Fresno State Football: 3 takeaways from dominant win over UConn

3. The Fresno State defense made its presence felt on Saturday

On one hand, UConn certainly looked rusty as they took on their first opponent in 15 months. But plenty of credit is also due to a Fresno State defense that held the Huskies to just 107 total yards of offense in the shutout. With the offense doing its job, the Bulldogs defense stepped up and did its part to ensure that the blowout was complete.

It was even the defense that got the blowout started. After the two teams traded punts on their first two possessions, UConn came out on their third drive and promptly dug themselves into a hole. Arron Mosby came through the line, stripped Huskies quarterback Jack Zergiotis, and returned the ball 31 yards for the first points of the game.

In addition to outscoring their opponents, the Fresno State defense barely allowed more than 100 total yards of offense to UConn Zergiotis finished with only 72 passing yards, while the Huskies managed only 35 yards on the ground. UConn was forced to launch 11 punts into the California air as they finished with only nine first downs.

Once Mosby put the hosts on the scoreboard, the Bulldogs defense ensured that no further points were necessary on the day even as Fresno State’s offense started firing on all cylinders. If Kalen DeBoer’s team can come out every week looking like they did against UConn, it could be a long season for their Mountain West opponents.