WAC rundown Week 7

Boise State (6-0, 1-0) 28, Tulsa (4-2, 2-0) 21
Wednesday

Nevada (2-3, 1-0) @ Utah State (1-4, 0-1)
Saturday, noon, ESPN 360
Last week: Nevada 37, Louisiana Tech 14 / New Mexico State 20, Utah State 17
OK, so maybe the Aggies aren't anywhere near where we thought they were when they played some tough Utah and BYU teams close early in the season. A loss to New Mexico State is a joke. And Nevada is catching fire at a bad, bad time for Utah State.
Prediction: Nevada

New Mexico State (3-3, 1-1) @ Louisiana Tech (2-3, 1-1)
Saturday, 1 p.m.
Last week: New Mexico State 20, Utah State 17 / Nevada 37, Louisiana Tech 14
New Mexico State has about three times more wins than I though it would. Last week was quite surprising. But this La Tech defense is going to get after 'em like no one has this season and put 'em back in place.
Prediction: Louisiana Tech

Hawaii (2-3, 0-2) @ Idaho (5-1, 2-0)
Saturday, 2 p.m., ESPN 360
Last week: Fresno State 42, Hawaii 17 / Idaho 29, San Jose State 25
I finally went with Idaho last week and it worked out, but where does this stop? It's a classic case of a team that's really not all that talented gaining an avalanche of confidence as it keeps rolling downhill over its opponents. But the Warriors can't be confident at all right now, despite great success in Moscow in recent years. Still, let's go out on a limb and disrespect the Vandals again.
Prediction: Hawaii

San Jose State (1-4, 0-1) @ Fresno State (2-3, 1-1)
Saturday, 7 p.m.
Last week: Fresno State 42, Hawaii 17 / Idaho 29, San Jose State 25
The Bulldogs' offense is screaming through the schedule, and it's near impossible to imagine a repeat of when these two teams met last year and Fresno State had just 58 yards passing. The Spartans, though, are in desparate need of a victory of any kind after losing at home to Idaho last week. But with a big talent differential and Fresno State having won 14 of the last 15 match-ups, it's tough to imagine anything different.
Prediction: Fresno State

Game Preview: Fresno State (1-0) at Wisconsin (1-0)

Quarterbacks
Edge: Even
It was a little strange that junior Ryan Colburn (6-3, 220) played less than two full quarters in his first-ever start, but he looked adequate while he was in there, connecting on 5 of 9 passes for 161 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown pass. Colburn’s only previous career action was at Oregon in 2007 though, so he does have some exposure to hostile road environments. Make no mistake redshirt freshman Ebahn Feathers (6-0, 210) will be used as a change of pace. In his first-ever series, toward the end of the second quarter, Feathers led the Bulldogs downfield, finishing the drive with a 30-yard option keeper of his own for a touchdown. True freshman Derek Carr (6-3, 190), younger brother of David Carr, was 2 of 2 for 37 yards, but it’s unclear whether he’ll play this Saturday.


Wisconsin will show the ‘Dogs a completely different look this season with junior Scott Tolzien (6-3, 205), who’s 257 passing yards in last week’s win over Northern Illinois were the most ever for a Badgers quarterback making his debut. Tolzien was an efficient 15 of 20, but tossed two interceptions compared to one touchdown. Like Fresno State, the Badgers have a change-of-pace signal caller in redshirt freshman Curt Phillips (6-3, 228), who led two series last week while completing 3 of 5 passes for 24 yards and running four times for 34 yards. In last year’s 13-10 win in Fresno, now-departed Allan Evridge took all but one snap for Wisconsin, with senior Dustin Sherer (6-3, 220) taking the other. Sherer took over the starting job midway through last season, but lost it to Tolzien this year.



Running Backs
Edge: Bulldogs
Before the season started, this looked like the one game on Fresno State’s schedules where the opponent’s running backs might match up. But that was before we saw what an impact true freshman Robbie Rouse (5-7, 185) could make. He rushed 10 times for 75 yards and a score in his first collegiate game – as the fourth-stringer. Junior Ryan Mathews (5-11, 220) is the most talented back on either team, and ran for 106 yards on 11 carries in the opener, including a 60-yard touchdown. Sprinkle in seniors Lonyae Miller (5-11, 220) and Anthony Harding (6-0, 220) and the Bulldogs’ backs are twice as deep as Wisconsin’s. Miller added 50 yards in the opener, and Harding didn’t get a carry, but led the team with 822 yards rushing last season.


