Hawaii Falls to Fresno State 21-20 in Thrilling Contest
In a thrilling Mountain West Conference matchup, Hawaii dropped a heartbreaking 21-20 home loss to Fresno State on Saturday night.
High-Scoring First Half
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading touchdowns. Hawaii struck first with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Brayden Schager to Nick Mardner. Fresno State responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Jordan Mims.
Later in the quarter, Hawaii's Matthew Shipley kicked a 27-yard field goal to give the Warriors a 10-7 lead. Fresno State tied the game again with a 38-yard field goal by Cesar Silva as the first half ended.
Defensive Struggle in the Second Half
The second half was a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to find the end zone. The only points in the third quarter came from a 37-yard field goal by Shipley to give Hawaii a 13-10 lead.
Fresno State took the lead for good in the fourth quarter with a pair of touchdowns. First, Logan Fife connected with Nikko Remigio for a 30-yard touchdown pass. Then, Jordan Mims added another rushing touchdown from 4 yards out to put the Bulldogs up 21-13.
Hawaii's Late Rally
Hawaii refused to go down without a fight. Schager found Mardner for a 22-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter. The Warriors converted the two-point conversion to make it a one-point game, but they were unable to recover an onside kick with under a minute remaining.
Fresno State Wins on the Road
The victory gives Fresno State a 4-2 record on the season and 2-0 in Mountain West play. Hawaii drops to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in conference.