FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Rayshon Luke, nicknamed “Speedy” at his first-ever football practice by a Pop Warner coach, was tired of getting close.
The Fresno State running back wanted to get it done – to score the first rushing touchdown of his senior season.
By the third quarter, trailing Rice 17-14, Luke thought he saw his chance. He tried to hurdle the only defender between himself and the end zone, only to be slightly clipped by an arm tackle and brought down. He twisted in frustration as he rose up.
That feeling had been building all evening for Luke, who had a 75-yard touchdown run erased by an incorrect call that he stepped out of bounds.
“Speedy” might move too fast for the human eye, and he surely proved too quick for the Rice Owls when he ran for a career-high 167 yards and a TD in a 38-24 win for Fresno State (3-1) on Saturday, Sept. 26.
That long-awaited score came at the most pivotal moment of the game, a few plays after Rice quarterback Jacurri Brown scampered 50 yards to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to seven, 31-24, with nine minutes to play.
Enter Luke, who effortlessly glided 52 yards, untouched, for the touchdown to put the game away. He felt he should’ve had a few more, too.
“I should have scored the one by the goal line, I should have scored the one [in the] 4th quarter where I was 1-on-1 with the defender,” said Luke. “But then it goes back to practice and working on those type of moves where I can win. But yeah, knowing I should be scoring… I was like ‘Yeah I have to get in the zone.'”
Luke isn’t the only hard worker within the walls of the Duncan Building.
Head coach Matt Entz revealed Saturday night that junior quarterback Jayden Mandal has a permanent desk sitting next to assistant QBs coach Jared Taylor’s in the football facility.
“[Mandal] is there all the time,” said Entz. “Going through game plan, watching film together, going through the call card, just detailing his work… He is trying to perfect what is in the game plan at that moment.”
The mind of Mandal paired up well with his talented right arm to deliver another turnover-free performance, passing for 210 yards on 64.7% passing (22/34) and three touchdown throws.
Mandal zipped the first TD pass through the linebacker’s hands to Josiah Freeman, lofted a high-arcing beauty to Jhalil McClain’s back shoulder for his second, then withstood a big hit in the pocket while firing his third to Ezekiel Avit.
“Our kids trust him; our coaches trust him,” Entz said of Mandal. “He’s going to make right decisions. When he does make mistakes, he doesn’t make them again, so he’s always learning. Again, this was his fourth game starting as a quarterback. His best football is still ahead of him.”
Redshirt freshman RB Julius Gillick punched in his first career rushing TD early in the fourth quarter, while redshirt senior nickelback Simeon Harris snagged his third interception of the season, tying for second-most in the nation.
Harris raised his total to eight interceptions in a Bulldog uniform and nine for his college career.
Fresno State’s defense forced two turnovers from Rice, marking their 10th straight game with a takeaway. Clovis West grad Tytus Khajavi recorded his 1st career forced fumble, which directly led to Mandal’s gutsy go-ahead touchdown pass to Avit.
“Toughness wins, right?” Entz said postgame. “I think it’s appropriate that we have a quarterback who’s like that, because I think we have a lot of young men on our football team who are giving all they got for this program right now.”
The Bulldogs will visit Washington State for the first time since 1994 on Saturday, Oct. 3, and former Fresno State offensive coordinator Kirby Moore, now head coach at Washington State.
Moore helped recruit Mandal to Fresno State during his final season as Bulldogs’ OC in 2022. Four years later, he will coach against him; kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. PT on USA Sports.