ANOTHER BULLDOG BLOWOUT

Mathews, West, defense shine in Fresno State’s 34-3 rout of New Mexico State.

From gobulldogs.com:

The Fresno State football team improved to 4-3 and 3-1 in WAC after beating New Mexico State 34-3 on Saturday evening. Bulldog running back Ryan Mathews ran for 157 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns. He continues to lead the nation in rushing as he went over the 1,000 yard barrier. He currently has 1,131 yards, good for an average of 161.6 yards a game.

The win was highlighted by several big plays from the special teams and defense as Lorne Bell had a 17-yard interception return for a touchdown, Ben Jacobs blocked a field goal and Chastin West had an 88-yard punt return for a touchdown.

The offense racked up 410 yards of total offense and Jamel Hamler had a career night as he had 63 yards receiving on three receptions. Seyi Ajirotutu led the receiving corp with 64 yards on three receptions.

The Bulldog defense held the Aggies to 283 total yards. Ben Jacobs had 13 tackles, two being for loss. Lorne Bell had five tackles.

Saturday was the first time in three years that this game has been decided by more than a touchdown. The Bulldogs now lead the overall series 16-0.

The Bulldogs return to Bulldog Stadium on Saturday to host Utah State at 2 p.m.

BULLDOG NOTES:

Early in the second quarter Ryan Mathews surpassed the 1,000-yard mark, becoming the ninth back in the Pat Hill era to accomplish that feat. He’s the first since 2006 when Dwayne Wright rushed for 1,462 yards. Mathews leads the NCAA with 1,132 yards, an average of 161.7 per game.

Mathews had a 68-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, giving in a nation leading seven 50-plus rushing plays this season. He’s had runs of 69, 68, 68, 60, 60, 59 and 55 yards. All but the 55-yard run, which was against Wisconsin, were for touchdowns. He’s scored nine touchdowns this season.

Mathews moved into fourth place on the Bulldog career rushing list with 2,603 yards passing Dean Philpott (1954-57), who had 2,533 yards. With two tonight, he has 29 career rushing touchdowns, tied for second most in school history with Michael Pittman, Bryson Sumlin and Philpott. He needs six more rushing touchdown for the all-time record of 35 set by Anthony Daigle.

Lorne Bell’s second quarter 17-yard interception for a touchdown was the second by the Dogs this season. It was the first interception of Bell’s career. Nico Herron had a 94-yard interception return for a score against UC Davis.

Marlon Moore had a 36-yard punt return in the second quarter, which set up a Bulldog field goal to give a 10-3 lead. It was the longest return by the Dogs this season.

Fresno State’s next opponent Utah State earned a big win at home against Louisiana Tech Saturday, one week after losing a heart-breaking game to Nevada last weekend 35-32.

Bulldog Ben Jacobs picked up his fourth career blocked kick in the second quarter. Fresno State has 83 blocks in the Pat Hill era and 48 since 2002, most in the NCAA. It was the fourth blocked kick of the season for the Dogs, and third straight week. Fresno State had a school record 10 blocks in the 1999 season.

Chastin West’s 88-yard punt return for a score was his third on a return in his career. He had a punt return for a touchdown last season vs. San Jose State and kickoff return for a touchdown against Boise State in 2007. His return was 4 yards shy of the Bulldog school record of 92 yards set by Clifton Smith in 2005 vs. Weber State. The return was Fresno State’s 39th return for a score on special teams in the Pat Hill era, the 20th punt return for a touchdown.

Derek Carr completed four passes on six attempts for 57 yards on Saturday. All the numbers were season and career bests. He had a season long pass of 29 yards to Seyi Ajirotutu.

Fresno State Quotes
Head Coach Pat Hill
“Our defense and special teams played great tonight. It was a tough night running the ball. Give New Mexico State credit. They had a great game plan and really loaded the box. It was tough sledding early. Our coaches made some great adjustments in the second half and it opened up a little bit. We are able to take the pressure off by hitting some big plays in the passing game. It wasn’t Ryan’s (Colburn) best night. Some night’s a pitcher is not going to have his best stuff, but he really hit some big passes when we needed, and managed the game well.”

“I can’t say enough about our defense. They played great. I loved the goal line stands we had, especially with the young guys in there at the end of the game. There was some big-time hitting going on. It’s good to get them experience in those situations.”

“The special teams keep getting better. They didn’t bring a kickoff out past the 20 (yard line) and we had some big plays with the blocked field goal and the big returns by Chastin (West) and Marlon (Moore).”

