Fresno State misfires in season opener vs. Hawaii, committing turnovers, multiple mistakes

FINAL: Hawaii 34, Fresno State 19

Fresno State clearly has a lot to clean up, which was not at all unexpected given the lack of time together this summer and in fall camp.

It pretty much beat itself on Saturday with turnovers and a wide assortment of mistakes, some big and some small, though Hawaii will get the credit.

It was Rainbow Warriors 34-19, in the 2020 opener at Bulldog Stadium and the debut for Fresno State coach Kalen DeBoer.

The Bulldogs (0-1) turned the football over four times, committed seven penalties, struggled to get Hawaii off the field – it was 11 of 16 on third downs. They misfired often in the red zone, settling for 22- and 25-yard field goals and turning it over once on downs.

They also struggled to stop the run and with a lead in the second half the Rainbow Warriors ran the football a lot – 53 times, the most it has had in a game since it had 54 in a 28-26 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in 2015.

Hawaii had 323 rushing yards, its most since it had 344 in a victory over Nevada in 2016.

Fresno State played the game with no fans inside Bulldog Stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hawaii with four rushing TDs, 34-19 lead

The Rainbow Warriors are bludgeoning the Bulldogs, scoring a fourth rushing touchdown to take a 34-19 lead with 4:52 remaining.

Calvin Turner just scored his second, on a 4-yard run. Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro also has two rushing touchdowns for Hawaii.

The Rainbow Warriors have churned out 258 yards on the ground of 46 plays.

Back to a one-score game

Fresno State has cut its deficit to 27-19 on another short field goal by Cesar Silva, this one from 25 yards with 10:13 remaining.

Silva has field goals of 22 and 25 yards.

Quarterback Jake Haener hit another big pass play, hitting Chris Coleman for a gain of 51 yards to set up a 1st-and-10 at the Hawaii 24-yard line. Haener got them to the 13 on a third-down scramble, but from there the drive fizzled.

Hawaii extends lead, 27-16

The Rainbow Warriors added three points on a 24-yard field goal by Matthew Shipley with 12:08 remaining, following the interception by Haener.

Pick 3

Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener just threw his third interception, but this one wasn’t on him. Haener first a 2nd-and-7 pass that hit wideout Keric Wheatfall right in the hands – it wasn’t high, low, inside or outside – and it got away.

The ball popped into the air and linebacker Jeremiah Pritchard picked it off.

A stop and a chance

Fresno State has the ball back with 1:47 remaining in the third quarter after Hawaii misfired on a 3rd-and-10 play with quarterback Chevan Corderio throwing an incomplete pass.

The Rainbow Warriors were 8 of 11 on third downs before that play.

Bulldogs cut it to 24-16

Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener hit Keric Wheatfall with a 46-yard pass play, the Bulldogs’ longest play from scrimmage. But their drive stalled and they had to settle for a 22-yard field goal Cesar Silva with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs’ drive was 70 yards in 7 plays, and they now have 248 yards of total offense. Haener is 8 of 14 for 157 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Kelly down

Fresno State wideout Josh Kelly was able to jog off the field, but was taken to a blue medical tent the Bulldogs have set up on their sideline after taking a hard hit on an incomplete pass.

Hawaii defensive back Kai Kaneshiro was penalized for targeting on the hit as well as for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Rainbow Warriors extend lead, 24-13

Hawaii is up 24-13 after a 2-yard run by Calvin Turner with 6:18 to go in the third quarter.

The Rainbow Warriors drive was 76 yards in 14 plays.

Hawaii answers, quickly, takes 17-13 lead

The Rainbow Warriors had just 1:44 before halftime, and didn’t even need all of it to take the lead right back from the Bulldogs.

Quarterback Chevan Corderio hit four passes including a 35-yarder to Rico Bussey on a 6-play, 72-yard touchdown drive. It took just 1:17.

Cordeiro finished it with his second touchdown run of the game, this one from 3 yards out.

‘Dogs win field position, take 13-10 lead

Fresno State has taken a 13-10 lead on an 18-yard pass from Jake Haener to tight end Juan Rodriguez with 1:50 to go before halftime.

The point-after try was no good.

The Bulldogs were set up by their special teams and defense – Cade Fuller had a punt downed at the Hawaii 1-yard line and the defense forced a three-and-out. Hawaii had punt the ball out of its own end zone, and Ronnie Rivers returned it 23 yards to the Hawaii 33.

The Bulldogs have started three drives on the Rainbow Warriors’ side of the field, at the 26, 37 and 33 yard lines.

Hawaii takes lead with FG

The Rainbow Warriors’ Rico Bussey dropped a pass that would have given Hawaii a first down inside the Fresno State 10-yard line, and they had to settle for a 34-yard field goal.

Hawaii leads 10-7 with 7:12 remaining in the first half.

The drive was 73 yards in 13 plays and Hawaii converted a 3rd-and-9, a 3rd-and-3 and a 3rd-and-1 on the drive before the dropped pass.

