The Fresno State Bulldogs lost in heartbreaking fashion at home to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Saturday night at Valley Children’s Stadium.

Despite leading by two scores heading into the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs could not get the job done at home, losing 21-20.

“You got to finish,” said Fresno State Interim Head Coach Tim Skipper. “We had control then we just stalled out.”

Despite a fourth sellout this season, the Red Wave crowd could not ignite the offense that struggled to move the ball downfield.

Quarterback Mikey Keene ended the night with only 157 passing yards and one touchdown pass. Keene did most of his work with short passes and failed to hit anything deep.

Much like early in the season, the run game was nowhere to be found. Running back Elijah Gilliam rushed ten times for just 25 yards.

The defense for the Bulldogs played well for most of the game, limiting Hawaii to just 21 points.

Linebacker Phoenix Jackson was everywhere on the field. Jackson ended with 2 tackles for loss, a pick six and a forced fumble. 

With the loss, the ‘Dogs fall to 5-4 on the season and 3-2 in the Mountain West Conference. The dreams of a conference championship have more than likely been crushed with Saturday’s loss.

How it happened

Hawaii got to work early on their opening drive, mixing between both the run and pass game. Quarterback Brayden Schager capped off the 14-play drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Pofele Ashlock, giving the Rainbow Warriors a quick 7-0 lead.

It would not take long for the Bulldogs to respond with points of their own as quarterback Mikey Keene led an 83-yard scoring drive. 

On a 3rd and 11, Keene found receiver Raylen Sharpe for a gain of 21 yards putting the ‘Dogs in the red zone. Gilliam tied the game at 7 apiece with a 10-yard rushing touchdown.

This was his fourth consecutive game with a touchdown. 

The next drive for the Bulldogs started at Hawaii’s own 28-yard line thanks to a sack by Malachi Langley on fourth down.

Keene and the offense took advantage of the turnover and good field position with a 10-yard passing touchdown to Sharpe.

Sharpe was the Bulldogs’ leading receiver on the night. He ended with five receptions for 48 yards and was the recipient of the lone touchdown pass. 

A blocked extra point kept the score 13-7 in favor of the Bulldogs, which proved to be the difference in the game.

Despite the hot start, both teams would end up cooling down the rest of the first half. After the Bulldogs’ second score, both squads saw just one first down apiece. 

The ‘Dogs entered the second half with a 13-7 lead.

After forcing a quick punt to open the third quarter, Hawaii put together a 12-play drive that saw them inside the red zone. 

On 3rd and 16, Schager tried to find a receiver downfield, but his throw was tipped by linebacker Tuasivi Nomura and into the hands of Jackson who took it 89 yards for the pick six.  

The score gave the ‘Dogs a more comfortable lead at 20-7 with just under four minutes to go in the third quarter.

This was the only score for the Bulldogs in the second half as the offense could not move the ball downfield the rest of the way. The ‘Dogs were forced to punt five times in the second half with their longest drive going for only 28 yards.

“We had the momentum for most of the game and then we lost it there in the fourth,” Skipper said.

Hawaii’s offense came alive in the fourth quarter. It started with an 87-yard scoring drive led by Schager and aided by a costly Bulldog penalty.

On a 4th and 9, defensive back Cam Lockridge was on the receiving end of a questionable targeting call, giving Hawaii new life and a fresh set of downs.

Schager capitalized on the call and later connected with receiver Nick Cenacle for a 9-yard touchdown pass, making it a one score game.

After being forced to punt on their next drive, the Bulldogs looked for answers from the defense to keep their lead intact late in the fourth quarter.

Jackson seemed to be the answer as he forced a fumble on his pursuit of Cenacle that was recovered by Bulldog safety Jayden Davis. 

With the ball and under two minutes to go, the Bulldogs looked to have the momentum needed to finish the game.

But Hawaii’s defense stood tall on the next drive, adding a tackle for loss on Gilliam and a sack on Keene, which pushed Fresno State back to its own 9-yard line forcing a punt.

“We had plenty of opportunities to finish the game,” said Skipper. “We just didn’t do it.”

Hawaii took over on the Fresno State 47-yard line with over a minute to go. Schager and the offense kept their foot on the gas, ending the drive with a 3-yard touchdown catch by Cenacle, his second of the game.

The extra point gave Hawaii a 21-20 lead with just 15 seconds left on the clock.

With time not on their side, the ‘Dogs could not complete a miracle ending, losing 21-20.

What’s next

The Bulldogs will need a lot to go right if they are to make it to a conference championship game. Currently, the University of Las Vegas, Nevada has the tiebreaker over them but with Boise State at 7-1 and Colorado State at 6-3, it is a tough task for the ‘Dogs to accomplish.

Next up for Fresno State is a road matchup against Air Force on Nov. 9. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m.