“We played at a high level tonight like we have all season. It was a good win. We’ve won three in a row and everyone got to play for the third game in a row. We are looking forward to coming back home next week for Utah State. They are playing very well right now. I hope we have a big crowd. The fans only have two more chances to see us play at home this season.”

Quarterback Ryan Colburn
“They (NMSU) did a good job tonight. They gave us some looks we hadn’t seen on film and really stacked the box in ways we weren’t expecting. We made some adjustments though and finally got the running game going.”

“We didn’t play our best offensive game but the defense and special teams really picked us up. They played great and kept their offense off the field. The guys on defense really deserve a lot of credit.”

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HE’S GOOD, BY GEORGE

The national spotlight is creeping up on Fresno State sophomore forward Paul George. Here’s his one-on-one interview with nbadraft.net, giving you an indication that George could be a first round pick in next year’s NBA Draft. Scouts are watching. Translation: enjoy him while you still can. George and Sylvester Seay were selected as Second Team All-WAC selections.

Fresno State is picked to finish in sixth place in the preseason coaches poll and seventh in the media poll. Utah State is favored to win the conference.

http://www.nbadraft.net/node/9237

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THE TEAM TO BEAT

The Bulldog women’s basketball team is picked to have another strong season.

From gobulldogs.com:

The Fresno State women’s basketball team will have a target on its backs this season as they were picked to finish first by the coaches in the WAC. The media picked the Bulldogs second behind Louisiana Tech.

Jaleesa Ross was named to the preseason first-teams by the coaches and media while Hayley Munro earned second-team honors by the coaches and media. It is the second straight year the two players have received the recognition.

“We excited about the upcoming season,” Fresno State coach Adrian Wiggins said. “We have a talented group of players who are working hard to accomplish the goals we have. Our tough nonconference games will prepare us for conference. The teams in the league are improved this year and it should be an exciting race.”

The voting for first place in the coaches’ poll was very close as the Bulldogs had five first place votes, Louisiana Tech three and Boise State one. The Bulldogs and Lady Techsters shared the WAC regular season championship last year.

Following Boise State in third place in the coaches poll, Idaho was picked to finish fourth, New Mexico State fifth, Nevada sixth, Utah State seventh and San Jose State and Hawai’i tied for eighth.

Louisiana Tech senior Shanavia Dowdell was selected the WAC’s Preseason Player of the Year in a vote of the league’s nine head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players. Dowdell was also named the preseason WAC Player of the Year by the media.

Joining Dowdell on the first team are Tasha Harris of Boise State, Louisiana Tech’s Adrienne Johnson, Ross and New Mexico State’s Madison Spence.

Second-team selections include Munro, Yinka Olorunnife and Derisa Taleni (Idaho), Jessica Van Hoogen (Boise State) and Lydia Whitehead (Utah State).

The media picked the Lady Techsters first with 14 first place votes while the Bulldogs were picked second with six first place votes. Boise State was picked third and did get one first place votes. Idaho was picked fourth, Nevada fifth, New Mexico State sixth, Utah State seventh, Hawai’i eighth and San Jose State ninth.
First-team All-WAC honors for the media included, Dowdell, Johnson, Olorunnife, Ross and Spence. Second-team honors were Crystal Boyd (New Mexico State), Harris, Munro, Taleni and Jessica Van Hoogen from Boise State.

2009-10 Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll
Rank Teams (1st-Place Votes) Points
1 Fresno State (5) 60
2 Louisiana Tech (3) 58
3 Boise State (1) 53
4 Idaho 39
5 New Mexico State 38
6 Nevada 28
7 Utah State 24
T-8. Hawai’i 12
T-8. San Jose State 12

Preseason Coaches All-WAC Teams
First Team
Shanavia Dowdell, Sr., F, Louisiana Tech
Tasha Harris, Sr., G, Boise State
Adrienne Johnson, Jr., F, Louisiana Tech
Jaleesa Ross, Jr., G, Fresno State
Madison Spence, Jr., G, New Mexico State

Second Team
Hayley Munro, Jr., G/F, Fresno State
Yinka Olorunnife, Jr., P, Idaho
Derisa Taleni, Sr., G/P, Idaho
Jessica Van Hoogen, Sr., G, Boise State
Lydia Whitehead, Sr., C, Utah State

Preseason Player of the Year: Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech

