Fresno State’s Bryson Donelson, center, gets taken down by Sacramento State’s Amari Wallace on a run up the middle during their game at Valley Children’s Stadium in Fresno on Saturday.
CRAIG KOHLRUSS
ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
The lights flickered for a second or two on three occasions Saturday night at Valley Children’s Stadium.
Sacramento State’s offense sputtered for much longer in the Hornets’ only in-state football game this season. A week after facing USC and getting shut out in a season opener for the first time since 1944, Fresno State steamed past the Hornets, 49-3, in a game that was not at all competitive after the first quarter.
After a scoreless opening period, Fresno State found an extra gear, and Sac State was out of sorts. The Hornets had to call a timeout three times late in the play clock in their third game as a first-time FBS-level program. Sac State rolled FCS-member Mississippi Valley State 52-0 in its home opener last week, but much of the offense didn’t make the three-hour trip to Fresno.
Fresno State (1-1) managed just 116 yards in its 39-0 loss at USC, but the Bulldogs but piled up 542 against Sac State to move to 7-0 all-time against the Hornets since the series started in 1972.
Jayden Mandal completed 23 of 26 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns for Fresno State, and Bryson Donelson rushed 13 times for 102 yards and three scores as the Bulldogs rushed for 193 yards.
Fresno State quarterback Jayden Mandal throws for a 2-point conversion while getting pressure from Sacramento State’s Tim Thomas in their game at Valley Children’s Stadium in Fresno on Saturday. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Jackson Sharman completed 15 of 31 passes for 150 yards for Sac State, and Jamar Curtis rushed nine times for 48 yards for the Hornets (1-2).
Sac State hosts fellow FBS newcomer North Dakota State on Sept. 19. North Dakota State has won 10 FCS crowns since 2011. Before assuming the Fresno State coaching post before the 2025 season, Matt Entz coached North Dakota State to FCS championships in 2019 and 2021.
Fresno State head football coach Matt Entz, left, looks up at the scoreboard during the Bulldogs game against Sacramento State at Valley Children’s Stadium in Fresno on Saturday. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
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Joe Davidson has covered sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1989: preps, colleges, Kings and features. He was in early 2024 named the National Sports Media Association Sports Writer of the Year for California and he was in the fall of 2024 inducted into the California High School Football Hall of Fame. He is a 14-time award winner from the California Prep Sports Writer Association. In 2021, he was honored with the CIF Distinguished Service award. He is a member of the California Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Davidson participated in football and track in Oregon.