Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener hit hard again in loss at Hawaii. What’s his status?

For the third game in a row, Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener absorbed some crushing hits that put him down on the turf, writhing in pain. It didn’t stop him from getting back to his feet and leading the Bulldogs to comeback victories at No. 13 UCLA or at home against UNLV, and but for one last-gasp pass off the fingertips of an open receiver Saturday night, he might have done it again in a 27-24 loss at Hawaii.

But while the Bulldogs will have to deal with bumps and bruises to the ego after the loss, Haener, after a rough stretch that got rougher when taking a low and late hit on the left ankle in the third quarter, probably needs the first of two bye weeks as much if not more than anyone.

“He had a lower leg injury,” Coach Kalen DeBoer said after the loss. “He got it looked at and came back, obviously, and extended some plays with his legs. I’m sure he’ll be a little sore (Sunday).”

Haener, who completed 28 of 50 passes for 388 yards with three touchdowns, but four interceptions, went down with the Bulldogs on a scoring drive. He hit Keric Wheatfall for a 20-yard gain to the Rainbow Warriors’ 25, and at the end of the play, safety Quentin Frazier, diving inside tight end Raymond Pauwels, hit Haener low. The Bulldogs’ quarterback, whose back was turned after delivering the pass, toppled backward, twisting his ankle. Frazier was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty, one of three on Hawaii.

Haener had to be helped off the field, and Fresno State ended up settling for a field goal with freshman Jaylen Henderson finishing a 5-play, 30-yard drive for a 24-10 lead.

The Bulldogs’ quarterback, who was not available to speak to the media after the game, returned for the next series. But he has not been 100% since taking a shot to his hip and side at UCLA and now has a lower leg injury to keep the team’s trainers busy, as well.

Fresno State, which next plays at Wyoming on Oct. 16, is not scheduled to practice on Tuesday or Wednesday as it would in a normal game week. It will practice on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday during the bye, then prepare for the 4-0 Cowboys on Tuesday of game week.

“We do need a little bit of a break, mentally and physically,” DeBoer said. “The coaches can go do some recruiting, and then later in the week, we get back to work, once we get some guys a little healthier.

“We’ve been going probably eight weeks strong when you look at fall camp. They did have one day away, that was last Saturday, otherwise, they would have been going non-stop since Aug. 30th or 31st. They need this break. I told you this at Oregon. We have a locker room that’s hurt, but we have to realize that every yard matters. We have to be stingier and smarter and not give an opponent opportunities to hang in the game.”