2009-10 Preseason Women’s Basketball Media Poll
Rank Teams (1st-Place Votes) Points
1 Louisiana Tech (14) 180
2 Fresno State (6) 167
3 Boise State (1) 136
4 Idaho 114
5 Nevada 104
6 New Mexico State 100
7 Utah State 72
8 Hawai’i 46
9 San Jose State 26

Preseason All-WAC Teams
First Team
Shanavia Dowdell, Sr., F, Louisiana Tech
Adrienne Johnson, Jr., F, Louisiana Tech
Yinka Olorunnife, Jr., P, Idaho
Jaleesa Ross, Jr., G, Fresno State
Madison Spence, Jr., G, New Mexico State

Second Team
Crystal Boyd, New Mexico State
Tasha Harris, Sr., G, Boise State
Hayley Munro, Jr., G/F, Fresno State
Derisa Taleni, Sr., G/P, Idaho
Jessica Van Hoogen, Sr., G, Boise State

Player of the Year: Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech

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AND THE BEAT GOES ON

Ryan Mathews rushes for 233 yards in Fresno State’s 41-21 win over San Jose State.

From The Associated Press:

Ryan Mathews ran for 233 yards and Ryan Colburn threw two touchdown passes as Fresno State defeated San Jose State 41-21 on Saturday night.

Mathews’ night, which ended after three quarters, included a 59-yard touchdown that highlighted the Bulldogs’ 24-point second quarter. It was the junior’s sixth straight game with 100 or more yards. Mathews needs just 26 more yards to reach the 1,000 yard mark.

“”You saw the holes the O-line opened up,” said Mathews. “It was all their work today. They did a good job of getting all my runs in. I owe all my work to them.”

Fresno State (3-3, 2-1 Western Athletic Conference) scored 34 unanswered points after San Jose State (1-5, 0-2) took an early 14-7 lead.

“We just have to worry about next week,” Colburn said, when asked if he thought the Bulldogs could start a long win streak. “There are some good teams in the WAC this year. If we’re not careful, we’ll get bit.”

Lamon Muldrow had 73 rushing yards for the Spartans, and quarterback Jordan La Secla completed 17 of 27 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Bolstered by a strong ground game, Colburn completed 7 of 12 passes for 117 yards before giving way to backups Ebahn Feathers and Derek Carr. Feathers threw the first touchdown pass of his Bulldog career, finding Marlon Moore for a four yard score in the fourth quarter.

VSP’s George Takata added to this story.

MATHEWS GAME BY GAME:
vs. UC Davis: 106 yards, 1 TD
vs. Wisconsin: 107 yards, 0 TD
vs. Boise State: 234 yards, 3 TD
vs. Cincinnati: 145 yards, 1 TD
vs. Hawaii: 149 yards, 1 TD
vs. San Jose State: 233 yards, 1 TD
TOTAL: 974 yards, 7 TD
NEXT: At New Mexico State Saturday, Oct. 24th, 7:15 pm

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IT’S BULLDOG… BASEBALL… SEASON?

Fall ball is under way at Beiden Field.

From gobulldogs.com:

FRESNO, Calif. – The temperatures have dropped and the leaves are changing colors, both signs that fall is upon us. With the changing of the seasons comes the beginning of fall practices for the Fresno State baseball team. Fall ball practices and scrimmages officially started on Oct. 2.

“We had a great first week of practice which included our first two scrimmages,” said head coach Mike Batesole. “We have some very interesting battles for playing time in full swing. We have had several top 25 recruiting classes, but our 2009 class was our best. We have added to that an excellent 2010 class and don’t forget, we have a few veterans remaining from our 2008 National Championship team (Danny Muno, Steve Detwiler, Jake Johnson, Jordan Ribera, Trent Soares, Sean Bonesteele, Gene Escat, Nick Hom). This has made our scrimmages exciting as the battle to be in the opening day lineup has begun.”

Last season the Bulldogs finished third in the WAC and went on to win their fourth consecutive WAC Tournament Title. The ‘Dogs earned their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament; they were the fourth seed in the toughest regional in the country at UC Irvine. They faced UC Irvine and San Diego State.

With the loss to San Diego State and the season at an end, the Bulldogs said good bye to one of the most decorated senior classes in program history. In their four years at Fresno State, Gavin Hedstrom, Holden Sprague and Danny Grubb finished each season at an NCAA Regional. They won four WAC League and Tournament Titles. The three seniors helped win the program’s first National Championship and left the program with an overall record of 162-108.

