Fresno State shuts out Washington State after halftime in 26–6 win

Fresno State scored all 20 second-half points and held Washington State without a touchdown Saturday night, winning 26–6 in Pullman. Manaki Watanabe kicked four field goals, while Josiah Freeman and Julius Gillick supplied the Bulldogs' two touchdowns on the ground.

The teams were tied 6–6 at halftime after exchanging field goals. Freeman's three-yard touchdown run with 9:41 left in the third quarter put Fresno State ahead for good. The Bulldogs then added 13 fourth-quarter points while keeping the Cougars from answering.

Jayden Mandal completed 24 of 33 passes for 245 yards without an interception. Freeman was his leading receiver, catching seven passes for 61 yards in addition to his rushing touchdown. Ezekiel Avit had five receptions for 60 yards, including a 38-yard catch early in the fourth quarter that moved Fresno State to the Washington State 20.

That gain helped put the Bulldogs in position for Watanabe's 31-yard field goal, which increased their lead to 16–6 with 11 minutes remaining. Fresno State's passing game did not produce a touchdown, but it repeatedly moved the offense into range for its kicker and running game.

Gillick scored on an eight-yard run with 3:54 left, pushing Fresno State ahead 23–6. On Washington State's next possession, Justin Johnson intercepted Caden Pinnick and returned the ball 15 yards to the Cougars' 20. Watanabe added a 33-yard field goal to establish the final margin.

Watanabe made four of five field-goal attempts, connecting from 27 and 22 yards before halftime and from 31 and 33 afterward. Jack Stevens provided Washington State's only points with kicks from 32 yards and 50 yards, the latter tying the game on the final play of the first half.

Fresno State finished with 375 total yards to Washington State's 182 and held possession for 35:59. The Cougars managed just 30 rushing yards on 24 attempts. Pinnick completed 21 of 34 passes for 152 yards with an interception, and Washington State converted three of 14 third downs and neither of its two fourth-down attempts.

The Bulldogs also recovered Pinnick's third-quarter fumble through Deijon Laffitte. Both teams lost one fumble, but Johnson's late interception gave Fresno State the extra takeaway and another scoring opportunity. Rayshon Luke led the Bulldogs' rushing game with 46 yards on six carries; Fresno State totaled 130 yards on the ground.

RotoWire reported that Luke entered concussion protocol after leaving in the first quarter, citing AJ Scott of Fresno Sports Magazine. No later clearance was verified in the reporting checked for this recap.

Both schools' official previews identified Saturday as their Pac-12 opener. Fresno State improves to 4–1 overall and 1–0 in the conference, while Washington State falls to 1–4 and 0–1. Fresno State's matchup report also noted that its last regular-season win over the Cougars came in 1991. This victory ends that wait, with the Bulldogs' defense and second-half scoring deciding a game that had remained level through two quarters.