Recap: Fresno State vs. San Diego St

Fresno, CA (Sports Network) - Derek Carr threw for a career-high 536 and five touchdowns as the Fresno State Bulldogs defeated the San Diego State Aztecs, 52-40, in Mountain West Conference action at Bulldog Stadium.

Carr completed 42-of-56 passes for the Bulldogs (3-2, 1-0 MWC) as they won their conference opener and the second time in the last three outings overall. Rashad Evans accounted for 10 catches for 100 yards and three touchdowns and Josh Harper nine receptions for 120 and a score, giving FSU a pair of receivers with at least 100 yards in the same game for the 14th time in program history. Robbie Rouse, who entered the contest averaging 129.3 ypg rushing, put up 70 yards and two touchdowns on 21 attempts.

The Aztecs (2-3, 0-1) were led by Adam Muema who ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns as the team bowed for the second time in as many games. Quarterback Ryan Katz converted 13-of-23 passes for 160 yards and two scores, but he was also picked off three times and sacked five by the FSU defense.

San Diego State moved out to a 14-0 lead in the first six minutes thanks to a five-yard TD run by Muema and an interception by Eric Pinkins that was returned 32 yards for a score.

On the ensuing possession the Bulldogs cut their deficit in half as Rouse crossed the goal line from one yard out.

A 27-yard touchdown run by Muema with under one minute remaining in the first quarter boosted the SDSU lead to 21-7.

The Bulldogs owned the second quarter however, ripping off 27 straight points beginning with another one-yard TD run by Rouse. Carr then threw a 37-yard TD pass to Harper and scoring strikes of nine and eight yards to Evans to give the hosts a 34-21 edge.

The Aztecs stopped the bleeding when Katz found D.J. Shields with a five-yard TD pass, but the PAT was not only blocked, it was returned by Charles Washington the length of the field to give the Bulldogs another two points.

Coming out of the half and trailing by a 36-27 score, Katz combined with Brice Butler on an eight-yard TD pass play. Just over two minutes later Leon McFadden put the Aztecs back on top, 40-36, when he raced 96 yards with an interception, but a two-point conversion attempt kept the difference at just four points.

Midway through the third quarter Carr found Isaiah Burse with a 31-yard TD pass to give the lead back to FSU at 43-40. Quentin Breshears knocked through a 27-yard field goal later in the period and Carr finished off the night's scoring with a five-yard TD toss to Evans at the 6:50 mark of the fourth quarter.

San Diego State allowed 655 yards to the Bulldogs, a far cry from the 386.5 ypg the team was giving up coming into the weekend.

Phillip Thomas, who had three interceptions against Colorado a few weeks back, picked off a pair of passes versus San Diego State tonight and now the Bulldogs have a total of 11 INTs in the first five games.

Carr became the fourth Bulldog quarterback in school history to reach the 500- yard passing plateau and is the first since his brother, David, generated 531 yards against Michigan State in 2001. It was also the sixth time in MWC history that a quarterback has thrown for at least 500 yards.