Aggies Stifle Bulldogs In Tight Loss
The Aggies held the Bulldogs scoreless until the final minute in a Pac-12 win.
By Samantha Reed ·
Utah State defeated Fresno State 17-10 on Saturday night in Logan, Utah. The Aggies controlled the scoreboard for nearly the entire contest. Fresno State did not reach the end zone until the final minute.
Utah State established an early lead in the first quarter. Sesi Vailahi and McCae Hillstead both scored on short-yardage touchdown runs. Hillstead also completed nine of 14 passes without an interception. He rushed for 56 yards on 12 carries.
Fresno State struggled to move the ball on the ground. The Bulldogs managed only 16 rushing yards in the loss. Jayden Mandal completed 22 of 39 passes for 262 yards. Josiah Freeman caught eight passes for 114 yards.
The only scoring drive for Fresno State came with 1:30 left in the game. Mandal threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ezekiel Avit. The score made the final margin 17-10.
Two field goals separated the touchdown scores. Manaki Watanabe kicked a 32-yard field goal midway through the third quarter. That shot made the score 14-3. Kian Afrookhteh added a 43-yard field goal with 4:21 remaining. The lead extended to 17-3.
Utah State improved to 4-5 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12. The Aggies have won three of their last four games. Fresno State dropped to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in its conference. The Bulldogs have lost three of their last four contests. Both teams play again next Saturday.
Fresno State travels to Texas State for its next game. Utah State hosts San Diego State in its upcoming fixture.
