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Fresno State vs. Idaho recap: Bulldogs Annihilate Vandals, 79-13
Fresno State kicks off the 2018 season with a 66-point victory over FCS opponent Idaho.
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The Bulldogs open up the 2018 season by dropping 79 points on Idaho.
Week 1 has come and gone.
Every season teams schedule games with less-worthy opponents to get the training wheels off. This season was no different, and the result was the same.
Fresno State destroyed Idaho 79-13 on the first day of September. It was never close, and it wasn’t supposed to be close.
The offense clicked, the defense forced turnovers, and the special teams scored two touchdowns on a pair of blocked field goals.
Marcus McMaryion took a seat at the beginning of the second half, but the scoring didn’t stop there. The Bulldogs scored 44 points in the first half as McMaryion completed 19-of-26 passes.
KeeSean Johnson had five catches for 111 yards, backup quarterback Jorge Reyna threw a touchdown pass to Derrion Grim, and Jaron Bryant added a pair of return touchdowns in the first half, both for 70+ yards, both on blocked field goals for that matter.
This game was exactly what it should be on the first week of the season: offense clicking, defense making stops, special teams making plays, everybody getting ready for the grueling regular season schedule.
The Dogs defense forced seven turnovers, including five interceptions, one which was returned for a touchdown by Tank Kelly.
Idaho was able to muster up 13 points, including a 73-yard touchdown pass from Colton Richardson to Jeff Cotton. Isaiah Sanders added the other touchdown on the night for the Vandals, a 6-yard rushing score at the tailend of the third quarter.
Perhaps the one thing to work on from this game is the defense, which gave up 307 total yards to the Vandals. Other than that, the Dogs seemed to click on all cylinders, as expected.
The Bulldogs running backs combined for SEVEN touchdowns on the night- a hat trick for Jordan Mims, one each for O’Neal and Harris, and a pair for Saevion Johnson in the fourth quarter.
Just to recap, that is ELEVEN touchdowns on the night for the Bulldogs- two blocked FG’s returned, a pick-six, seven rushing scores, and a passing TD by the backup quarterback.
It’s safe to say, that is exactly how this game was supposed to go. Touchdowns in all facets of the game, defense forcing turnovers, and newcomers and freshman getting an opportunity in mop-up duty.
The training wheels have come off, and the Dog have no more time to sit around and wait.
The rest of September will poise quite a challenge for Fresno State, as they travel to Minnesota, a highly-anticipated road game against Chip Kelly and the UCLA Bruins, and a non-conference finale back at Bulldog Stadium against Toledo before beginning conference play.
There is a lot to love about this year’s Fresno State Bulldogs team, and the expectations are through the roof for a group coming off their first bowl game victory in a decade.
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