Fresno State also said good bye to one of the best third baseman to come through the program. Tom Mendonca rewrote the record books in his final year as a Bulldog. He was named an All-American by five different publications, named WAC Player of the Year and was drafted in the second round by the Texas Rangers.

The Bulldogs had four players earn first-team All-WAC honors. Muno, Sprague, Dusty Robinson and Mendonca were voted by the WAC coaches. Batesole has coached 27 first-team All-WAC players. Robinson became the latest No. 27 to earn All-American honors. He was named freshman All-American by four publications.

Fresno State had three players taken in the 2009 Major League Draft, Mendonca to the Rangers in the second round, Alan Ahmady to the Cardinals in the 11th round and Sprague to the Marlins in the 28th round. Batesole has had 64 former players move on to the next level.

The Bulldogs kick off the 2010 season in February.

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RUN FOR FUN

Fresno State runs all over Hawaii 42-17 for win number one in conference play.

From gobulldogs.com and The Associated Press:

Ryan Mathews, one of the nation’s leading running backs, rushed for 149 yards and scored a touchdown as Fresno State beat Hawaii 42-17 in a rainy rout Saturday in Aloha Stadium.

It was the second win in the last three games at Aloha Stadium for the Bulldogs, who have not had much success against Hawaii in Honolulu. It was just the third win since 1965.

The Bulldogs scored the first 21 points of the game before UH answered with a field goal. The Dogs added 21 more points to take a 42-3 lead into the fourth quarter. It was one of the worst WAC home losses for the Warriors in recent history.

Fresno State quarterback Ryan Colburn threw two touchdown passes and completed 12 of 14 pass attempts for 120 yards for the Bulldogs (2-3, 1-1 Western Athletic Conference).

Mathews entered the game averaging 148 running yards a contest, the second-most in the nation. He exceeded his average by one yard.

Hawaii (2-3, 0-2) broke its seven-quarter streak without a touchdown when Jon Medeiros recovered Greg Salas’ fumble in the end zone in the fourth quarter.

Third-string quarterback Bryant Moniz, making his first career start after Greg Alexander suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Warriors’ previous game, threw for 283 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.

POSTGAME NOTES AND QUOTES

HEAD COACH PAT HILL: That was a big win. Not many teams have been able to win like that over here. I’m really happy with our team. It was a total team effort. We played well in all three phases. Out specials teams sparked us for that first touchdown. That was a big play.”

“We are able to run the ball pretty well. We have some good backs and our line does a great job. It was a very efficient game offensively.”

“Ryan Mathews is a big-time player, we know that. He’s really playing well right now.”

“We are pleased to get a win. This was a must win game for both teams. Their back was against the wall and they battled all night. For three quarters, we were able to dominate the game.”

BULLDOG NOTES:

This win is Fresno State’s second in the last three games at Aloha Stadium and just the third since 1965.

The Dogs took the series lead from the Warriors, with a 21-20-1 all-time lead in the series.

Pat Hill became the second coach in Bulldog history to earn two wins at Hawaii. He joined Clark Van Galder (1955 & 1957) as the only coaches to win twice in Honolulu.

Fresno State’s three turnovers in a game are the most in three seasons.

Andrew Jackson got his third career blocked kicked when he smothered a field goal attempt by Scott Enos. Ben Jacobs returned the block 48 yards to the UH 8-yard line. Lonyae Miller scored two plays later to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead. It was Miller’s 18th career rushing touchdown.

The blocked kick by Jackson was Fresno State’s 81st in the Pat Hill era, second this season. The Dogs have 46 blocks since 2002, most in the nation during that time. The previous field goal block came last season against Boise State. Devon Wylie blocked a punt in the season opener, giving the Dogs two total on the season.

Junior Ryan Mathews scored his 28th career touchdown in the first quarter on a touchdown run on the left side. He is tied for fifth-most in Bulldog history and has done it in 23 career games.

Mathews tied Wendell Mathis’s school record for most consecutive 100-yard rushing games in a season with five. He had 149, one more than his season average. He entered the game ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in rushing.

Senior center Richard Pacheco earned his second career start, replacing Joe Bernardi, who had started 16 straight game for the Dogs.

Junior Chris Carter had a first quarter sack against Bryant Moniz, his fourth of the season. He entered the game with a WAC-high three quarterback sacks.

Junior quarterback Ryan Colburn played his best game, completing 12-of-14 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns of 17 yards each. His passing efficiency rating for the game was 204.86.

