Utah State holds off Fresno State for 17-10 win

Utah State built a 14-point first-quarter lead and held on for a 17-10 home win over Fresno State on November 7. The Aggies’ defense kept the Bulldogs out of the end zone until the final minutes and allowed just 16 yards on the ground.

Sesi Vailahi and quarterback McCae Hillstead each scored on short runs in the opening quarter. Hillstead completed 9 of 14 passes for 117 yards without an interception and added 56 yards rushing. Vailahi carried 10 times for 39 yards, scoring his first touchdown for Utah State.

Fresno State’s only touchdown came with 90 seconds remaining, when Jayden Mandal connected with Ezekiel Avit on a 12-yard pass. Mandal threw for 262 yards, while Josiah Freeman caught eight passes for 114 yards. Manaki Watanabe’s 32-yard field goal in the third quarter had made it 14-3; Kian Afrookhteh later added a 43-yard kick for Utah State.

The Aggies recorded 10 tackles for loss, two sacks and four pass breakups. The victory was their second straight and third in four games, bringing them to 4-5 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12. Fresno State fell to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

Utah State visits San Diego State next, while Fresno State travels to Texas State. Utah State needs two wins in its final three games to reach six victories and become bowl eligible.