Fresno State vs. UConn Huskies: Rivers sets school record for TDs, Bulldogs roll 45-0
Fresno State opened its 2021 football season with a 45-0 victory over the UConn Huskies on Saturday at Bulldog Stadium.
The Bulldogs were a 28-point favorite, after the line opened at minus-25.5 for the 11 a.m. kickoff.
Jake Haener threw for three touchdowns, one of those the school-record 45th career touchdown for Ronnie Rivers.
Punted
UConn just punted for the 10th time in the game, the first time Fresno State has forced 10 or more punts by an opponent since Sacramento State had 13 in a 2016 game.
The Huskies have had 12 drives in the game, gone three-and-out on seven of them. The other two drives ended with a fumble and on downs.
‘Dogs piling on
Fresno State now leads 45-0, scoring on a 1-yard pass from backup quarterback Logan Fife to tight end Raymond Pauwels Jr with 11:30 remaining.
It is the first career touchdown pass for Fife and the first career touchdown reception for Pauwels, who last season caught two passes for 16 yards.
The Bulldogs have now rolled up 521 yards of total offense on 65 plays, 8.0 per play.
Mims makes it 38-0
Fresno State has extended its lead to 38-0, scoring on an 8-yard touchdown run by Jordan Mims. The TD run capped a 10-play, 48-yard drive for the Bulldogs.
Fresno State now has 465 yards of total offense to 65 for the Huskies. The Bulldogs also are averaging 8.5 yards per play to 1.6 for UConn.
Haener exits
Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener went down following a run for a first down on a 4th-and-2 play.
Backup quarterback Logan Fife is entering the game with 11:20 to go in the third quarter.
Haener is 20 of 26 for 331 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Haener hitting 300
Bulldogs’ quarterback Jake Haener hit tight end Raymond Pauwels with a 9-yard pass and now has more than 300 passing yards in the game. He has thrown for 300 or more yards in four games in a row now, dating back to last season …
at Utah State: 422 passing yards
at Nevada: 485 yards
vs. New Mexico: 350 yards
vs. UConn: TBD
The last Fresno State quarterback to throw for 300 or more yards in four games in a row is Derek Carr in 2013. Carr had streaks of four games in a row and five games in a row that season.
Bulldogs’ defense, 2.0
UConn ran 37 plays in the first half, gaining only 65 total yards.
That’s 1.8 yards per play.
A Bulldogs’ defense has not held an opponent to 3.0 yards per play or less since Incarnate Word was at 2.2 yards per play in a 2017 game the Bulldogs won 66-0 in former coach Jeff Tedford’s debut at his alma mater.
The last time it held an opponent to 2.0 yards or less?
It hasn’t happened, going back through the 2000 season.
Cropper TD makes it 28-0
The anticipated rout is on. Fresno State pushed its lead to 28-0 on an 86-yard touchdown pass from Jake Haener to Jalen Cropper, who broke away from UConn defenders around midfield and raced his way into the end zone with a late block from wideout Josh Kelly.
At 86 yards, it is Cropper’s longest play from from scrimmage.
Rivers sets TD record, on pass reception
Fresno State running back Ronnie Rivers just scored the 45th career touchdown of his career on a 61-yard pass play from quarterback Jake Haener, a school record.
Rivers had been tied with former Bulldogs’ running back Anthony Daigle with 44 career TDs.
With the score, Fresno State now leads UConn 21-0.
Haener is now 10 of 14 for 142 yards and two touchdowns. He started 4 of 5, but for only 10 yards.
Haener to Jones and it’s 14-0 Bulldogs
Fresno State is now up 14-0, scoring on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Jake Haener to Ty Jones, the Washington transfer.
The Bulldogs’ drive was 69 yards in just four plays and ended a run of three consecutive drives that ended with punts – the last time Fresno State punted three possessions in a row was a 2019 game at New Mexico State.
With all of the options at Haener’s disposal, it is not a stunner that he went to Jones. The Bulldogs’ quarterback and receiver played together at Washington in 2018, and Jones was on the receiving end of Haener’s first career completion, first explosive pass play of 20 or more yards and also his first touchdown pass.
Haener, YPA
Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener is 5 of 8 through the first quarter for just 14 yards, 1.8 yards per attempt.
Last season, the Bulldogs quarterback averaged 8.7 yards per attempt, best in the Mountain West and tied for 16th in the nation.
Who had Arron Mosby in first TD of the year pool?