Senior Moses Harris’ second career interception came at a good time, as he picked off Bryant Moniz in the end zone to stop a UH drive early in the second quarter. It was the second of his career. His previous interception came in the 2007 season against Kansas State.

Devon Wylie’s second quarter touchdown reception from Ryan Colburn was his third of the season. He leads the team.

Freshman Robbie Rouse scored his first career touchdown in the third quarter on a 38-yard run around the left side. It was his longest run of the season. He added his second touchdown later on a 16-yard run.

Jacobs got his first career interception in the game in the third quarter, stopping a UH drive that has just moved to Fresno State’s side of the field.

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GOTTA HAVE IT

The Fresno State football team is in a must-win situation tonight at Hawaii.

By George Takata
VSP Senior Writer:

Sometimes life is super simple. For the Fresno State football team, it doesn’t get more simple than this.

If the Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1 WAC) want to have a shot at a conference championship, provided that Boise State stumbles along the way, they have to beat Hawaii (2-2, 0-1 WAC) tonight in Honolulu. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. from Aloha Stadium.

“It’s a must-win, definitely,” said Bulldogs wide receiver Marlon Moore. “Every game is a must-win but we really need this one.”

This will be Fresno State’s fourth consecutive game playing in a different time zone. Games at Wisconsin (central time zone), Fresno (pacific), Cincinnati (eastern), and now Hawaii are a huge chunk of the most mileage logged by any college football team this year. An 0-2 hole in the WAC would be devastating, especially for a team that has hung in there against top ten competition.

“Both teams are coming off tough losses,” Bulldogs head coach Pat Hill said. We’ll see a much different Hawaii team Saturday. We’re going to get their best shot. It’s going to be a tough football game.”

Hawaii lost at Louisiana Tech 27-6 last week. Fresno State is coming off of a bitter 28-20 loss at Cincinnati two weeks ago and haven’t defeated Hawaii since 2005, a 27-13 win on the island.

Fresno State is licking their chops at the thought of running the ball. Hawaii surrendered 352 rushing yards to Louisiana Tech last week, and the Bulldogs boast the nation’s number two running back in Ryan Mathews, who averages 148 yards a game. Fresno State averages 275 yards rushing a game, third best in the nation.

Another sidebar to this matchup is at quarterback, where former Fresno City College signal caller Bryant Moniz takes over as the starter for the Warriors after Greg Alexander was lost last week to a season ending knee injury. As fate would have it, Moniz will make his first career division one start against Fresno State. Moniz was the Rams’ quarterback in 2007. He threw for 2,268 yards and 18 touchdowns for Fresno City.

“It’s exciting,” said Moniz, a Hawaii native (O’ahu). “I was just ten minutes away from their school, now I’m an ocean and miles away. I’m looking forward to it.”

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BULLDOGS TAKE THEIR TIME, STILL LOSE TO #14 BEARCATS

Fresno State keeps Cincinnati’s high octane offense off the field but still loses 28-20.

From the Associated Press, gobulldogs.com, and gobearcats.com:

The Fresno State football team wanted to keep one of the nations leading offenses off the field. The strategy nearly was successful as the Fresno State offense was on the football field for 43:42 compared to 16:18 for No. 14 Cincinnati (4-0). Despite the time of possession difference the Bearcats still pulled out a 28-20 victory on Saturday afternoon at Nippert Stadium.

Ryan Mathews carried the ball a career-high 38 times for 145 yards, topping the 100-yard mark for the fourth straight game. He was the Bowl Subdivision’s leading rusher coming in, averaging 149 yards per game. His ability to find holes behind 270-pound fullback Reynard Camp kept Cincinnati on the defensive all game.

Fresno State had the fourth-best running game in the nation, and showed it wouldn’t be pushed around by churning out a 17-play drive that took more than eight minutes in the second quarter. Ryan Colburn’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Jamel Hamler – uncovered in the middle of the field – cut it to 21-17 with 7 seconds left before halftime.

The Bulldogs had 443 yards of total offense to 357 for Cincinnati. Fresno State grounded out 290 yards on the ground. Colburn passed for 153 yards, one touchdown and had one interception.

The Bulldogs had a chance to take the lead in the third quarter as they had the ball on the Cincinnati six-yard line but on a fourth-and-two from the Bearcat six-yardline, quarterback Ryan Colburn was intercepted, ending a 14 play. 59 yard and 7:34 drive.

