Fresno State at Washington State
PULLMAN, Wash. (Interstat) — Washington State will host Fresno State in an NCAA Football Bowl Division game on Saturday at Martin Stadium. The Cougars will look to rebound from a loss against a Bulldogs team that has won three of its first four games and enters as the visiting team.
Fresno State enters at 3-1. The Bulldogs opened with a loss at Southern California before defeating Sacramento State, San Jose State and Rice. In their most recent game, the Bulldogs beat Rice 38-24. Washington State is 1-3. The Cougars beat Duquesne after losses to Washington and Kansas State, then fell to Arizona 34-24 in their most recent game.
Fresno State quarterback Jayden Mandal is a player to watch. In the win over Rice, Mandal passed for 210 yards and three touchdowns and rushed five times for 57 yards. In a win at San Jose State, he passed for 186 yards and one touchdown, rushed nine times for 46 yards and recorded one tackle. Running back Rayshon Luke also was productive against Rice with 167 rushing yards on 11 carries, three receptions for 10 yards and one touchdown. Bryson Donelson added nine carries for 19 yards and one reception for minus-7 yards.
Washington State quarterback Caden Pinnick is a player to watch. In the loss to Arizona, Pinnick passed for 241 yards and one touchdown and rushed 13 times for 35 yards and one touchdown. Against Duquesne, he passed for 196 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 12 times for 76 yards and one touchdown. At Washington, he passed for 142 yards and one touchdown and rushed 14 times for 61 yards. Running back Kirby Vorhees had nine carries for 39 yards and three receptions for 17 yards against Arizona, while Maxwell Woods added eight carries for 20 yards.
The matchup at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash., will feature a Fresno State offense that has scored at least 26 points in each of its past three games and a Washington State offense seeking consistency. The Bulldogs have allowed 10 points or fewer in two of their past three games, while the Cougars have scored at least 24 points in two of their past three games. Fresno State will be the visiting team, and Washington State will be the home team. After this game, Fresno State is scheduled to host Boise State, while Washington State is set to visit Utah State.
Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Washington State 26, Fresno State 23. Fresno State has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +1.5. The over/under for the game is 45.5.