It won’t be the last time Fresno State and San Jose State meet, but the Bulldogs will forever hold bragging rights for taking home the Valley Trophy for the last time as Mountain West foes.
Led by a relentless defense, Fresno State defeated San Jose State 41-14 on Saturday night at CEFCU Stadium in Silicon Valley. The Bulldogs recorded five interceptions and held the Spartans to just 227 total yards. Offensively, they ran the ball 53 times for 259 yards.
WIth the win, Fresno State finishes the regular season at 8-4 (5-3) in its first year under Head Coach Matt Entz.
Key players
- Josiah Freeman (FS): 6 receptions, 76 yards, TD
- Simeon Harris (FS): 2 INT’s, 1 TFL
- Elijah Gilliam (FS): 9 carries, 92 yards, 2 TD’s
- Jordan Pollard (SJSU): 19 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT
What happened
For the second straight week, EJ Warner won the quarterback battle in practice over Carson Conklin. After three straight three-and-outs, Warner took over on the San Jose State 35 yard line thanks to a poor punt less than five minutes into the game.
The Bulldogs ran for five of the six plays on the drive, before settling for a 34-yard field goal from kicker Dylan Lynch.
Late in the first quarter, San Jose State quarterback Tama Amisone looked down the left sideline for star receiver Danny Scudero, only for the pass to be tipped. Nickelback Simeon Harris came down with it for his fourth interception, leading to another Lynch field goal, this time from 41 yards out.
The next drive, the Bulldogs secondary stepped up again. This time it was senior Al’zillion Hamilton with his 4th interception of the season (8th of his career), giving the Bulldogs the ball back on the 37 yard line.
Warner found wide receiver Josiah Freeman for a pair of medium sized completions on the outside, setting up a Brandon Ramirez touchdown run up the gut to give Fresno State a 13-0 lead. The Bulldogs got the ball back after forcing another three-and-out.
Facing 3rd and short on the Spartans 45 yard line, Warner missed Freeman only to find the hands of Spartans linebacker Jordan Pollard who ran the ball back 58 yards for a touchdown.
Warner redeemed himself late in the second half, finding Freeman open for a 37-yard pass for six points. Freeman followed it up with a reverse to give Fresno State the two-point conversion and a 21-7 lead heading into halftime.
Like in the first half, the Bulldogs used another interception to set up points. This time it was safety Ethan Tierney. The turnover led to a third Lynch field goal, giving the Bulldogs a 24-7 lead.
San Jose State did not score offensively until the fourth quarter. Third string quarterback Xavier Ward found Scudero open on a 3rd and long completion for 37 yards. Despite multiple goalline stops, the Spartans finally got through with Viliami Teu rushing in for a touchdown.
The Bulldogs were relentless though, wearing down the Spartans defense. Elijah Gilliam, Ramirez and Jonathan Arceneaux ran seven times for a combined 75 yards and a touchdown from Gilliam.
The rest of the quarter was more of the same, two more interceptions (Jayden Davis and Harris) as well as a cutthroat Bulldog running game that surpassed 2,000 yards in a season for the first time since 2018.
Fresno State would go on to win 41-14.
What’s next
The Bulldogs will get at least a few weeks off before finding out their next destination. Fresno State is bowl eligible for the fifth straight season.
The next game at Valley Children’s Stadium will come on Sep. 12 next year against Sacramento State for week two of the 2026 season.
Recap written by Al Scott, cover photo by Ryan Sepulveda (Fresno Sports Magazine)