DiLeva’s late kick denies Fresno State a rivalry comeback, 26-23

Fresno State tied the Old Oil Can rivalry game twice after halftime, but a missed extra point and one final stalled possession left the Bulldogs on the wrong side of a 26-23 loss to San Diego State on Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium. Cooper DiLeva supplied the decisive points with a career-long 53-yard field goal with 57 seconds remaining.

Julius Gillick had brought Fresno State back with his second rushing touchdown, a two-yard score in the fourth quarter. The extra point failed, leaving the teams tied at 23 rather than putting the Bulldogs ahead. San Diego State then moved into range for DiLeva's fourth field goal of the night.

The key gain came from a quarterback who had begun the game on the bench. Stone Saunders found Jordan Napier for 26 yards on third-and-10 during the winning drive. Four plays later, DiLeva made the kick that gave the Aztecs their final lead.

Fresno State still had a chance to answer. Kai Wallin sacked Jayden Mandal to begin the last possession, and the Bulldogs ultimately turned the ball over on downs. Saunders took a knee to complete the win and keep the trophy with San Diego State.

The official SDSU Athletics Spanish radio broadcast covers the October 17 game:

San Diego State's defense helped create the opportunity for that finish. Kirk Kenney's independent Union-Tribune report counted six sacks of Mandal, including three by Wallin, and 276 yards allowed. That was a substantial improvement from the 651 yards the Aztecs had surrendered in their 66-14 loss at Oregon State a week earlier.

The Aztecs also needed production from several passers. Jayden Denegal completed seven of 10 throws for 112 yards and a 52-yard touchdown to Jaylon Hawkins before leaving injured in the second quarter. Saunders completed six of 11 passes for 61 yards in relief.

Their other touchdown pass came from receiver Bert Emanuel Jr. He took a handoff from Saunders and threw seven yards to Napier, finishing a 92-yard drive that included Lucky Sutton's 67-yard run. The score gave San Diego State a 23-17 advantage with 12 minutes remaining.

Fresno State had worked back from a 13-0 deficit. Bryson Donelson's four-yard touchdown run helped cut the margin before halftime, and Gillick's seven-yard score put the Bulldogs ahead 17-16 in the third quarter. His later touchdown produced the last tie, but Fresno State could not complete another comeback after DiLeva's winner.

DiLeva had already converted from 32, 30 and 40 yards before missing a 43-yard attempt in the third quarter. His final kick lifted San Diego State to 3-4 overall and 2-1 in Pac-12 play. Fresno State dropped to 4-3 and 1-2.