LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Andrew Peasley threw three touchdown passes and nose tackle Cole Godbout had an interception in the final minute of the fourth quarter as Wyoming beat No. 24 Fresno State 24-19 on Saturday night, ending the second-longest winning streak in the nation at 14 games.
Wyoming (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West), which had notched dramatic home victories over Texas Tech and Appalachian State, ended a four-game losing streak against the defending conference champion Bulldogs (5-1, 1-1). The win was Wyoming’s first over a ranked opponent since Nov. 19, 2016, against San Diego State.
Fresno State hadn’t lost since Oct. 8, 2022, at Boise State, and entered the game with a 5-0 record for the first time since 2013.
“Obviously we take them one at a time, but this was a big, big win over a program we have not had a great deal of success with,” Wyoming coach Craig Bohl said. “I do know we beat a good football team that was undefeated and in the top 25. It wasn’t a fluke.”
Peasley finished 19 of 27 for 183 yards with the three scoring passes, and John Hoyland added a 34-yard field goal.
The first sign of trouble for Fresno State came in the first quarter. After having scored in 25 straight quarters dating to the final period of the Mountain West championship game last December, Wyoming held a 3-0 lead after one quarter Saturday.
The biggest defensive play of the game for Wyoming was delivered by Godbout, whose interception of a pass with 46 seconds remaining sealed the victory.
Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene was sacked in the red zone by DeVonne Harris in the fourth quarter and left the game with a lower-leg injury. He finished 23 of 35 for 218 yards and one TD pass.
After a 38-yard field goal by Dylan Lynch cut Fresno State’s deficit to 24-13, the Bulldogs recovered an onside kick. Logan Fife replaced Keene and threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Mac Dalena with 5:17 remaining.
The Cowboys, who scored all their points in the first half, held a 24-19 lead before Godbout’s pick on the sixth play of Fresno State’s last-chance drive.
“There was a lot of effort in the second half, but we didn’t play our best. I take my hat off to Wyoming,” Fresno State head coach Jeff Tedford said. “They threw it and they ran it. They did a nice job. They had a big play there at the end.”
Fresno State’s defense entered the game with an amazing streak of forcing 40 consecutive three-and-outs.
The run-heavy Cowboys, who were shutout in their previous two games by a combined score of 47-0, had not scored on the Bulldogs in their previous 11 quarters in the series. Wyoming seemed to surprise Fresno State early with an efficient passing game.
Peasley was 16 for 20 for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, leading Wyoming to a 24-7 lead at the intermission.
Wyoming held a lopsided edge over the Bulldogs in total yards — 249 to 107 — in the first half. Fifty of Fresno State’s yards came on a pass from Keene to freshman receiver Jalen Moss.
Peasley tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Wieland and hit Treyton Welch with a 12-yard scoring pass with 31 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
The Cowboys punted on both of their drives in the third quarter and managed just 32 yards. But the Bulldogs managed just a field goal in the period.
Fife finished 7 of 11 for 68 yards and one scoring pass.
THE TAKEAWAY
Fresno State will have to hope for good news on the diagnosis of Keene’s injury.
Wyoming established itself as a Mountain West contender.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Bulldogs will likely slide out of the rankings and could be replaced by the Cowboys, who have not appeared in the AP poll since 1998.
UP NEXT
Fresno State: At Utah State on Saturday.
Wyoming: Another key Mountain West game at undefeated Air Force.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
