INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Jordan Mims rushed for a career-high 205 yards and two scores, Jake Haener threw two TD passes and Fresno State completed the biggest in-season turnaround in Football Bowl Subdivision history with a 29-6 victory over Washington State in the LA Bowl on Saturday.
Fresno State — which won the Mountain West Conference title — is the first team to get to 10 wins after dropping four of the first five. The Bulldogs (10-4) were 1-4 in early October before winning their final nine games.
Mims accounted for 232 all-purpose yards and outgained Washington State, which had 182 offensive yards. Both of Mims’ touchdowns were on direct snaps out of the wildcat formation.
Early in the second quarter, the senior went 4 yards around left end to give the Bulldogs a 14-0 advantage. In the fourth quarter, he carried it 2 yards up the middle to make it 29-6.
Haener completed 24 of 36 passes for 284 yards in his final game for Fresno State. The senior connected with Zane Pope on a 22-yard touchdown to complete the Bulldogs’ opening possession. He added an 11-yard score to Nikko Remigio late in the third quarter to extend the lead to 22-6.
Cameron Ward was 22 of 32 for 137 yards for Washington State (7-6).
Nakia Watson rushed for 33 yards and had the Cougars’ only touchdown in the third quarter, when he scored from 1 yard to bring Washington State within 16-6.
