Dominating in the desert: Fresno State forces 8 turnovers against Pac-12 foe Arizona State

Still need proof Fresno State can compete in the Pac-12?

Playing at Arizona State, the Bulldogs thoroughly dominated the Sun Devils on Saturday en route a 29-0 victory in which the game wasn’t nearly as close as the score.

Fresno State (3-0) extended its winning streak to 12 straight, which dates back to last season, and kept alive the second longest win streak in FBS play.

In addition, Fresno State picked up its second win against a Power 5 program, having also defeated Purdue of the Big Ten to kick off the season.

The last time Fresno State defeated two P5 opponents in the regular season was 2004 when the Bulldogs beat Washington and then-No.13 Kansas State to vault into the Top 25.

The Bulldogs could find themselves in the Top 25 again come Sunday.

Fresno State already was on the brink of being ranked last week, receiving a few votes in both the AP Top 25 rankings and AFCA Coaches Poll.

The Bulldogs defense held Arizona State to 230 total yards and forced eight turnovers, including five interceptions.

Much of Arizona State’s struggles could be rooted to its quarterback play.

Three different quarterbacks got snaps and all three managed to throw at least one interception.

Meanwhile, Bulldogs quarter Mike Keene once against showed much consistency and reliability – this time while playing in his home state (Keene’s high school is about 15 miles from Sun Devil Stadium).

Keene, a transfer from Central Florida, completed 32 of 49 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns.

His favorite target was receiver Erik Brooks, who hauled in 11 catches for 104 yards.

Fresno State and Arizona State were playing each other for the first time during the regular season since 1941. The teams did meet in the Las Vegas Bowl in 2018, which Fresno State prevailed.

This story was originally published September 16, 2023 at 11:26 PM.