Fresno State’s longshot hopes of reaching the Mountain West title game got steamrolled by Bryson Barnes, the Utah State quarterback who might be the toughest college player in America.

Barnes rushed for 111 yards on 22 carries and passed for 176 as the Aggies overcame a 10-point deficit with an overpowering second-half performance in a 28-17 victory Saturday night at Valley Children’s Stadium.

The Aggies (6-5, 4-3) won on the road for the first time since last season and sent the Red Wave home early when Javen Jacobs ran 32 yards for a touchdown with 6 minutes, 5 seconds left in the game.

There was a smattering of boos in the stadium late in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs (7-4, 4-3) were dominated after playing a nearly flawless first half.

Not only did the Bulldogs fail to corral Barnes, who gained much of his yardage between the tackles, they converted just 2 of 11 third-down opportunities.

In addition, the Aggies converted three trick plays, two of which produced touchdowns, and the Bulldogs were plagued by inopportune penalties.

Conversely, Utah State capitalized on 8 of 15 third-down plays.

Bulldogs Forge 17-7 Halftime Lead

When Rayshon “Speedy” Luke can break through the line, watch out!

Luke lived up to his name on the first play of the second drive for Fresno State, racing to a 69-yard touchdown run.

E.J. Warner made the surprise start, another change of quarterback by head coach Matt Entz. Warner had an efficient first half, leading the Bulldogs to two first-half touchdowns on 12-of-15 passing for 129 yards.

Utah State tied it later in the first quarter. First, it stuffed the Bulldogs on a fourth-and-1 at the Fresno State 40. Three plays later, the Aggies scored on a trick double pass, with wide receiver Anthony Garcia tossing a 24-yard throw to Brady Boyd.

The Bulldogs pushed the lead to 17-7 after a 43-yard pass from Warner to Jahil McClain in the two-minute drill. On the play, Warner rolled right to avoid the rush and hit the wide-open McClain at about the 5-yard-line. The sophomore wideout evaded a couple of Aggies and flipped into the end zone for the score.

Bulldog Bites

Fresno State concludes the regular season next Saturday, Nov. 29, at San Jose State. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Utah State joins Fresno State next season in the rejuvenated Pacifc-12 Conference.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and wife Brenda Warner were in attendance to watch their son, quarterback E.J. Warner.

Former Bulldog wide receiver Henry Ellard advanced to the semifinals of the Pro Football Hall of Fame seniors category. In his pro career, mostly with the Los Angeles Rams, Ellard caught 814 passes for 13,777 yards and 65 touchdowns. Enshrinees will be announced during Super Bowl Week in San Francisco.