Fresno State struggles again in second half, falling to UCLA. Skipper gets endorsement

There is no certainty Fresno State will finish with a winning record now this season.

Just as there is no certainty Fresno State will elevate interim coach Tim Skipper to head coach.

What is known at the moment is Fresno State lost to UCLA 20-13 on Saturday to end the regular season, had a four-game winning streak against the Bruins snapped, and now enter the upcoming bowl season surrounded by much uncertainty while a critical decision by first-year athletic director Garrett Klassy looms.

A win would’ve ensured the Bulldogs (6-6) had maintained a winning record regardless of the outcome of the upcoming bowl game.

Whether a win against UCLA would’ve locked Skipper’s promotion is now all a moot point.

Fresno State fell to 2-4 in games decided by 8 points or less this season.

Would Skipper’s future still be in question had Fresno State prevailed in each of these close games and sported a 10-2 record?

The reality, though, is that the problems that plagued the Bulldogs in previous close games — like second half issues moving the ball on offense and costly penalties during crucial times by the defense — resurfaced Saturday before the announced crowd of 35,018 at the Rose Bowl.

The Bulldogs offense generated just three points, five first downs and 146 total yards in the second half against the Bruins.

All the while, Fresno State’s defense again struggled to keep an opposing offense off the field as UCLA held onto the ball almost twice as long as Fresno State in the second half. UCLA’s time of possession was 19 minutes, 6 seconds compared to Fresno State’s 10:52.

Those struggles were exacerbated late in the game when Fresno State’s leading tackler on the season in linebacker Tuasivi Normura was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty on third-and-6 with 4:58 remaining and kept alive a drive that UCLA would go on to score the decisive touchdown.

Those who’ve been evaluating the Bulldogs season as a whole don’t have to look that far back to find when Fresno State committed similar mistakes.

Last week, Fresno State didn’t score a single point after halftime against Colorado State but managed to hold onto a 28-22 win.

Two games ago, Fresno State allowed Air Force to hold onto the ball three times as long as the Bulldogs (45:08 to 14:52) en route a 36-28 loss.

And it was three games ago that the Bulldogs got flagged twice on key plays in the fourth quarter, called for targeting on a fourth-down play and pass interference on another fourth down as Fresno State lost 21-20 to Hawaii.

The big-picture questions moving forward for the Bulldogs:

Are these repeated mistakes a sign that Fresno State is stuck and stalled under Skipper, especially with the Bulldogs having lost three of their past four games?

Or are these repeated mistakes simply part of the growing pains that Fresno State has had to endure considering the sudden coaching change just prior to the season? Skipper took over as interim coach following previous coach Jeff Tedford’s sudden retirement during the summer because of medical reasons.

And perhaps the primary question Klassy will have to decide is whether the Bulldogs can become better under Skipper than what they’ve shown so far this season.

While many former Bulldogs players have been vocal about promoting Skipper and maintaining strong ties to Fresno State’s past, the interim coach also got an endorsement from a former NFL player with no strong Fresno State connections.

UCLA coach DeShaun Foster, who was coached previously by Skipper’s father (Jim) as his running backs coach in the NFL and by Skipper’s brother (Kelly) as his position coach at UCLA, praised Fresno State’s interim coach.

The two hugged each other and spoke briefly after Saturday’s game.

“Tim Skipper is a great coach,” Foster said. “Those boys were ready to play. I’ve known him for a long time. I know what type of family he comes from. It’s a coaching tree. ...

“They’re going to a bowl game. Hopefully they keep him and he’s able to be in the same position as I am and lead his alma mater.”

This story was originally published November 30, 2024 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Fresno State struggles again in second half, falling to UCLA. Skipper gets endorsement."