Fresno State retained the Valley Trophy on Saturday, using a dominant defensive performance and Manaki Watanabe’s right leg to defeat San Jose State 26-10.
The Bulldogs intercepted quarterback Luke Weaver four times, recorded five sacks and scored 13 unanswered points during the final seven minutes, according to Fresno State Athletics.
Driving the news: San Jose State struck first with a 45-yard field goal during the opening quarter, but Watanabe connected from 52 and 51 yards to give Fresno State a 6-3 halftime lead.
The Spartans threatened to reclaim the lead before the break, but Ethan Tierney intercepted Weaver in the end zone with 16 seconds remaining.
Turning point: Fresno State’s special teams broke the game open early in the third quarter.
Jordan Malau’ulu returned a punt 68 yards to the San Jose State 14-yard line. Two plays later, Jayden Mandal found Josiah Freeman for an 18-yard touchdown, extending the Bulldogs’ advantage to 13-3.
Tierney added his second interception later in the quarter, returning the ball 38 yards into San Jose State territory.
The response: San Jose State made it a three-point game early in the fourth quarter after driving 92 yards on 15 plays.
Weaver connected with Carson Clark for a one-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal, cutting Fresno State’s lead to 13-10 with 12:36 remaining.
The Bulldogs answered with an 11-play, 60-yard possession that took nearly six minutes off the clock. Watanabe completed the drive with a 44-yard field goal.
Kiontre Harris and Simeon Harris then intercepted Weaver on consecutive San Jose State possessions. Watanabe converted the second takeaway into a 40-yard field goal, and Bryson Donelson sealed the game with a 36-yard touchdown run.
Player of the game: Watanabe made four of his five field-goal attempts and both extra points, accounting for 14 of Fresno State’s 26 points.
His four field goals came from 52, 51, 44 and 40 yards.
By the numbers: Mandal completed 15 of 29 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown without throwing an interception.
Freeman led Fresno State with six catches for 95 yards and one touchdown. Donelson rushed nine times for 57 yards and the late score.
The Bulldogs finished with 354 total yards and held a 168-91 advantage on the ground. They also controlled the ball for nearly 34 minutes and did not commit a turnover.
Weaver completed 21 of 38 passes for 244 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions for San Jose State. Anthony Ivey recorded career highs with seven receptions and 150 yards, while Jabari Bates rushed 19 times for 94 yards.
The big picture: Fresno State improved to 2-1 and earned its second consecutive victory following its season-opening loss at USC.
San Jose State fell to 2-2 despite outgaining the Bulldogs through the air and holding Fresno State without an offensive touchdown during the first half.
What’s next: Fresno State returns home to host Rice on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in its final nonconference game.
San Jose State will have a week off before opening Mountain West play at Hawaii on Oct. 3.