As is usually the case with Wisconsin, its running game presents the biggest challenge for opponents. Much ballyhooed P.J. Hill, who battled his way to 112 yards against the ‘Dogs last year, is gone, but the guys stepping into featured roles might be even better. That’s definitely the case with sophomore John Clay (6-1, 248), a big, powerful runner who runs straight into contact and keeps churning. Clay tallied just 14 of his 884 yards last season against Fresno State, but it was just his second collegiate game. Now he brings the experience of a 5.7 yards per carry average and nine touchdowns. And junior Zach Brown (5-10, 210) presents another hefty challenge. Brown had 305 yards and three touchdowns in 2008 on 5.5 yards per carry. The two combined for just 94 yards on 29 carries last week, but don’t let take away from the fact they are flat-out talented.



Receivers
Edge: Bulldogs
The Bulldogs have more weapons and more experience, and got off to an even better start than Wisconsin with senior Marlon Moore’s (6-1, 190) 92-yard touchdown reception. Senior Seyi Ajirotutu (6-4, 210) presents matchup problems for Wisconsin, as does junior Devon Wylie (5-9, 170). Ajirotutu had three catches for 57 yards in the opener. Wylie burned the Badgers on a 47-yard catch and run up the gut last season. A weapon the Badgers didn’t have to deal with last year was redshirt sophomore Jamel Hamler (6-2, 205), who had the Bulldogs’ first catch of the young season for 20 yards.


With the passing game somewhat of a weak spot for the Badgers last season, the tight ends were the keys. Travis Beckum is gone, but senior Garrett Graham (6-3, 250) returns after leading the team with 40 catches, 540 yards and five touchdowns last season. Heading into the season he was thought to be the X-factor of the unit, but that may have changed with last week’s emergence of junior Isaac Anderson (5-10, 177) as a deep threat. He had three catches for 100 yards in the opener, including an 80-yard touchdown and also rushed for a 23-yard score. Anderson and sophomore Nick Toon (6-3, 212), who had five catches for 72 yards last week, could both be poised for breakout years. Junior David Gilreath (5-11, 170) is one of the team’s fastest players, but didn’t get a reception in the opener. Last year, Gilreath led Wisconsin wideouts with 31 catches for 520 yards and three scores.


Offensive Line
Edge: Even
Fresno State averaged 7.9 yards per play last week – and you don’t do that without good play from the line. Again though, it’s hard to tell how good the unit is against lesser competition. Wisconsin will definitely give a better idea. The Bulldogs didn’t allow any sacks, as the pass blocking held up even better than expected. Sophomore right tackle Kenny Wiggins (6-7, 310) looks to have replaced Bobby Lepori as the team’s enforcer. Junior right guard Andrew Jackson (6-5, 295) will likely be the best lineman on the field.


Wisconsin announced some bad news Thursday, releasing that junior center John Moffitt (6-5, 320), on the preseason watch list for the Lombardi and Riminigton trophies, will likely miss Saturday’s game with lingering effects of a pectoral injury. Moffitt also missed the opener, allowing Travis Frederick (6-4, 336) to become the first true freshman offensive lineman to start a season opener in Badgers history. Junior right guard Bill Nagy also missed the opener with injury, and was replaced by sophomore Kevin Zeitler (6-4, 317) – the smallest Badgers starter. Junior left tackle Gabe Carimi (6-7, 325) is an All-Big 10 candidate, and sophomore tackle Josh Oglesby (6-7, 330) adds similar size on the other side. Junior left guard Jake Bscherer (6-7, 310) fills out a unit that could cause trouble for the Bulldogs in the middle, but might have trouble keeping up with Fresno State’s speedy edge rush from the ends.



Defensive Line
Edge: Even
It’s difficult to get a good gauge on this group against UC Davis, but the pressure on the quarterback was nonstop – pretty much the polar opposite of 2008. Junior end Chris Carter (6-2, 230) and redshirt sophomore end Kenny Borg (6-3, 245) will be tough for Wisconsin to block if the big nasties can’t catch up to their edge speed. The bigger question for the ‘Dogs is how will the interior hold up against the north-south running game? Junior Chris Lewis (6-3, 260) will be greatly undersized, but his strength should level the playing field somewhat. Junior Cornell Banks (6-3, 300) might be a better option in this one.


