Bulldogs blow big chance to take down No. 11 Oregon, and they made the ‘why’ very obvious

Fresno State has been in a few of these games the past few years, in there late against a Power Five conference opponent. But this one, a 31-24 loss Saturday at Autzen Stadium, was different because Oregon came in with a high national ranking (No. 11), which USC and Minnesota in 2019 did not, and because the Bulldogs’ mistakes tied in so easily to the end result in a game they could have won.

“I think the biggest thing, just being in the locker room just now, is we’ve got a team that has each other’s back, a team that feels that they can play with anyone and a team that right now is hurting because they know they had a chance and know they could have had that one,” coach Kalen DeBoer said afterward.

The Bulldogs (1-1) fumbled the football five times, losing three, leading to two quick first-quarter touchdowns that put them in a 14-0 hole and a tying field goal in the fourth quarter.

Another of them cost the Bulldogs a first down on a third-quarter drive when they were driving, the score tied. Quarterback Jake Haener hit Jalen Cropper for 3 yards and a first down on a third-and-2 play, but the ball was stripped free by cornerback Mykael Wright and instead of a first down at the Oregon 37 they were left in a third-and-5 and ended up punting the football back to the Ducks.

A fifth came in the red zone, a fumbled snap that resulted in a third-and-12 and compromised their chances for six points when settling for three.

There were penalties, on both sides of the football – a pass interference on a third-and-12 with Oregon backed up at its 3-yard line, four false starts including two on third-down plays, a personal foul that helped set up the Ducks’ second touchdown when they already had a short field after a turnover.

The offense sputtered in the red zone, setting up Abraham Montano, in his first college game and filling in for an injured Cesar Silva, to kick three field goals.

There was a big dropped pass and some inopportune busts on defense including one on the Ducks’ winning touchdown. Oregon had averaged just 3.7 yards per rush deep into the fourth quarter, but on fouth-and-2 with 3 minutes and a few heartbeats to go and the score tied, quarterback Anthony Brown broke free on a 30-yard touchdown run.

Lack of execution hurts at critical moments

“We just didn’t execute,” linebacker Tyson Maeva said. “Our eyes were wrong and when guys were there to make the play they just didn’t make it happen, missed tackles and what not. But there should have been a lot more guys there in the first place, including me.”

Other than that, the Bulldogs (1-1) could and maybe should have knocked off the Ducks, who had won 12 games in a row on their home field and came into the game off back-to-back Pac-12 championships.

Oregon will have plenty to fix this week as well and had to play the second half without outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, who set up the Ducks’ first touchdown with a sack and forced fumble, but went down in the second quarter with a left ankle injury.

But Fresno State outgained the Ducks 375-261.

It had 25 first downs to 21 for Oregon.

It converted on third downs at a higher rate, 7 of 15 and 46.7% to 6 of 16 and 37.5% for the Ducks. It averaged more yards per play and had more tackles for loss.

Haener hit 30 of 43 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown, just missing 300 passing yards for a fifth game in a row dating to last season.

The Bulldogs played well, except when they didn’t, and those mistakes cost them a chance to take down a team ranked No. 11 or higher for the first time since 2001 when they knocked off No. 10 Oregon State 44-24 to ignite a raucous celebration at Bulldog Stadium.

’Dogs will get another shot at Power Five

Fresno State will get another chance to take down a Power Five opponent in two weeks when playing at UCLA, and the last time the Bulldogs were down there in 2018 they beat the Bruins 38-14.

But they don’t often get a chance like they had on Saturday, before 43,276 masked-up fans at Autzen Stadium.

“We’re hurting right now,” DeBoer said. “We’re not down. When I walked out of the locker room there were guys that were, in a good way, fired up. They want to step back on the football field right now and they want to fix the mistakes. We have a team of guys that really care. They really care, and I think our maturity just even throughout the course of the game and in the locker room afterward really shows out.

“I am extremely confident that (Sunday) is going to be one of the greatest film sessions we’re going to have and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday is going to be an amazing week of practice just because of the response. I wouldn’t expect anything different, but hearing what I just heard in the locker room, you have a team that’s hurting and that’s good because that means it’s important. It matters, and that’s the case right now.”

By the numbers

9 – Tackles for loss for Fresno State including 3.5 by defensive end Arron Mosby, who also had 1.0 sacks and forced a fumble.

38 – Total yards for Fresno State in the fourth quarter, averaging just 2.9 yards per play.

10 – Targets for Bulldogs’ wideout Jalen Cropper. Keric Wheatfall and Josh Kelly were targeted eight times by Haener.

39 – The average starting position for Oregon on its 14 drives.

2.6 – Yards per rush by the Bulldogs.

10 – Tackles for Fresno State safety Evan Williams, a career high.

3 – Consecutive losses by one score by Fresno State to Power Five conference opponents. The Bulldogs lost by 38-35 in overtime to Minnesota and 31-23 at USC in 2019.

58.3 – Bulldogs’ conversion rate on third downs through the first three quarters. They were 0 of 3 in the fourth quarter, coming up short on a third-and-4, a third-and-8 and a third-and-3.

Next for Fresno State

Saturday: vs. Cal Poly (1-0), 7 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium

TV: CW59

This story was originally published September 4, 2021 at 7:35 PM.