Fresno State Bulldogs vs Houston Cougars Match Player Stats On Dec 24, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 25, 2017

Marcus McMaryion threw for 342 yards and ran for two touchdowns, and Jimmy Camacho kicked four field goals as Fresno State beat Houston 33-27 on Sunday night in the Hawaii Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

Camacho's third field goal, a 26-yarder, put Fresno State (10-4) ahead for good at 23-20 with 13:56 left in the fourth quarter. He added a 33-yard kick with six minutes remaining, and Bulldogs sophomore cornerback Jaron Bryant scored on a 44-yard interception return with 3:49 remaining.

Houston (7-5) scored on a 2-yard pass from junior D'Eriq King to junior Linell Bonner with 45 seconds left to get within six, but the Cougars were unable to recover an onside kick.

McMaryion, a junior who transferred from Oregon State, completed 33 of 48 passes with one interception and ran for 50 yards. However, his fumble midway through the third quarter allowed Houston to tie it at 13 on a 31-yard field goal by Caden Novikoff.

Fresno State quickly retook the lead at 20-13 on McMaryion's second touchdown of the game, a 6-yard run, with 4:21 left in the third.

The Cougars muffed the ensuing kickoff, giving Fresno State the ball at the 10-yard line, but the Bulldogs had to settle for a short field-goal attempt. That didn't work out, as Houston junior Jeremy Winchester blocked the 25-yard try and it bounced into the hands of junior Alexander Myres, who brought it back 94 yards. The play knotted the score at 20 with 2:54 left in the third.

Houston got 307 yards of total offense from King, while senior wide receiver Steven Dunbar caught 10 passes for 197 yards.

Fresno State shook off a slow start to lead 13-10 at halftime.

Houston opened up the playbook on its second drive to take a 7-0 lead. Dunbar caught a 48-yard flea-flicker pass from King to the Fresno State 1-yard line, with sophomore defensive tackle Ed Oliver scoring on a 1-yard run on the following play.

It was the first career carry for Oliver, a consensus All-American who won the Outland Trophy this season as college football's top defensive player.

Houston senior linebacker D'Juan Hines intercepted McMaryion three plays later, but the Cougars couldn't capitalize as Novikoff was wide right on a 45-yard field-goal attempt.

Fresno State failed to get a first down on its first four possessions, gaining just 5 total yards, before going 68 yards on 11 plays with McMaryion's 1-yard run tying it at 7 early in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs took a 10-7 lead on Camacho's 27-yard field goal with 9:45 left in the first half.

Novikoff connected on a 31-yard field goal with 7:17 left in the second to tie the game at 10. The score was set up by a 50-yard catch by Dunbar.

Camacho gave Fresno State a 13-10 lead at halftime with a 38-yard field goal as time expired. On the previous drive, he was off on a 56-yard attempt.

NOTES: Houston coach Major Applewhite, who was the team's offensive coordinator last season under Tom Herman, handled play-calling duties after offensive coordinator Brian Johnson left to become offensive coordinator at Florida. ... Fresno State senior K Jimmy Camacho set the school single-season field-goal record with 25. ... It was the first meeting between Houston and Fresno State. ... Fresno State was making its second trip to the islands this season, having won 31-21 against Hawaii on Nov. 11.