Fresno State 26-6 Washington State (Oct 3, 2026) Final Score

Team pages: Fresno State · Washington State

Fresno State4-126

Washington State1-46Final

Sat, Oct 3 · Gesa Field, Pullman, Wash. · Crowd 26,471

Fresno State beat Washington State 26-6.

We had Fresno State favored. It won.

Next: Fresno State lost to Boise State 38-31, Sat Oct 10

Next: Washington State lost to Utah State 17-16, Fri Oct 9

Top comment in the game thread

We used to lose in way cooler ways. Anthony Gordon used to throw 9 tds in game and lose like a man

Q4 2:19 · r/CFB game thread · Sat, Oct 3

How it swung

The turning point: Freeman 3-yd TD run, Fresno State goes ahead 13-6 (Q3, 9:41). Fresno State went from 51% to 68% to win. Fans right then: “We aren’t going to win another game. Pinnick is an absolute joke.” r/CFB game thread

Before kickoff, our ratings gave Fresno State a 55% chance, and the closing betting line (Fresno State was a 2.5-point underdog) put it at 42%.

Fresno State won by 20, after dipping to 32% in the first quarter.

Up to 68% in the first quarter, then Washington State lost it.

FinalFresno State 26-6 Washington StateFresno State wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.

The two plays that swung it

1Q2 12:34Fumble4th and 1Mandal 1-yd run, fumblesFresno State 53% → 40% (−13)
2Q3 9:41Freeman 3-yd TD run, Fresno State goes ahead 13-6Fresno State 51% → 68% (+17)

The two plays that swung it

1Q2 12:34Fumble4th and 1Mandal 1-yd run, fumblesWashington State 47% → 60% (+13)
2Q3 9:41Freeman 3-yd TD run, Fresno State goes ahead 13-6Washington State 49% → 32% (−17)

What fans said, play by play

The line in bold above each quote is written by our model from the thread’s comments and the play-by-play.

Q3 8:46Pinnick run for a 1-yd loss, fumblesWe aren’t going to win another game. Pinnick is an absolute joke.r/CFB game thread
Q4 13:22A flea flicker play was executed.I say again: No one has ever defended a flea flicker in Martin stadiumr/CFB game thread
Q4 10:13Pinnick throws an incomplete pass as Fresno leads 16-6Leaf: He has nowhere to throw the ball Leaf: Once again no one is getting open and he has no options Leaf: Again totally covered down the field All of you : WHY WON'T PINNICK…r/CFB game thread
Q4 4:00Fans mock WSU as anti-explosive after Pinnick turnover and Gillick touchdownEvery time I see Pinnick on the field, I die a little bit more insider/CFB game threadYeah fade this whole season pinnick that wasn’t your faultr/CFB game thread
Q4 2:19Washington State fans lament the offense's failure and Pinnick's performanceQuoted at the top of the page.Locker room will go AWOL after this This is an irredeemable situation, I really don’t know what’s nextr/CFB game thread

Fresno State’s chance to win after every play.

How to read this chart

Starts from the pregame line (Washington State -2.5), at 36% for Fresno State (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores. Under the scores, r/CFB comments per minute from fans with a Washington State or Fresno State flair (586 and 160); both sides share one scale, regulation only. A gold diamond marks a play fans were reacting to.

Every drive

Fresno State scored on 6 of its 14 drives; Washington State on 2 of its 14.

Fresno State’s drives are teal, Washington State’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.

From Washington State’s side

Washington State’s best moment: Mandal 1-yd run, fumbles (Q2 12:34). It lifted Washington State’s win chance by 13 points.

How Washington State fans took it: “I can’t believe I watched that entire game” r/CFB game thread

“How bad must our other QBs be?”

A Washington State fan

When fans got loud

Busy

Fans peaked right at the end.

Jump to the loudest stretch

The jump was busy; the crowd was steady.

Fans of both teams were loud at once in the bracketed stretch.

“I yearn for the day we can lose a game by Couging it again.”

A Washington State fan

Two crowds, one game

The words each side’s fans used far more than the other side, from the game thread.

Fresno State fans

zone“What would this game have been if our red zone play calling wasn't done by a kid from the stands?”

red“What would this game have been if our red zone play calling wasn't done by a kid from the stands?”

davis“to think this would've been even more of a roflstomp if Fresno didn't have Davis for an OC”

Both sets of fans kept coming back to: back.

Too close to call on 51% of plays.

What it cost

Fresno State’s chance to make the playoff rose from 6% to 8%.

Make the playoff

Fresno State · won6% → ▲8%

Washington State · lost1% → ▼0%

Win the conference

Fresno State · won14% → ▲19%

Washington State · lost7% → ▼3%

Before the game (October 3, 2026) → after this result, in our model.

Box score

Fresno State 26, Washington State 6

Fresno State covered +2.5 by 22.5. The total, 32, stayed under 44.5.

Team totals	Fresno State	Washington State
Total yards	375	182
Passing	24 of 33, 245 yds	21 of 34, 152 yds
Rushing	35 for 130 yds	24 for 30 yds
First downs	15	9
Third down	6 of 17	3 of 14
Fourth down	0 of 1	0 of 2
Turnovers	1	2
Penalties	6 for 46 yds	7 for 49 yds
Time of possession	35:59	24:01

Fresno State leaders

Passing Jayden Mandal 24 of 33, 245 yds
Rushing Rayshon Luke 6 for 46 yds; Jayden Mandal 9 for 27 yds
Receiving Josiah Freeman 7 for 61 yds; Ezekiel Avit 5 for 60 yds

Washington State leaders

Passing Caden Pinnick 21 of 34, 152 yds, 1 INT
Rushing Kirby Vorhees 6 for 25 yds; Maxwell Woods 5 for 15 yds
Receiving Darrius Clemons 3 for 33 yds; Daniel Blood 3 for 29 yds

No rain through the game

62° at kickoff · no rain recorded

Game-day temperatures at Gesa Field

Drag along the chart, or step through the game.