While most of the Badgers’ defensive front it unproven, the one guy who stole Pat Hill’s attention on film this week is senior end O’Brien Schofield (6-3, 248), who tied for the team lead with five sacks in his first season as a starter in 2008. Though Schofield had just one tackle against the ‘Dogs last year, it was for a 9-yard loss. Sophomore end J.J. Watt (6-6, 287) played his first career game last week and recorded six tackles. The two tackles have one combined career start in sophomore Patrick Butrym (6-4, 291) and senior Dan Moore (6-2, 283).



Linebackers
Edge: Bulldogs
Junior Nico Herron (6-3, 240) is coming off WAC player of the week honors for his 94-yard interception return for a touchdown and five tackles. Herron looked like one of the most improved players all camp and if it carries over into the big games on the Bulldogs’ schedule it’ll translate into this unit being a huge team strength. Junior Ben Jacobs (6-3, 225) is coming off a monster season of 113 tackles and All-WAC honors and the Bulldogs finally have some talented depth in true freshmen Travis Brown (6-2, 235) and Daniel Salinas (5-11, 205). Brown needs to clean up the sloppy tackling he displayed last week, but it’s not fair to be too harsh on a guy just out of high school.


Senior Jaevery McFadden (6-2, 230) is a tackling machine who led the Badgers with 84 last season, but he doesn’t get into the backfield much – just 2.5 tackles for losses last year and no sacks. He leads a unit featuring two newcomers at the other spots in junior Culmer St. Jean (6-0, 233) and freshman Mike Taylor (6-2, 221), who made quite the debut with seven tackles and a fumble recovery in his first career game.



Defensive Backs
Edge: Even
Despite pitching a shutout in the opener last week, skeptics are pointing to the Bulldogs’ secondary as a concern. While there is a lack of proven depth, senior corner A.J. Jefferson (6-0, 190) has the talent to catapult himself into being one of the best in school history. He made a couple of impressive pass breakups against UC Davis that make it seem like he’s on the right track. Jefferson had a game-high 11 tackles against the Badgers last season. Junior free safety Lorne Bell (5-10, 200) played like a maniac, running around ready to light someone up. Bell led the team with seven tackles, and might help bring back the “Bulldog Football” attitude that’s been missing the past three seasons. Sophomore corner Isaiah Green (5-10, 180) made a couple coverage mistakes last week that could have been devastating against a better team – but look for him to clean those up with experience.



An unheralded Wisconsin secondary is led by senior Chris Maragos (6-0, 198), a former walk-on who led the team with a career-high nine tackles in the opener. Sophomore corner Devin Smith (5-11, 188) is thought to have breakout potential in his first season as starter. Smith added a career-high six tackles against Northern Illinois. Junior strong safety Jay Valai (5-9, 201) loves to hunt for the big hit, but Bret Bielema wants to see him reel in the risk of missing tackles to go for the impact play.



Special Teams
Edge: Bulldogs
Fresno State owns a frightening reputation for blocking kicks, with a nation-best 45 blocks since 2002 – four more than Texas. The Bulldogs didn’t disappoint last year, blocking a kick and a punt against Wisconsin. Fresno State’s Devon Wylie blocked a punt last week against UC Davis to get the 2009 stats rolling. The most memorable play for Fresno State’s 2001 win at Camp Randall was Bernard Berrian’s kickoff return to open the second half, but the Bulldogs’ best kick returner of all-time is senior A.J. Jefferson, who is the NCAA’s active leader. Sophomore kicker Kevin Goessling (6-0, 190) is on the Lou Groza Award watch list after showing great improvement a season ago – he missed three field goals in the three-point loss to Wisconsin last year.


Sophomore kicker Philip Welch (6-3, 200) was a Groza Award semifinalist last season after nailing 20 of 24 field goals – two of those were missed from beyond 40 yards. With these teams’ history, it could very well come down to a single kick. Sophomore Brad Nortman (6-3, 209) averaged 41.8 yards, fifth best in the country last year among freshmen. While return man David Gilreath has all kinds of speed and quickness, he averaged just 19.6 yards per kick return, and had no touchdowns.



Coaching
Edge: Even
This type of football game is what Fresno State’s Pat Hill lives for – anyone, anytime, anywhere. Hill and the Bulldogs are 1-2 all-time against Wisconsin, losing twice by a combined five points. Hill never has a problem getting the Bulldogs amped up for these games against BCS-conference opponents, but Wisconsin’s players should be jacked up just the same remembering last year’s hard-hitting gem.


Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema had the most victories of any Badgers head coach in his first three seasons with 29 – winning 17 of his first 18 games at the school. But the Badgers had a disappointing 2008 and are unranked again this year.



