Defense wins championships. Defense wins conference openers. Defense wins the battle for the golden screwdriver.
On Saturday, the Fresno State Bulldogs won the final matchup against the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors as Mountain West Conference foes in a bizarre 23-21 victory.
Linebacker K’Vion Thunderbird had a 59-yard pick-six with 5:20 left in the fourth quarter. At the time, it put the Bulldogs up 23-15 — a crucial 8-point lead.
After forcing the Rainbow Warriors to turn the ball over on downs, the Bulldog offense went three-and-out, giving freshman quarterback Micah Alejado one last chance to tie the game.
With 3:06 on the clock, the Bulldog defense let Alejado and the Rainbow Warrior offense drive down the field on a 12-play, 77-yard drive.
A critical fourth-down conversion from Alejado extended the game.
With 10 seconds left, Alejado zipped in a pass to wide receiver Blaze Kamoku for six — they would need the 2-point conversion to force overtime.
Defensive back Simean Harris came up clutch, knocking away the game-tying try and securing the Bulldog victory.
Thunderbird’s interception was one of four takeaways the Bulldog defense had. Defensive lineman Jahzon Jacks had a fumble recovery, while defensive backs Al’zillion Hamilton and Camryn Bracha also picked off Alejado.
Thunderbird also tallied eight total tackles on the night. Since Aug. 30, Thunderbird has tallied 22 total tackles in four games.
The defense held the Rainbow Warriors to 89 yards rushing, and forced Alejado to throw 47 passes — of which, he completed just 28 of them (59%).
The Bulldogs tallied four sacks on the night. They also made sure to hit Alejado when they got pressure.
Even with the win, it was not a perfect night for the Bulldogs.
Kicker Dylan Lynch missed three field goal attempts, and the Bulldogs racked up eight penalties for 87 yards.
Quarterback E.J. Warner was the team’s leading rusher, while the running backs could only tally 26 yards rushing. It’s the lowest this season for the Bulldogs since their Week 0 loss to Kansas University.
The Bulldogs did force more turnovers, which proved to be the difference for the ‘Dogs.
The victory marks the first time the Bulldogs have won in Hawaii since 2019 and avenge their 2024 loss to the Rainbow Warriors.
The Bulldogs head into their first bye week of the season at 4-1. When they return to action, the Bulldogs will host the University of Nevada, Reno on Oct. 4 at Valley Children’s Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network.
