Fresno State Post Game: Utah 45, Bulldogs 24

Recapping the Bulldogs’ home loss to Utah of the Pac-12.

Players of the game

Devontae Booker: Utah senior running back had 30-yard first-half rushing TD, 7-yard scoring run in third among his 31 carries for 156 yards.

Zack Greenlee: Fresno State sophomore QB, who started first two games this season before yielding to true freshman Chason Virgil vs. Utes, came off the bench to throw three fourth-quarter touchdown passes.

Stevie Tu’ikolovatu: Utah junior defensive tackle’s early touchdown return of a fumble helped Utes breeze out to early lead that grew to 17-3 by halftime and 24-3 entering final quarter.

Play of the game

First quarter, first-and-and-10 Fresno State at Bulldogs 40: Freshman QB Chason Virgil had just run 7 yards for the team’s initial first down and the Bulldogs were on the move in a 3-3 game. Utah’s Kylie Fitts, however, crashed through to sack Virgil and force a fumble that the Utes’ Stevie Tu’ikolovatu returned 37 yards for a touchdown. The play stood up after an officials’ review and Utah had the lead for good at 10-3 with 2:30 to play in the quarter.

Numbers of the game

6: Total yards gained by the Bulldogs on the opening drives of their past five games vs. Power Five teams

5.7: Yards per play for Fresno State – Utah averaged 5.1

8:55: Time of possession for the Bulldogs in the first half

55.8: Percentage of Utes’ total yards produced by running back Devontae Booker (212 of 380)

13: Third-down conversions for Utah in 19 attempts (68.4%)

8: Number of those third-down plays that were third-and-3 or less

82: Yardage covered on TD pass from Zack Greenlee to Jamire Jordan, longest for Bulldogs since Derek Carr hit Davante Adams with an 89-yard scoring play in victory over New Mexico in 2012

42: Tackles by the Bulldogs’ starting linebackers – Ejiro Ederaine had 13, Jeff Camilli had 11, Kyrie Wlson 10 and Brandon Hughes had eight to lead the team

0: Sacks for Fresno State

102: Receiving yards for Jordan, only the fourth 100-yard game by a receiver over the past 17 games

6: Fresno State drives, out of 14 total, that started at or inside its 20-yard line

Now what

7:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at San Jose State: Fresno State opens Mountain West play against the Spartans, already 0-1 in the conference after a Week 2 loss at Air Force and now 1-2 overall after falling 35-21 at Pac-12 school Oregon State on Saturday. Spartans running back Tyler Ervin ran for 93 yards and two TDs.

Noteworthy

Familiar faces: Fresno State offensive coordinator Dave Schramm spent seven seasons with Utah, and Bulldogs volunteer assistant and former quarterback Jordan Wynn was a Ute when Schramm was there.

Wynn was recruited by Schramm to go to Utah and the two had kept it touch throughout their various coaching stops. When Wynn asked if he could help out the Bulldogs, it was an easy yes for Schramm.

“He’s always been that kind of person with me,” Wynn said. “Even as a player. He’s always been there for me.”

Wynn previously was on the staff at Hawaii, eventually becoming the quarterbacks coach and in 2014 earning a full-time job. He was not retained when the Warriors shuffled their staff this past offseason.

As a player, Wynn was plagued by shoulder injuries after a stellar true freshman season, completing 104 of 179 passes for 1,329 yards and eight touchdowns in six games, five of which he started.

“But for whatever reason my genetics in my shoulder … I don’t know, just couldn’t hold up."

Looking across at the Utah sideline was different for Wynn.

“Bunch of those guys, I played with,” he said.

Rare lead: Fresno State’s 3-0 lead against Utah in the first quarter was the first time the Bulldogs held an advantage over a Power Five conference team since the opener against Rutgers in 2013.

Stacking ’em up: Fresno State linebacker Ejiro Ederaine had seven tackles on Utah’s opening drive on his way to finishing with a team-high 13 for the game.

No rush: Through two games last season, Fresno State had three rushing touchdowns – two by Marteze Waller. The Bulldogs have none after Saturday’s game.

Mountain West dominance: Utah has won its past five games against MW teams, beating Utah State (2013, 2015), Fresno State (2014, 2015) and Colorado State (2014).

Out, but not down long: Fresno State nose guard Nathan Madsen left with an apparent injury in the third quarter but he walked off on his own and returned in the fourth quarter.

This story was originally published September 20, 2015 at 12:39 AM with the headline "Fresno State Post Game: Utah 45, Bulldogs 24."