Intangibles
Edge: Badgers
It’s tough to win at Camp Randall, the Badgers’ 80,000-plus seat stadium where they’re 30-3 since 2004. But the Bulldogs have won there before, 32-20 in their dream 2001 season where they screamed to a No. 8 national ranking. Fresno State, though, is coming off an emotional 51-0 drubbing of UC Davis and feels it needs a win to keep momentum going for next week’s WAC opener with Boise State. The Bulldogs’ 14 wins against BCS-conference schools since 2000 is second most of any non-BCS-conference school. Fresno State has won four of its past five against BCS teams – but the one loss was to Wisconsin last season. The biggest question mark is how will the reported flu outbreak impact Wisconsin’s players, and will any key guys miss the game?


***Photos courtesy of Juan Villa

LINEBACKERS

Returning lettermen: 6

Incoming: 8

Lost: 1 (Nick Bates)

Fresno State gave up a whopping 5.6 yards per rush last season – unacceptable for a team that expects to win. Part of the blame sits with a linebacker corps that was young and inexperienced last season, and is still young now. The difference is the youth now has starting experience under its belt, and a large crop of even younger prospects has added depth to a position sorely lacking a season ago. Coach Tim Skipper takes over the linebackers – a much more natural fit for the former Bulldogs standout – after spending the past two seasons as running backs coach.

The on-field leader is junior Ben Jacobs (6-3, 225), with two years of starting experience in the middle and second-team All-WAC honors in 2008. Jacobs turned his aggressiveness up several notches last season, and though his one weakness is speed, it didn’t stop him from collecting a team-high 113 tackles last season. He came to fall camp noticeably leaner and stronger and should be poised for his most successful season. When he has guys on offense looking up to him, it’s safe to say he’s doing things right.

One guy who did some things right in the offseason is junior strong side linebacker Nico Herron (6-3, 240). Though his listed at the same weight, it’s hard to believe he didn’t weigh more than 240 last year. Herron, too, is noticeably trimmer. His lack of speed was even more of a liability than Jacobs’ last year, in his first season as a starter, when he finished fourth on the team with 65 tackles. With highly-touted true freshman Travis Brown (6-2, 235) in the mix and battling for time, it should be easy for Herron to stay motivated and push himself. Brown, the son of the late longtime defensive coordinator Dan Brown, was expected to offer instant depth, but showed his youth (along with some promise) during fall camp. But it’s no secret coaches expect big things from him eventually.

On the weak side, sophomore Kyle Knox (6-1, 215) takes over as the full-time starter. Knox had lots of experience in 2008, but was in more of a reserve role as Chris Carter toggled between linebacker and defensive end. Now, Knox has the position to himself, and has quickly established himself as a wreckless hitter who loves to make big plays – see his team-high eight tackles for losses last year. He should be the unit’s best pass rusher. Sophomore Shawn Plummer (6-0, 200), a former walk-on, is the only reserve with much experience. Plummer can compete for time at weak or strong side after adding muscle to his frame. Frankie Manquero (6-1, 205), another former walk-on, converted from safety in the offseason and entered fall camp second on the depth chart. Manquero has been predominantly a special teams player, but might offer help in passing downs.

Backing up Jacobs in the middle is junior Sonny McCree (6-0, 230), yet another former walk-on, with very limited experience – five tackles last year. The way true freshman Daniel Salinas (5-11, 205) stands out in practice, it’s hard to imagine him not working his way up the depth chart this season. Salinas graduated high school a semester early to participate in spring camp, and has a knack at flying to the ballcarrier – something that used to be typical of Bulldog defenders.

The most noticeable thing about the incoming freshmen is their size – none of them look like Fresno State’s freshmen linebackers of recent years. They’re bigger. That’s the case with Salinas and Brown, as well as Patrick Su’a (6-2, 215), who has monster calves, Jeremiah Toma (6-0, 215) and Ibe Nduka (6-0, 220), whose physical build resembles former standout Bryce McGill. Another guy, currently behind Brown at strong side is freshman Damion Whittington (6-1, 235). While Su’a, Toma and Nduka are likely to redshirt, Whittington might be ready to see the field this season.

Though redshirt freshman Mario Moore (5-11, 180), a walk-on last year, might be the fastest linebacker, it’s odd to see someone his size not playing defensive back. He’ll battle to find a niche that gets him on the field this year, but new walk-ons David Halopoff (5-11, 210) and Steven Plevney (6-2, 205) have a long way to go.