Cincinnati’s offense had the ball for only one minute in the third quarter – a three-and-out drive that put the whole burden on the defense. Linebacker Craig Carey’s first career interception on Fresno State’s pivotal fourth-down pass helped the Bearcats improve to 25-0 under coach Brian Kelly when they open the fourth quarter with a lead.

Mardy Gilyard also caught an 11-yard touchdown pass in another career day. The senior receiver and returner had nine catches for a career-best 177 yards, giving him eight touchdowns in four games.

The Bearcats’ no-huddle offense needed only 2:12, 1:43, 2:53 and 1:45 to zip down the field for its touchdowns, giving the defense little rest. The game was in the hands of that tired crew after Fresno State got the ball back at its 7-yard line following a punt with 3:55 to go.

Fresno State had one last shot to tie the game as they drove to the Cincinnati 38-yard line thanks to a Lonyae Miller 33-yard run. But the hopes for an upset victory ended when Colburn’s fourth-down pass from the Cincinnati 37 was broken up by safety Aaron Webster with 39 seconds left, clinching it.

POSTGAME NOTES AND QUOTES

Bulldogs Head Coach Pat Hill: “This was a tough loss. We came in here with a good game plan and for the most part were pretty successful at doing what we wanted. We kept their offense off the field. They are a heck of a team and really are explosive on offense. We gave up a few big plays, but for the most part we did a good job. To hold a team like that to 28 points at home and 350 total yards is a good effort by our defense.”

“We had our chances like we have the last two games. I feel so bad for the guys in that locker room. They have worked hard and played hard and deserve to have some success.”

“This has been a tough stretch. Nobody else has played two games on the east coast, and we are playing against some really good teams. The break comes at a good time for us. We can get some rest and get ready for another tough road trip to Hawaii.”

On considering kicking a field goal on their final fourth down instead: “Whether to kick a field goal or not was a big thought at the moment, but we thought we could score on fourth and two and take the lead. There are no guarantees you’re going to get the ball back down there, and I’d already gone for it on fourth and one on three other occasions. That was a long fourth and two, but we thought we had a play. I think when we look at the film, we’ll have a guy running right up the shoot, and we just didn’t hit him.”

On RB Ryan Mathews: “He’s the leading rusher in the nation, so we’re going to work him. We’ve got a real good running back at Fresno State, so don’t miss out on that fact, and he hasn’t been playing against I-AA teams. We’re going to run him, and he’s our horse. In this game, we needed to run the ball a lot more than pass it. You’ve got to run the ball against a seven-man front, and we did. It’s hard to throw against two-deep, so we ran the ball, it played right into our hands, they couldn’t stop the run, and we controlled the clock.”

Cincinnati Head Coach Brian Kelly: “Fresno State is a really good football team. They conducted the game exactly the way they wanted. We had 39 snaps going into the fourth quarter. I thought it was unfortunate for us we got one possession in the fourth quarter to close out the game. We didn’t manage it well. It was a tough physical football game. We knew that coming in. I think Pat Hill and Fresno State are a good team, and I’m glad they aren’t in the BIG EAST. I’m really happy with the win. It makes us 25-0 going into the fourth quarter with a lead. It says a little but about our resolve and the way our kids play.”

On Making In-Game Adjustments: “The margin of error was shrinking. I had really had to question if we had not held them to a field goal, we may have had to change the way we played defense. We doubled up on the offense, and we started a wide receiver at corner back. We are really banged up at the back end of our defense. We play equal numbers in the box. I knew it was going to be a grind. I was hoping to get out early. Every time we touched the ball, we knew we would have to do something because there wasn’t much margin of error.”

On Ryan Mathews: “He ranks up with some of the players in the NFL. He has the explosiveness of LeSean McCoy. To play the schedule they play. That is a Top 25 football team. He is a pretty exceptional football player. If he was on our football team, you wouldn’t be hearing a lot about Mardy Gilyard.”

On the defensive performance: “We did it the way we wanted them to play. It is a long season, and you have to pick your spots. You have to keep putting W’s on the board. The storyline, if we lose this football game, it would be because we gave up big plays. I was not going to give up big plays to Fresno State.”

BULLDOG NOTES:

The Dogs made their 27th appearance in a BCS Conference stadium, second in as many years in a Big East venue.

Ryan Mathew’s second quarter rushing touchdown was his 25th in his brilliant career, which ties Dale Messer for 10th all-time in Bulldog history. Mathews wears No. 21, which is the same number Messer wore and was retired follow his career in 1960. After meeting Mathews, he granted him permission to wear the number.

