Fresno State QB Jake Haener has extra motivation vs. USC: 'They never gave me a chance'

Haener, 23, grew up in the Bay Area but was not recruited by the Trojans

Photo by Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Haener is one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

And he has a chip on his shoulder.

Haener, a three-star recruit out of Danville, Calif. in 2017, started his career at Washington before transferring to Fresno State as a sophomore. Since then, he has been one of the highest volume passers in the FBS and is off to a strong start this season at 369 yards per game through two games.

Haener said he wanted to play for USC growing up, but he was too small and wasn’t graded high enough as a prospect, which gives him a little extra motivation for this weekend's matchup against the Trojans.

“They never gave me a chance. Now I get to go play there and play on a big stage,” Haener said. “Nobody expects us to win. The only people who expect us to win are the people in this locker room and the people in this facility. I’m going to go prepare like I always do and play with a chip on my shoulder.”

Haener, 23, was named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and All-Mountain West quarterback prior to his final collegiate season, making him the first Fresno State player to hold the former honor since Derek Carr in 2013.

Haener threw for just under 4,100 yards and 33 touchdowns last season, leading the Bulldogs to a 10-3 record, including an impressive win over UCLA in which he recorded 455 passing yards.

He also ranks in the top 10 for several Fresno State passing records, including first in completion percentage, and is likely to jump up the list in several of those categories this season.

Fresno State is coming off a crushing 35-32 loss to Oregon State. The Bulldogs led 32-29 with 1:05 to play after Haener led them on what looked like a game-winning touchdown drive. The Beavers went 73 yards in 58 seconds, though, scoring the game-winning touchdown on the final play of the game.

"The disappointment [from last week’s loss] is definitely there," said Fresno State head coach Jeff Tedford. "We have a 24 hour rule, and we get 24 hours to grieve it, accept it and make a commitment to do what we can to get better. I am sure they will come back tomorrow, ready for practice and ready for another opportunity.”

Like Stanford, Fresno State is a team that plays up to its level of competition. Haener knows his team is the underdog this Saturday but is going to lay it on the line. 

“We have to play hard and gritty football for four quarters," Haener said. "I am going to go out there with my best foot forward. If the team knows that I am going to go out there with no fear and no regrets, it’s all that I can ask of my teammates."

But it's not just Haener the Trojans' defense will have to contain. The Bulldogs can also run the ball effectively. 

“It’s not as simple as just saying, okay, just defend the pass,” USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said. “And then a good quarterback that can not only make the throw, but extend plays, and then put it on the money every time. He kind of scrambles to throw it and scrambles to run, so now this is a real [test].”