Rating: 7 of 10

Game Preview: at No. 19 Oregon

Quarterbacks
Junior Tom Brandstater had the best game of his career for Fresno State, nearly propelling the team to victory in the humid, deafening environment of Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. Now the team knows what he’s capable of heading into another raucous stadium at Oregon. Brandstater threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns on 21 of 31 passing with one interception. But his clutch plays that put the game into overtime were most impressive.

Oregon’s Dennis Dixon is coming off a week where he was voted the AT&T national player of the week, after dropping 292 passing and 76 rushing yards in a 39-7 win at Michigan. Dixon has 23 passing yards less than Brandstater on the year, but leads the Ducks with 217 yards on the ground. And – as the nation’s fastest quarterback – is just the type of player capable of giving the ‘Dogs fits.

Edge: Ducks

Running Backs
What looked like an endless amount of depth last week is now a question mark. Sophomore starter Lonyae Miller left the Texas A&M game in the first quarter with an injury, and true freshman sensation Ryan Mathews left late in the game. With Clifton Smith’s fumble woes, sophomore Anthony Harding was left to shoulder the load, averaging just 2.1 yards per carry but scoring twice. The ‘Dogs expect Miller and Mathews to be ready to go, and if they can run on Oregon’s defense they can win.

Everyone knows junior Jonathan Stewart (5-11, 230) is the star of this offense. He rushed for 112 yards on 15 carries at Michigan, but because of injury had just one run for 3 yards against the ‘Dogs in 2006. Reserve Jeremiah Johnson (5-10, 205) filled in with 14 carries for 74 yards.

Edge: Ducks

Receivers
Despite fumbling the ball into the end zone in the first overtime last week, negating a play that likely would have won the game, sophomore Marlon Moore (6-1, 185) has emerged as the go-to receiver. Meanwhile, junior Bear Pascoe (6-5, 260) has emerged as possibly the best tight end in the nation, with 10 catches for 161 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore Jason Crawley (6-1, 185) gives Brandstater a weapon who’s not afraid to go over the middle.

The biggest problem Oregon’s receivers pose is their height. That, along with blazing speed, makes them near impossible to shut down in their spread option attack. Brian Paysinger (6-2, 208) and junior Jaison Williams (6-5, 240) are no strangers to the ‘Dogs over the past few years. Each has more than 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns this season.

Edge: Even

Offensive Line
Even getting banged up a bit in a physical battle with Texas A&M, and coming off a disappointing two sacks allowed to Sac State, the line held the Aggies without a sack. Junior Adam McDowell (6-4, 285) went down with injury and was replaced by redshirt freshman Andrew Jackson (6-5, 290), a converted defensive tackle who looks to be a future standout. Junior stud Cole Popovich (6-2, 290) – who also left with injury – will likely be replaced by junior Pierce Masse (6-4, 285).

For the second straight week, the ‘Dogs face a heavy line – all five starters are at least 6-4 and 300 pounds. The group is led by Max Unger (6-5, 300), who moved to center this season after starting at tackle the past two. Tackles Geoff Schwartz (6-7, 337) and Fenuki Tupou (6-6, 322) will have to keep up with Fresno State’s speed and athleticism off the edges.

Edge: Even

Defensive Line
A week after chasing Stephen McGee all over the field, the ‘Dogs get to face an even faster runner in Dennis Dixon – and he can pass too. Ends Tyler Clutts and Jason Roberts will have to contain Dixon and also apply the pass rush along with reserve end Ikenna Ike. The good news is the team gets tackle Jason Shirley (6-5, 330) back from a two-game suspension to stuff the run up the middle. Charles Tolbert may have played his way into a starting role over Jon Monga in Shirley’s absence.

Relatively unknown junior end Nick Reed (6-2, 255) was vicious against Michigan, recording three tackles in the backfield. This unit lacks the big names it has had in the past two years, but has plenty of youth. The Bulldogs will look to run first, meaning they’ll have their work cut out.

Edge: Bulldogs

Linebackers
What can you say but praise for the trio of senior Marcus Riley, redshirt freshman Ben Jacobs and sophomore Quaadir Brown? They combined for 45 tackles against Texas A&M with the young Jacobs leading the way with 16. This unit has about as much speed as you can ask for in a linebacker corps, and they all lay the hits. Brown was phenomenal, forcing a fumble in his first game back from a suspension.

