Fresno State collapses behind critical penalties, anemic offense as Hawai’i completes comeback

There’s a fine between playing aggressively and too aggressively as Fresno State learned while blowing a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter Saturday.

While it wasn’t the intended game play, Fresno State’s defense ended up being tasked to try to win the game — and make up for subpar play for the Bulldogs offense and a surprising slip up from the special teams.

Fresno State’s defense played spectacularly at times, including a pick six by Phoenix Jackson that was returned 89 yards for a touchdown and a forced fumble by Jackson that gave the offense the ball with less than 2 minutes remaining.

But there also were a pair of crucial mistakes by the defense that ultimately sealed Fresno State’s fate en route a 21-20 loss to Hawai’i before the announced sellout crowd of 41,575 at Valley Children’s Stadium.

Fresno State’s star defensive player Cam Lockridge was ejected for targeting with 9 minutes, 54 seconds remaining.

The Bulldogs started to slide from there.

On the targeting penalty (helmet-to-helmet collision), Lockridge was called for a personal foul on a fourth-down play that allowed Hawai’i to keep the ball and go on to score a touchdown.

Then on another Hawai’i fourth-down play, Fresno State linebacker Tuasivi Nomura got flagged for pass interference with 28 seconds left to help set up the Warriors’ winning touchdown three plays later on Brayden Schager’s 3-yard pass to Nick Cenacle.

Was playing mistake-free and avoiding a penalty on fourth down too much to ask of Fresno State’s defense?

Perhaps.

But playing near-perfect defense seemed like the only way Fresno State was capable of winning on this day.

Fresno State’s offense mustered a season-low 191 total yards, including just 67 yards and no points by the offense after halftime. Prior to the final drive, the Bulldogs had 28 total yards in the second half.

The Bulldogs’ struggles occurred even despite an interception-free outing from quarterback Mikey Keene.

The junior completed 25 of 31 passes 172 yards and one touchdown.

But Keene also was sacked four times, including a 14-yard loss on third down with 1:36 remaining when throwing the ball out of bounds might’ve been a smarter decision.

On the same drive that Keene got sack for a 14-yard loss, Fresno State had gotten the ball with 1:49 remaining after Jackson fumbled a fumble with a strip. But the Bulldogs immediately went three and out.

Fresno State’s run game wasn’t of much help the whole day while generating just 19 yards on 21 carries.

This entire troublesome performance came against a Hawai’i defense that was allowing an average of 352.6 total yards per game.

Fresno State even had issues on special teams.

After never missing an extra-point attempt all season, Bulldogs kicker Dylan Lynch had an extra point blocked by Warriors’ Cameron Stone during the second quarter.

That one point, of course, ended up being the difference.

Hawai’i (4-5, 2-2), which rallied from a 20-7 deficit entering the fourth quarter, became the first team with a losing record to beat Fresno State (5-4 overall, 3-2 Mountain West) this season.

Fresno State’s chances of reaching the conference title game now was greatly reduced.

Nonetheless, Fresno State still has a chance to lock up bowl eligibility next week at Air Force (1-7, 0-4).

The Bulldogs, however, might be without Lockridge in the first half next week as part of the extended punishment for getting ejected on ground of targeting.

Lockridge was the reigning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for his play against San Jose State when he had two interceptions and seven tackles.

Jackson finished Saturday with nine tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage, one interception and a forced fumble.

Nomura had eight tackles, including seven solo, and two pass breakups.

Teammate Malachi Langley also had eight tackles to go along with one sack and a forced fumble.

Fresno State’s defense finished with three forced turnovers.

Entering Saturday, the Bulldogs defensive unit had ranked 13th in the nation with 16 turnovers generated on the season, including 12 interceptions, which ranked fifth-best in the Football Bowl Subdivision.