KeeSean Johnson had a 23-yard reception on the Bulldogs’ first series, extending his streak of games with a reception to 43 games. It is the longest streak in the nation..

Johnson in the first quarter has three receptions for 53 yards.

Three this time, and a lead …

Fresno State again put a drive together, but again had to settle for a field goal attempt after a 5-yard penalty set them back.

Asa Fuller did convert, hitting from 30 yards to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. There is 2:48 remaining in the first quarter.

The penalty was an illegal snap on center Markus Boyer, which turned a 2nd-and4 from the New Mexico 4 into a 2nd-and-9 from the 9. On the Bulldogs’ first series, they had a false start by wideout KeeSean Johnson that put them in a 3rd-and-9.

Three in a row …

Fresno State started its four-game winning streak by getting off to fast starts in victories at UCLA and against Toledo, the Bulldogs scoring on their first series in both games.

The past two games, they struggled, not only on their first series but through the first half.

The Bulldogs got off to a better start at New Mexico, but had to settle for a 42-yard field goal attempt after a false start penalty on a 3rd-and-3 left the Bulldogs in a 3rd-and-8.

The past three games the Bulldogs have started like this …

Nevada: 20 yards, 2 first downs, 0 points

Wyoming: 17 yards, 1 first down, 0 points

New Mexico: 49 yards, 2 first downs, 0 points.

Must see TV

Fresno State will kick off at New Mexico at 4:30 p.m. (ESPNU), with a chance to run its winning streak to five games and continue to build a resume that will get a good, long look at the end of the season if the Bulldogs continue to win football games.

They might not be getting much attention in the Associated Press Top 25 (seven points, 36th) or the Coaches Poll (six points, 36th), but they are at the moment the top-rated Group of Five team in the Sagarin Ratings.

The first College Football Playoff rankings will be announced on Oct. 30..

Not that the AP ranking means much, but No. 20 Cincinnati already has lost 24-17 at Temple.

This story was originally published October 20, 2018 at 2:17 PM.