Fresno State safety Ethan Tierney repeatedly punched his helmet while walking off the field.

The junior had been ejected at the end of the first quarter for targeting while trying to bring down Utah State quarterback McCae Hillstead on a scramble.

A USA Sports Network camera zoomed in on Tierney during his exit, showing what appeared to be massive frustration.

If the sports network had panned to the Red Wave, footage might’ve caught Fresno State fans wanting to punch a brick wall.

It was that bad for the Bulldogs, until it got a little exciting near the end of the game.

Fresno State languished through its worst first half of the season, falling into a 14-point hole by halftime Saturday and never recovering despite a late touchdown en route to a 17-10 loss at Utah State in Pac-12 play.

14-Point Hole

The Bulldogs (5-4, 2-3) generated just 73 total yards in the first half, including a mere 3 rushing yards on 10 attempts.

And considering Fresno State has never come back from a deficit larger than nine points and gone on to win during coach Matt Entz’s two seasons, Utah State’s two-touchdown lead seemed quite insurmountable.

Especially against an Aggies defense that statistically has been the toughest to move the ball against in the Pac-12, leading the conference in fewest total yards allowed per game.

Even Las Vegas didn’t expect Saturday’s game to be such a defensive showdown, with the over/under line set at 42.5 points.

Offensive Line Woes

Utah State’s defense certainly gets credit for shutting down Fresno State, often stacking the box and preventing the Bulldogs from running up the middle and around the edge.

But the Bulldogs’ offensive line shoulders some blame, too.

A week after the unit’s strong play helped Fresno State upset Oregon State 38-22, the Bulldogs’ offensive line struggled to create running lanes against Utah State.

Fresno State and its run-oriented offense finished with just 16 rushing yards on 27 carries for an average of 0.6 yards per carry.

Granted, the halftime deficit forced Fresno State to go away a bit from the running game to move the ball down the field faster and with more success.

But quarterback Jayden Mandal has yet to show much comfort when placed in obvious passing situations that require the junior to make plays with his arm and without the deception of run fakes and play-action movement.

Mandal completed 22 of 39 passes for 262 yards and one touchdown. He did not throw any interceptions. But the Bulldogs’ offensive line did give up two sacks.

Failed Onside Kick

The Bulldogs didn’t find the end zone until Mandal connected with receiver Ezekiel Avit on a back-shoulder catch for a 12-yard touchdown with 1:30 remaining.

But Utah State recovered Fresno State’s ensuing onside kick to close out the game.

Dealing With a Dual-Threat Quarterback

While the Bulldogs had plenty of problems on offense, Fresno State’s defense ran into some issues, too.

In particular, dealing with the dual abilities of Utah State’s quarterback.

Hillstead completed 9 of 14 passes for 117 yards. He also ran 12 times for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Modest numbers, for sure.

But the threat of a pass or run from the Aggies’ quarterback disrupted Fresno State just enough.

The Bulldogs, after all, hadn’t dealt with a quarterback who could scramble since Week 4 during a 38-24 win against Rice. But Owls quarterback Jacurri Brown, who finished with 141 rushing yards and 119 passing yards against Fresno State, was more of a runner.

Hillstead would look to make plays with his arm first before scrambling.

His keeper on the final play of the first quarter led to Tierney’s ejection for targeting and set up Utah State’s first touchdown of the night two plays later.

Fresno State DB Ethan Tierney is disqualified for targeting after this hit on Utah State’s McCae Hillstead.

FRES 0 | 0 USU https://t.co/4ZaBPaYsBc

— USA Sports (@usasports) November 8, 2026

Another Road Game

Fresno State will try to regroup while playing again on the road, traveling to Texas State (4-4, 2-2). The Bobcats had a late game against Oregon State.

The Bulldogs need one more win to become bowl eligible.