Fresno State (1-1) returned to Valley Children’s Stadium for its Week 2 home opener. The Bulldogs earned their first win of the Pac-12 era with a dominant win over Sacramento State (1-2) with a final score of 49-3.
Quarterback Jayden Mandal was everything the Bulldogs needed for the night, finishing 23-of-26 passing for 316 yards and two touchdowns, along with four carries for 8 yards and a rushing touchdown and one reception for 21 yards.
His targets were on point as well, with wide receivers Ezekiel Avit and Josiah Freeman both breaking 100 yards. Avit went off for 103 yards and a touchdown on just two receptions, averaging 51.5 yards per catch, while Freeman had six receptions for 100 yards.
Other major playmakers for the Bulldogs included running back Bryson Donelson, who had 13 carries for 102 yards and three touchdowns, running back Rayshon Luke, who had six receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown and receiver Jahlil McClain, who had five receptions for 46 yards.
On the other side of the ball, defensive linemen Martin Owusu came up with a sack and a tackle, while Simeon Harris came away with a big-time interception early on.
Although Sacramento State managed to rack up 262 total yards, the Bulldogs’ defense held the Hornets to just three points.
The Bulldogs are now in double digits in the all-time series against the Hornets, improving to 10-0. The win also marked the Bulldogs’ largest margin of victory against the Hornets in series history.
Fresno State will hit the road in Week 3, traveling to San Jose to take on the Spartans on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.