Fresno State dropped to 3-2 on the season (1-1 in the Mountain West Conference), following a crushing 59-14 defeat by No. 23 ranked University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on Saturday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium.
59-points marks the most points Fresno State has allowed in a single game since 2015 when the Bulldogs lost 73-21 to then No. 14-ranked University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss.
It also marks just the first time since 2017 that Fresno State has lost to UNLV. The Bulldogs have beaten the Rebels in 17 of the last 20 contests before entering Saturday’s game.
“I didn’t do a good enough job getting these guys ready to play,” said Interim Head Coach Tim Skipper during the postgame press conference. “We couldn’t change the tide. We couldn’t get our energy going.”
Quarterback Mikey Keene completed 27 of his 41 pass attempts for 316 yards but was responsible for two costly interceptions. Both backup quarterbacks, Joshua Wood and Jayden Mandal, threw picks in what proved to be a difficult matchup for the Bulldogs.
The run game was almost nonexistent, producing a mere 30 yards on 31 attempts.
Starting running back Malik Sherrod returned to the field after missing last week’s game against New Mexico. He struggled to find much room, running for only nine yards on five attempts.
Sherrod did have one of two touchdowns on the day for the Bulldogs, a 6-yard rush through the left side of the Rebels’ defense late in the third quarter. A point-after from kicker Dylan Lynch cut the deficit to 31-7, avoiding the shutout.
Defensively, the ‘Dogs struggled to contain the Rebels offense in all facets. UNLV’s quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams completed 13-of-16 passes for 182 yards and a trio of touchdowns through the air.
This was Williams first start with UNLV, who were without previous starting quarterback Matthew Sluka.
Sluka left the team on Tuesday following claims of unpaid NIL promises.
Williams ran the ball 12 times for 119 more yards, including a 6-yard rushing touchdown to open the scoring for the Rebels with 6:20 remaining in the first quarter.
Williams made a good first impression with the UNLV fans who were heard throughout the game chanting “Sluka sucks!”
This is UNLV’s first 4-0 start as a program since joining Division I back in 1978.
Fresno State’s passing game was much better in the second half. With 6:36 left in the fourth quarter, Keene found wideout Mac Dalena for a 9-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the endzone.
Transfer wide receiver Raylen Sharpe also had 10 catches for 116 yards and led the team in receiving.
“[Sharpe] keeps getting better and better,” Skipper said. “He’s getting more comfortable being a Bulldog.”
After opening the season with five straight games, Fresno State will have a bye week next weekend.
“It’s a perfect time for us to regroup and figure out what we need to do to get things corrected,” Skipper said. “We’re not a bad football team. We just didn’t play good today.”
The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday, Oct. 12, to host Washington State. Time for kickoff has yet to be announced.
The first 3,000 students in attendance will receive a cowboy hat in conjunction with Boots and Buckles night at Valley Children’s Stadium.