Mathews surpassed the 2,000-yard rushing mark in his career. He has 2,081 yards for his career.

Mathews had a career-high 38 carries in the game, one shy of the school record. He entered the game leading the NCAA in rushing yards, 149.0 yards per game. After the Cincinnati game, he has 592 yards for an average of 148.0 and 6.8 yards per carry.

Jamel Hamler scored his first career touchdown with a 21-yard reception from Ryan Colburn with 7 seconds remaining in the second quarter. That capped a 17-play drive of 80-yards and lasted 8:48. It was the longest scoring drive of the season as far as number of plays and time consumed. He finished with a career-high 47 yards on four catches.

The Dogs wore solid red uniforms on the road for the first time in the Pat Hill era, as Cincinnati as the home team had the option and chose to wear all white uniforms to coincide with the WHITEOUT at Nippert Stadium.

Sophomore kicker Kevin Goessling made a 49-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, the seventh of his career of 40-yards or more. It was his second-longest in his short career. He made a school-record 58-yard kick against Utah State as a freshman. He made two field goals in the game and has made five of six this season, and 12 of his last 14 dating back to the 2008 season.

The Bulldogs held possession of the ball today for 43:42 in today’s game, the first time they had a 40-plus minute game since beating Kansas State (Nov. 24, 2007).

The Dogs are now 6-19 against Top 25-ranked teams this decade, having played 18 of those games on the road.

The Dogs three losses this season are to teams that are a combined 11-0, with two ranked in the Top 15 nationally.

The Dogs have played nationally-ranked teams in back to back game for the first time since 2007.

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W-O-R-K IN CINCINNATI

The Bulldogs will have their hands full against #14 Cincinnati.

By George Takata
VSP Senior Writer:

Two consecutive heartbreaking losses, and what does the doctor order for Fresno State to try to get back on the winning track? A game at #14 Cincinnati tomorrow for another 9 a.m. pacific time kickoff. The Bearcats, much like the Bulldogs, have an explosive offense. Heads will swivel back and forth like it’s a tennis match. Cincinnati averages 48.3 points a game (4th in the nation) compared to the Bulldogs’ 38.7 (20th in the nation).

“We’re busy preparing for arguably the best offensive team we’ve seen in quite some time in Fresno,” Bearcats head coach Brian Kelly said. “We will be challenged against Fresno State defensively more than I can remember.”

That’s for sure. The Bearcats have 10 new starters on defense.

“It’s going to be a shootout,” Bulldogs wide receiver Seji Ajirotutu said. “We’ve proven for the last three games that we’re explosive, but you have to prove it every Saturday.”

The Bearcats bombed Rutgers 47-15 and Southwest Missouri State 70-3 before going on the road to beat Oregon State 28-18. Quarterback Tony Pike has completed an impressive 71 percent of his throws for 923 yards and eight touchdowns. Wideout Mardy Gilyard, a big play threat who Bulldogs head coach Pat Hill calls one of the best receivers his team will face all year, already has 23 receptions for 265 yards and four scores. Fresno State counters those impressive numbers with the nation’s leading rusher in Ryan Mathews (447 yards in three games with four touchdowns).

Translation: you’ll miss something if you leave your living room.

“This will be a great challenge for us, “Hill said. “We’ll get another shot at a big time football game. We need to play at a peak level for the third straight week. Cincinnati’s an outstanding team.”

“They have a very good offense,” understated Bulldogs defensive end Chris Carter. “They stay in the ‘empty’ a lot, which means that they keep a lot of wide receivers outside the box. We’re just going to try and take advantage of it and get as much pressure on the quarterback as possible.”

Order can be restored with a win and confidence would soar.

“A win would definitely give us more momentum going throughout the season, so it’s something we can definitely use,” Carter said. “We’re a confident group already, but more confidence wouldn’t hurt anybody.”

“This week at Cincinnati people will want to turn that thing on,” Hill said. “This one’s gonna be a big time hitting game too.”

That is, if anyone from either defense is able to make some big plays of their own.

GAME 411:
Fresno State (1-2) vs. (14) Cincinnati (3-0)
Kickoff: 9 a.m. Saturday, September 26th
Stadium: Nippert Stadium (35,000)
Surface: Field Turf

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DOGHOUSE GRILLED

Fresno State rallies from a 24-3 deficit, but falls short to Boise State once again.

