The Fresno State football team had a disappointing performance Saturday night on all sides of the field, getting handed its first loss in nearly a year. 

Throughout the season, the Bulldogs hadn’t played well-rounded teams besides its first game against Purdue, and, now, Wyoming. Evidently, this is why the ‘Dogs were able to keep a 5-0 win streak alive.    

In the second conference matchup, the ‘Dogs didn’t execute at a high level. 

To start the game, the Bulldogs’ defense couldn’t find ways to get off the field, having several mistakes in the secondary. Each cornerback had blown coverages allowing Cowboy quarterback Andrew Peasley to throw for several yards to his wide receivers. 

This bad defense allowed the game to get out of hand quickly. The ‘Dogs fell short by 17 points and allowed Wyoming to stay on the field offensively for 19:52 minutes just in the first half of the game.

The Bulldog’s offense also  struggled to break through the Cowboys’ defense. The ‘Dogs couldn’t move down the field efficiently because of their inability to convert on third downs. 

For the Cowboys, credit needs to be given to its defense for never allowing the ‘Dogs offense to feel comfortable. Extra pressure was applied on Bulldog quarterback Mikey Keene as the Cowboys schemed up great blitz attacks to get past the offensive line. 

With the Bulldog o-line not being able to keep Keene protected in the pocket, it allowed for 3 sacks and 4 tackles for loss. 

Another factor in the loss was the Bulldog’s run game. Running back Malik Sherrod had more snaps than usual in this matchup over running back Elijah Gilliam. 

Gilliam was only allowed 4 attempts and rushed for 11 yards despite having several rushing yards in past games. 

Sherrod had difficulties finding the holes to break through for big gains, only converting 50 total yards for the entire game. With more attempts given to Gilliam, it is possible Fresno State could’ve converted more rushing yards throughout the game.

With a good run game, it would’ve opened up the playbook for Bulldog Head Coach Jeff Tedford to incorporate pass and run plays. Instead the pass play was the only option open to get down the field, allowing the Cowboys to cover easily. 

Despite not playing well in all phases, the Bulldogs’ special teams stood out in the second half with a successful onside kick recovery to keep them in the game. 

But with Keene injured, second-string quarterback Logan Fife came in as the ‘Dogs were down one touchdown. 

With the immense amount of pressure Fife experienced due to the loud environment, being down with not much time left on the clock and the thought of having to keep an undefeated record, he was unable to execute. 

Although he had been put in similar situations before, it is difficult to come in and win a game when trying to play catch-up. 

Once again, the Cowboys’ defense kept its outstanding performance, securing an interception to seal their win. 

With the Bulldogs coming in ranked at No. 24, they struggled to meet the expectations of playing at a high level.