First quarter: Fresno State 7, Hawaii 7

The Bulldogs have a drive working as the first quarter comes to an end. Ronnie Rivers, who has all nine of the running back carries so far, had runs of 12 and 14 yards on back-to-back plays to get Fresno State to the Hawaii 33-yard line.

They start the second quarter there, 1st-and-10.

Defensive end Kwami Jones had three sacks in the first quarter. The school record for sacks in a game is 7 by Ron Cox against Cal State Fullerton in 1989.

It was not the cleanest quarter for the Bulldogs, which might be as expected for a first game and little practice time leading up to it.

They have the two turnovers and five penalties for 35 yards.

Rainbow Warriors take advantage of TO

Hawaii took advantage of the fumble by Haener, tying the score at 7 on a 20-yard touchdown run by quarterback Chevan Cordeiro.

There is 4:00 remaining in the first quarter.

Three drives, two turnovers

Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener just fumbled away the football, stripped when looking to pass by Hawaii linebacker Quentin Frazier.

It is the second turnover in three drives for Haener, who had a pass intercepted on the previous series.

Bulldogs up 7-0 on Rivers’ run

Fresno State cashed in the turnover, scoring on a 7-yard run by Ronnie Rivers to take a 7-0 lead.

The senior has now scored 14 touchdowns in his last 181 rushing plays, and is the answer to a trivia question … who scored the Bulldogs’ first touchdown in 2020?

How many of these do you remember?

2019 at USC – Grim, 34 pass from Reyna

2018 vs. Idaho – Mims, 1 run

2017 vs. Incarnate Word – Hokit, 1 run

2016 at Nebraska – Peck, 7 pass from Virgil

2015 vs. Abilene Christian – Jordan, 25 pass from Greenlee

2014 at USC – Waller, 1 run

2013 vs. Rutgers – Quezada, 3 run

2012 vs. Weber State – Adams, 27 pass from Carr

2011 vs. Cal – Rouse, 9 run

2010 vs. Cincinnati – Rouse 20 pass from Colburn

‘Dogs get first turnover

The Bulldogs have their first turnover gained of the season – after a lengthy officials review that should not have taken long at all.

The Rainbow Warriors’ Lincoln Victor fumbled the opening kickoff when hit by cornerback Bralyn Lux, the ball clearly out. Freshman Mac Dalena recovered the fumble.

Fresno State last season was fourth in the Mountain West with 22 turnovers gained.

The timeline

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Fresno State didn’t bring its student-athletes back to campus in June and July for voluntary or mandatory workouts, which were allowed by the NCAA.

The Bulldogs had no organized team activities from March 12 to Sept. 25 and it will be 329 days since they last played a game.

That was a 17-16 loss at San Jose State to find the 2019 season.

History on DeBoer’s side

Fresno State coach Kalen DeBoer makes his Bulldogs debut on Saturday against Hawaii with an impressive record in tow, and not just as an offensive coordinator at three stops at the FBS level.

DeBoer went 67-3 as the coach at NAIA Sioux Falls including three national championships and three national coach of the year awards.

Dug into that history a little bit during the week with coach Bob Young, who in 22 seasons at Sioux Falls went 172-69-3 with 17 winning seasons including a 14-0 mark and national championship in 1996. That title, the first in school history, came in DeBoer’s senior season at Sioux Falls, where he still is No. 2 on the all-time receptions list.

That sturdy coaching tree counts Bulldogs safeties coach Chuck Morrell, who played at Sioux Falls with DeBoer, and by extension offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and running backs coach Lee Marks.

“I was very proud of what they did and how they carried on what we worked so hard to establish over the years and I think it really paid off for them,” Young said. “If you look at Kalen’s record when he was the head coach, it’s phenomenal. I’ve seen too many times a coach will come into a program and change the philosophy and try to establish their own culture and everything and it goes against what’s established.

“I think they’ve found out that it doesn’t work. I’ve always thought of Nebraska when Tom Osborne was down there, how he established such a strong culture. I think there was an attempt to change the culture of that program that the predecessors felt so strongly about and as a result the program has suffered since. I think that would be true of the University of Sioux Falls if someone tried to come in and change the culture.”

That obviously plays to DeBoer, who spent two seasons under coach Jeff Tedford as the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator.

“I think that’s what is so helpful,” Young said. “He really respects Coach Tedford and what he did with the program. Think there will be pretty much a continuation of what Coach Tedford did. He is a man who certainly led the program in great ways. Kalen came in and really believed in what he was doing.”

What stood out about DeBoer as a coach at Sioux Falls?

“Detail, paying attention to detail,” Young said. “My main experience with him as an offensive coordinator, he would study film and his desire to just find any little weakness in a defense. He was so detailed in studying the opponent.

“The other main characteristic would be his personality and accepting people for who they are. Those two things stood out – paying attention to detail and taking care of business when it needs to be taken care of, and I think he just has a good personality for recruiting athletes. I don’t think athletes don’t struggle trusting him.”

This story was originally published October 24, 2020 at 4:22 PM.