FRESNO - The Fresno State football team opened the 2021 season with a dominant 45-0 win over UConn, the first shutout for the Bulldogs since 2017, as senior running back Ronnie Rivers rewrote the record books becoming the program's leader in career touchdowns scored.
Following a slow start for both sides, Arron Mosby woke everyone up, stripping Jack Zergiotis and picking up the fumble before racing 31 yards into the end zone late in the first quarter. Fresno State doubled its lead less than three minutes into the second quarter. After a 17-yard completion to Jordan Mims got the 'Dogs down to the nine-yard line, Haener tossed his first touchdown of the season to the corner of the end zone to Ty Jones to put the 'Dogs up 14-0 with 12:30 on the clock.
Late in the quarter, the senior signal-caller connected on a pair of 60-plus yard touchdowns. With four minutes remaining in the period, Haener found Rivers on a slant and the senior running back did the rest, scoring the 45th touchdown of his career on a 61-yard reception. Two minutes later, on the first play of the Bulldogs' eighth possession, Haener hit Cropper over the middle. The junior wideout spun off a defender and away from two others, got to the sideline, and raced out to an 86-yard score. Cesar Silva tacked on a 24-yard field goal in the waning seconds to put Fresno State up 31-0 at the break.
The Bulldogs added two more touchdowns in the second half, the first an 8-yard rush from Mims in the third, and the second coming in the fourth quarter, a 1-yard pass from Logan Fife to Raymond Pauwels Jr.
Notes
- Fresno State won the first-ever morning game played at Bulldog Stadium.
- Fresno State moves to 58-38-4 all-time in season openers.
- Fresno State recorded its first shutout since defeating New Mexico 38-0 on Oct. 14, 2017.
- The 45 points was the largest margin of victory for Fresno State since Nov. 3, 2018, at UNLV (48-3).
- Ronnie Rivers became the program's all-time leader in career touchdowns scored (45), passing Anthony Daigle (1991-93).
- Rivers is also the program's all-time leader in career pass receptions by a running back (118).
- Rivers notched the longest reception of his career - a 61-yard catch on his record-breaking touchdown score.
- Jalen Cropper's 86-yard reception was the 11th best in program history
- Jake Haener threw 300+ yards for the fourth consecutive game dating back to 2020.
- Fresno State's defense allowed just 1.8 yards per play, the lowest total since 2007 (2.0 vs. Sacramento State, Sept. 1, 2007)
- Arron Mosby became the first Bulldog defensive end to "scoop & score" since Ejiro Ederaine at San Diego State on Oct. 26, 2013.
- The last time the Bulldogs' first touchdown of the season was from the defense was the Sept. 5, 2004 game at Washington - a 19-yard interception return by James Sanders.
Quotes
Head Coach Kalen DeBoer
On Team's overall performance...
"Yeah, just it's a team effort all around, you know it's not perfect and I don't know If I've ever seen a perfect game played. But There were a lot of just great things that I know I can see we're better at. Of course, there are things were going to need to continue to improve. Seeing the defense use the energy coming out of the locker room to start the game, and feeding off of that, I know we were probably a little over the top but excited coming down the ramp and in the locker room beforehand. The defense used that and I think that maybe it took a little bit of the offense to kind of settle in and just kind of get our bearings right and get back to doing what we normally do and then just the special teams, Cesar, I think just you know pounding the ball in the endzone almost every time on kick off so that's a big deal you know we haven't had that and he continued to do that both directions. There wasn't really a huge wind but that does make an impact, you know we tried the long field goal and he you know he had plenty of leg and he just barely missed it but I think he would have been good for sure by from 56 or 57 so you can just see some of the guys and the way that they've improved their bodies, you know the plays they're making, when we really got in the flow, it wasn't anything special, it was just the guys making plays they're capable of doing, and that's what we talk about, just staying within yourself, just do your job and because you're talented, you're going to do it well and I thought we did that especially as the game went along, so I'm excited, we have a lot to learn from, I know week one to week two we expect a lot of improvement and it will be great to watch the film, and I know we've got a team that cares. That will happen."
Ronnie Rivers, Sr., RB
On breaking the career touchdown record...
"Yeah, it was just a play that we run that gets me out in space and gets me running off some backers. Jake threw a great ball to keep me away from that safety, and then it's just break a tackle and get to the end zone. So it was just an overwhelming feeling, great accomplishment, and none of this could be done without my teammates. So all the props and all the glory goes to them."
Up Next
Fresno State travels to Autzen Stadium to face Oregon on Sept. 4 in what will be the home team's season opener. This trip marks Fresno State's first to Eugene since Sept. 8, 2012.
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