Utah State defeats Fresno State 17-10 in Logan
Aggies held Bulldogs to a single late touchdown, extending their winning streak to three games in four.
By Robert Ward ·
Utah State secured a 17-10 victory over Fresno State on Saturday night in Logan, Utah. The Aggies kept the Bulldogs out of the end zone for most of the contest, allowing only one score in the final minute.
Sesi Vailahi and McCae Hillstead each ran for a first-quarter touchdown for Utah State. Both scores came from short yardage, establishing an early lead that the home team maintained throughout the game.
Fresno State finally broke through when Jayden Mandal completed a 12-yard pass to Ezekiel Avit with 1:30 remaining on the clock. The touchdown capped a late push by the visitors, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit.
Hillstead directed the Aggie offense, completing 9 of 14 passes without an interception. He also rushed for 56 yards on 12 carries. Vailahi added 39 yards on 10 carries, providing a balanced ground attack against a Fresno State defense that limited opponents to just 16 yards rushing.
Mandal finished 22-of-39 for 262 yards for the Bulldogs. Josiah Freeman was the primary target, catching eight passes for 114 yards. Fresno State trailed 14-3 midway through the third quarter after Manaki Watanabe kicked a 32-yard field goal.
Kian Afrookhteh extended the Utah State lead to 17-3 with 4:21 left in the game following a 43-yard field goal. The Aggies improved to 4-5 overall and 3-2 in Pac-12 play, winning three of their last four games. Fresno State fell to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in its conference, losing three of four.