Fresno State is on the board, scoring on a sack, forced fumble and 31-yard fumble return by defensive end Arron Mosby with 2:40 remaining in the first quarter. It’s Bulldogs 7-0.
That was the 20th fumble return for a touchdown in school history and the first since linebacker Justin Rice took one 18 yards against UNLV in the 2019 season.
First down, UConn
The Huskies have the first of what figures to be a few first downs in this game, which is not all that notable. What is? UConn, on a 4th-and-1, gained five yards on a quarterback sneak.
A good sign
Fresno State kicked off to start the game and Cesar Silva drilled it into the end zone for a touch back. UConn starts at its 25-yard line, something not many of the Bulldogs’ opponents did last season.
The Bulldogs a year ago had a poor combination of a touch back percentage of 5.6% and opponents averaging 22.8 yards on kickoff returns, including one that went for a touchdown.
They ranked 11th and fifth in the Mountain West in those two categories.
The Huskies went three-and-out and following a UConn punt Fresno State starts at its 34.
About that air quality …
The AQI in Fresno is 133 as of 9 a.m., according to IQ air, a level unhealthy for sensitive groups. The Mountain West guidelines for air quality, from a conference spokesman …
“When poor air quality exists, Chief Medical Officers (e.g. head team physicians) from each institution shall consult to evaluate the air quality conditions. Once a consensus has been reached by the CMOs, a recommendation to the athletics directors as it relates to starting or continuing competition shall be made. The Athletic Directors should consult and collaborate on a going-forward plan.
“Each Mountain West institution has been provided on-site PurpleAir sensors by the Conference office, which will be the primary data source to measure AQI and inform decisions.
“Should air quality levels remain in the acceptable ranges outlined by the NCAA’s Sport Science Institute, competition may be started or continued.”
The NCAA guidelines …
- At AQIs of over 150, outdoor activities should be shortened, and exertion should be minimized by decreasing the intensity of activity. Sensitive athletes should be moved indoors.
- At AQIs of 200 or above, serious consideration should be given to rescheduling the activity or moving it indoors. Prolonged exposure and heavy exertion should be avoided. Avoid all outdoor physical activity for sensitive individuals .
- At AQIs of 300 or above, outdoor activities should be moved indoors or canceled if indoor activity is not an option.
Super Seniors
Fresno State has 14 second-time seniors who are using a blanket waiver from the NCAA, with the 2020 season so impacted by COVID-19.
That group on offense is wideout Keric Wheatfall, running back Ronnie Rivers, offensive linemen Matt Smith, Nick Abbs and Alex Akingbulu and tight end Juan Rodriguez. On defense, it’s defensive ends Arron Mosby and Kwami Jones, defensive backs Deonte Perry, Jason Diaz Jr. and Kenny Gagnon and defensive tackle Kevin Atkins; on special teams, kicker Cesar Silva and long snapper Jacob Westberry.
Atkins already has played in 46 games in his Fresno State career, Mosby 45, Westberry 44 and Rivers 42.
Linebacker Tyson Maeva, a transfer from Florida International, also is using the additional year of eligibility.
Maeva started his career at Boise State, playing there in 2016 and 20‘17.
Williams, one on one
Safety Evan Williams spent the summer and fall camp working on his coverage skills. With the depth of weapons the Bulldogs have in their wideout group, whom did he pick to help with that in one-on-one practice periods?
“Our while receiving corps is really talented,” he said, “but I tried to pick out Cropp (Jalen Cropper). He’s definitely somebody I’ve been working with just to key up on my man to man skills. Eric Brooks is another guy. They;re shifty dudes, tough to cover in space. I like that challenge any time I can get it.
“I’ve definitely been picking out those dudes in one on ones to work on my skills and make them a little more elite. I’m just kind of being more patient. You see Cropp in the games. You see EB in the games. They’re bouncing all over the field so I’m trying to be more patient, trusting my technique. It takes time, but the more reps I get with these type of guys the better I’m going to be.”
Injury update
Tre Watson, the freshman tight end who has made a big impression during his first fall camp, is doubtful to play against the Huskies.
Watson missed the last two days of practice with an ankle injury.
“I would definitely say doubtful is the word,” coach Kalen DeBoer said Thursday. “There’s still a chance but as we go through the week, it’s probably as much about the reps as anything that he hasn’t gotten with the game plan. A lot of the stuff you do is what you do, so he knows the concepts, it’s just the number of reps, especially being his first game.”
Wideout Emoryie Edwards also is out due to injury.
This story was originally published August 28, 2021 at 10:17 AM.