Third quarter, 9:41 left8:45 p.m.

Fresno State 13, Washington State 6 · Washington State 32% to win

no rain · 56°

Freeman 3-yd TD run, Fresno State goes ahead 13-6

Measured at Pullman/moscow Rgnl airport, 2.5 miles away. Rain is NOAA's radar-and-gauge estimate at the stadium and wind is an airport reading; neither is measured on the field. Game times come from the play-by-play, good to a minute or two. Source: National Weather Service, through the Iowa Environmental Mesonet; rain radar from NOAA MRMS, through Iowa State University. Field direction from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Before kickoff

Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.

Recent games

Last 4 games

Fresno State · 3-1

Rated 53rd in our preseason ratings, 54th now.

3-1 in its last 4 — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.

W 38-24 vs Rice #143 of 668

won by 14 as a 12.5-point favorite

W 26-10 @ San José State #133 of 668

won by 16 as a 4-point favorite

W 49-3 vs Sacramento State #130 of 668

won by 46 as a 17.5-point favorite

L 0-39 @ USCTop 25 #30 of 668

lost by 39 as a 21.5-point underdog

Last 4 games

Washington State · 1-3

Rated 43rd in our preseason ratings, 50th now.

1-3 in its last 4 — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.

L 24-34 vs ArizonaTop 25 #26 of 668

lost by 10 as an 11.5-point underdog

W 48-7 vs Duquesne #212 of 668

won by 41 as a 38.5-point favorite

L 7-34 @ Kansas State #25 of 668

lost by 27 as a 17.5-point underdog

L 10-24 @ WashingtonTop 25 #25 of 668

lost by 14 as a 23.5-point underdog

Week by week

Washington State

Wk 1Lat Washington10-24
Wk 2Lat Kansas State7-34
Wk 3Wvs Duquesne48-7
Wk 4Lvs Arizona24-34

Fresno State

Wk 1Lat USC0-39
Wk 2Wvs Sacramento State49-3
Wk 3Wat San José State26-10
Wk 4Wvs Rice38-24

Power rating by week

Washington State is rated 0.8 points ahead as of week 4. Our power rating by week; higher is better.

Matchups

Biggest mismatch: Washington State’s EPA/play against Fresno State, 59 points

Each row ranks the two sides among all teams. The longer the line, the bigger the mismatch.

Washington State’s EPA/play against Fresno State’s defense
Washington State offense, 6th percentile · Fresno State defense, 65th
Washington State’s passing EPA against Fresno State’s defense
Washington State offense, 8th percentile · Fresno State defense, 53rd
Fresno State’s explosive plays against Washington State’s defense
Fresno State offense, 59th percentile · Washington State defense, 26th

Season profile, all the rows

Season profile

Fresno StateWashington State

EPA/play, offense

EPA/play, defense

Success rate, offense

Success rate, defense

Explosive-play rate, offense

Explosive-play rate, defense

Rush EPA, offense

Rush EPA, defense

Pass EPA, offense

Pass EPA, defense

The series

Washington State leads the series 4-2

6 meetings since 1987 · Washington State won the last meeting

2024Washington State 25-17
2022 · neutral siteFresno State 29-6
1994Washington State 24-3
1992Washington State 39-37
1991Fresno State 34-30

Each line is Washington State’s chance to win through that meeting. Older meetings have no play by play, so no line.

Line, fans and home field

The betting line, and the fans

Fresno State fans are feeling it about like the typical fanbase this week (42nd among FBS fanbases), and the other side is no happier.

Washington State favored by 2.5 · Total 44.5

How games like this usually go

Washington State by 2.5, on the usual path until 13:31 left in the fourth

Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game

The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 252 games since 2025 with a favorite of under 3.5 points.

The market

The spread moved 1 point toward Washington State.

The total fell 1 point.

The books’ cut: 4.1%, the margin built into the odds

Weather at kickoff

Cool and dry. Feels like 58° at kickoff.

Fresno State at Washington State · Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026 · Gesa Field, Pullman

58°feels like at kickoff
Dryno rain at kickoff
99weather score, Comfortable

At kickoff, Oct. 3, 2026.

Weather score: 0 to 100, higher is better, for the first 3 hours and 20 minutes of the game. Ideal is 100, Comfortable 90 to 99, Mixed 75 to 89, Rough 50 to 74, Harsh under 50.

Kickoff times that Saturday

Games in this time zone used 3 kickoff times that day, local time (kickoffs within 30 minutes of each other count as one). This game is ringed.

4:30 pm: 99, Comfortable
6:30 pm: 99, Comfortable (this game)
7:30 pm: 99, Comfortable

Weather score at each kickoff time.

Tap a dot to read that kickoff time.

At kickoff, Oct. 3, 2026. Wind is not drawn here; gusts are in each score.

Home field

Washington State is worth +5.2 points (±4.0) more at home than on the road since 2018 — top third of FBS, 70th percentile.

63% at home, 34% on the road against FBS opponents (26-15 home, 15-29 away).

Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads -1.4 at home vs. away over 93 games — inside the ±6.6 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.

Night kickoff — historically worth about half a point more to the home side against the number, and not much more than that. The visitors travel about 698 miles to get here.

Where next

Conference standings

Place in the conference, then conference record.

Washington State3rd0-0
Fresno State4th0-0

Full Pac-12 standings

Fresno State beats Washington State 26-6