It was not pretty by any means, but as Fresno State head coach Pat Hill would say, “It’s a win!”
Close games is something the Bulldogs cannot avoid this year. Losing close games at home versus Wisconsin and Hawaii, missing game-winning field goals in each, and needing the defense to stop a two-point conversion at Toledo to preserve a win in double-overtime. But Saturday afternoon’s game was the most unlikely outcome of the season.
Utah State running back Marquis Butler scored the go-ahead touchdown from a half-yard out on 4th-and-goal. The subsequent extra-point gave the Aggies a 28-27 lead with :38 left in the game. The Bulldog sideline looked distraught and surely the game would fall on the shoulders of quarterback Tom Brandstater and likely on kicker Kevin Goessling.
Brandstater has never been put into a situation when behind, with less than a minute to play, and pulled out a victory. Two years, in Logan, Brandstater had :55 to work with but failed to get FS a chance at the win falling to the Aggies 13-12 in one of the worst losses in Bulldog history. And the aforementioned missed field goals against the Badgers and Warriors more or less fell on the shoulders on Goessling. With the game’s outcome falling on their shoulders they had a chance to earn redemption.
True freshman Rashad Evans took the ensuing kickoff from the one out to the 28. It took five seconds off the clock. After a questionable block in the back penalty on Seyi Ajirotutu on first down, which nullified a 17-yard gain on an Anthony Harding reception, FS had just :25 and no timeouts remaining. An incomplete pass to Isaac Kinter took another eight seconds off the clock. Furthermore, Kinter was injured on the play, but the 'Dogs a few extra minutes to put a plan together.
Evans then made a huge play. He caught a Brandstater pass over the middle and had the mindset to race about 25 yards across the width of the field to the sideline to get out of bounds. The reception gained 18 yards but left FS with just :06 left in the game and the ball at the Aggie 47. FS elected to run a quick sideline route save a Hail Mary attempt that would have put the outcome into the hands of Brandstater and his receivers instead of Goessling. Ajirotutu caught a 6-yard pass and quickly stepped out of bounds. It took just four seconds off the clock.
Goessling stepped onto the field to attempt his second 58-yard field goal of the season – the first was wide left against Toledo on September 20. Utah State called a timeout to ice him, but it had little effect.
The snap was good, the hold was perfect, and the kick was right the down middle with plenty of room to spare. While the game should not have come down to a game-winning field, it gave Brandstater a chance to lead his team down the field and gave Goessling the ultimate chance at redemption.
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