There were a number of things that did not go according to plan for Fresno State’s defense in its 52-51 season opening win over Rutgers on Thursday.

Part of it was the unknowns Fresno State faced against the Rutgers offense under first-year offensive coordinator Ron Prince. Fresno State operated on the basis of some guesswork when preparing for its season opener, knowing that the Rutgers game film it studied would likely deviate from reality.

Part of it had to do with giving up big plays. Of the 73 offensive plays the Scarlet Knights ran against Fresno State, 63 of them accounted for 202 yards.

Ten of them made up 341 yards.

Of those 10 plays, defensive coordinator Nick Toth said, seven of them were linked to mistakes made on the Bulldogs’ end — mental mishaps, botched calls.

“We can’t be playing well most of the game and have 10 plays cost us,” Toth said.

But of all the plays that did not go according to plan, there was one that went right — and it was the game changer, the play that secured the Bulldogs’ overtime win.

The Bulldogs saw the formation and the scenario on film. Rutgers lined up for a 2-point conversion attempt in overtime. The Scarlet Knights wanted to win it all right then and there.

Junior quarterback Gary Nova motioned wide receiver Leonte Carroo, and Bulldogs safety Charles Washington “knew something was up.”

“There was no other option but to stop them,” said Washington, who capped his first start at cornerback breaking up the pass — intended for 6-foot-6 wide receiver Brandon Coleman — that would’ve given Rutgers the win.

“Our coaches prepared us well for what was to come. They went with an unbalanced formation,” Washington said. “Derron [Smith] communicated with me, told me to get over so I was able to not get caught up in the play and come downhill and make a play on the receiver.”

There was material in the game film that did not match what Rutgers ended up executing. The 2-point conversion play was not one of them.

“That play was the only play we had shown them as the two-point play for the last two weeks. That play we had practiced probably 10 times,” Toth said.

“Charles played it the exact same way he practiced it. So when they lined up, our guys knew it was coming. They really did. We actually disregarded another guy they could’ve thrown the ball to because we knew they were throwing the ball there.”

“I was pretty impressed. It snapped in their head, they knew the play was coming. They were prepared for that play.”

Fresno State anticipated where the ball was going to go. It took a little bit of luck.

Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter hopes it doesn’t have to come down to that again.

“Sometimes you have to win that way,” DeRuyter said. “We have to get things corrected so we don’t have to resort to being lucky and winning that way.”