From The Associated Press:

Jeremy Avery and Titus Young made sure Boise State had the answers to every big play Fresno State delivered.

Avery had three plays of longer than 60 yards and Young scored two touchdowns, providing just some of the many highlight-reel plays in the 10th-ranked Broncos’ 51-34 victory Friday night.

Avery scored on a 67-yard swing pass to break the game open in the fourth quarter and Young provided perhaps the biggest play of all, diving on Avery’s fumble in the end zone to complete a 75-yard score as Boise State (3-0, 1-0) won for the 57th time in its past 59 Western Athletic Conference games.

Few were as entertaining as this one. The Broncos broke out to a 24-3 lead then had to scramble to win and keep alive its hopes for making it back to a Bowl Championship Series game.

“We knew we had to answer back as an offense,” said Avery, who gained 269 yards from scrimmage. “We didn’t let it get to us. We knew we had a high-powered offense and could do the same thing. We gathered our troops and we all clicked. When we all clicked there was no stopping us.”

Fresno State (1-2, 0-1) got three touchdown runs of at least 60 yards from Ryan Mathews but again fell short against a ranked team, losing for the 10th straight time against teams in the Top 25. The skid started with a 50-42 loss to No. 1 Southern California in 2005. This game provided the appropriate bookend.

With the Friday night stage to themselves, Boise State and Fresno State provided enough big plays to last the weekend. The Broncos had two 77-yard kickoff returns, an interception return for a touchdown, a 60-yard touchdown run by D.J. Harper, and the big plays from Avery.

“A lot of playmakers making plays out there,” said Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, who threw three touchdown passes. “Good running backs on both sides making plays out of nothing and breaking tackles here and there.”

The first of Avery’s plays came on a long run that appeared to be bound for the end zone. But A.J. Jefferson poked the ball loose just before Avery scored. With the ball rolling toward the back of the end zone for an apparent touchback and Boise State turnover, Young made a diving recovery before sliding out of bounds for the score that made it 34-24.

Avery then answered a Fresno State score with the long screen pass that restored a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter and he added a 69-yard run that set up a field goal. Avery finished with 186 yards on 11 carries, with 83 more yards receiving.

Fresno State had plenty of big plays of its own, starting with the touchdown runs of 69, 60 and 68 yards by Mathews. Chastin West made a leaping 41-yard catch that was nearly an interception as Brandyn Thompson tried to wrestle the ball away and Devon Wylie made an acrobatic 21-yard touchdown catch from Ryan Colburn on the next play.

Boise State appeared to pull away with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Moore to Austin Pettis in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, making it 41-27. But Mathews answered with his 68-yard run, part of a 234-yard night.

Then one play after Marvin Haynes dropped a potential interception for Fresno State, Avery took Moore’s screen pass all the way for the third touchdown in the first 2 minutes of the fourth quarter, making it 48-34.

“Every time we closed the gap, Boise, to their credit, would make a big play,” Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. “When it looked like we would have a chance to get the ball back, bang, they’d make a play.”

The rout appeared to be on early for Boise State. Winston Venable returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the game. The Broncos added a field goal by Kyle Brotzman and the long run by Harper to make it 17-0 before Fresno State even managed a first down. Harper finished with 107 yards rushing before leaving with an undisclosed injury.

That extended Boise State’s run of consecutive points against Fresno State to 68, dating to late in the second quarter of last year’s 61-10 Broncos’ victory. The lead grew to 24-3 before Mathews single-handedly brought the Bulldogs back with two long touchdowns that cut Boise State’s halftime lead to 24-17.

“When you can’t control the run game, it’s not a good feeling,” Broncos coach Chris Petersen said. “We had that going on for both sides. We had guys in position, we just didn’t tackle well. That’s the bottom line. We’re really fortunate we could miss tackles like that, give up that many yards and points and still come up with the `W.”

THIS AND THAT: Both teams combined for 987 total yards. The Bulldogs had 507 of them… Colburn finished the night 14-29 for 187 yards, 1 TD and 2 picks… Boise State has scored a combined 112 points against the Bulldogs in their last two meetings… Hill drops to 1-8 all-time vs. Boise State… Both teams wore the late Dan Brown’s initials on their helmets. Brown was Fresno State’s long-time defensive coordinator and a Boise State alum… Fresno State’s next game is on the road against 17th ranked Cincinnati Saturday, September 26th, a 9 a.m. kickoff Fresno time.

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