A.J. Tuitele (5-11, 226) is the senior leader of an unheralded group that sacked Michigan four times. Despite the big loss, Michigan was racking up rushing yards in the first half last week, which is what the Bulldogs will try to do – with four ball-carriers keeping fresh legs. After two games, Tuitele, Jerome Boyd (6-2, 220) and John Bacon (6-4, 230) all rank fourth, fifth and sixth on the team in tackles.

Edge: Bulldogs

Defensive Backs
This group is ranked second in the nation in pass defense, but we’ll find out how accurate that stat is this weekend. Texas A&M ran, ran and ran again, but Oregon will look to throw much more. With no one taller than 6-1, this unit will be greatly out-sized by Oregon’s receivers, but has plenty of bone-crunching hitters, led by safeties sophomore Moses Harris (6-1, 200) and redshirt freshman Lorne Bell (5-10, 195). First-year corner Sharrod Davis (6-0, 185) played his freshman year for Oregon, and is now a second-stringer for the ‘Dogs.

Junior rover Patrick Chung (6-0, 210) is Oregon’s hard-hitting leader. In previous games with the ‘Dogs, he’s proven to be a physical commodity, and is third on the team with 14 tackles and has an interception. This year Chung has the help of free safety Matthew Harper (6-0, 181), who leads the team with 24 tackles and also has a sack and an interception. Sophomore corner Jarius Byrd (6-0, 208) already has two picks this season.

Edge: Ducks

Special Teams
It’s hard to be too confident in the kicking game after senior Clint Stitser missed two chances against Texas A&M, but punter Kyle Zimmerman had possibly his best career game, and the ‘Dogs blocked yet another field goal – their 72nd in Pat Hill’s 10-plus seasons and second in two games this year.

Ducks kicker Matt Evensen is 3 of 4 this season – 2 of 3 from beyond 40 yards, with a long of 45. But the more impressive stat is Josh Syria’s 44.1-yard punting average. Jonathan Stewart is the kick returner to watch out for.

Edge: Bulldogs

Coaching
Pat Hill vs. Mike Bellotti. Hill has been with his team longer than any other WAC coach and Bellotti has been with his longer than any Pac-10 coach. With the last five meetings between these two teams settled by no more than one score, it should be a barn-burner.

Edge: Even

Intangibles
Fresno State always seems to travel well to Eugene – expect those Red Wavers to help ease an otherwise hostile environment. Playing at Oregon is nothing new to this team, but the Ducks have had some helpful officiating the past two meetings in Eugene – will that be the case again? On the other side, the ‘Dogs are due for a win after five straight narrow losses in the series.

Edge: Even

GAME PREVIEW: FS at No. 23 Texas AM

Quarterbacks
This is it – Tom Brandstater’s golden opportunity. After a tough-to-swallow sophomore season, Brandstater has a chance to erase all that and give Fresno State fans reason to be stoked for the rest of the 2007 season. All he has to do is win at Texas AM. He got off to a decent start with 199 yards and no interceptions last week, but needs to show that wasn’t just because of the sub-par competition.

Junior Stephen McGee is the kind of quarterback the ‘Dogs have historically struggled with – a really fast one, who can run the option. He led the team with 126 yards rushing and two touchdowns against Montana State and threw for 112 yards.
Edge: Aggies

Running Backs
Things just got even better than they already were for the ‘Dogs backfield. True freshman Ryan Mathews led the team with 77 yards on 11 carries. He adds another option to the quadruple threat with Lonyae Miller, Clifton Smith and Anthony Harding. It’s hard to say who’s thunder and who’s lightning, but these guys are capable of causing a serious storm.

It’s much more clear cut for Texas AM – junior Jorvorskie Lane (6-0, 268) is the thunder and sophomore Mike Goodson (6-0, 206) is the lightning. Lane holds an Aggies school-record with 19 touchdowns last season and Goodson rushed for 847 yards while leading the conference in yards per carry.
Edge: Aggies

Receivers
The tight ends might decide who wins this matchup. Fresno State junior Bear Pascoe (6-5, 260) led the team with 91 receiving yards on three catches in the opener, including a 44-yard score. With Chastin West out for the year, sophomore Marlon Moore nearly doubled his catch total of last season with seven in the opener for 70 yards. Watch for Seyi Ajirotutu and Jason Crawley to get more involved this week.

Speaking of tight ends, the Aggies boast the returning first-team All-Big 12 pick in Martellus Bennett (6-7, 255), who had 497 yards in 2006. Junior Pierre Brown is the most proven wideout with 208 yards last season.
Edge: Bulldogs

Offensive Line
Keep an eye on the matchup at center. Fresno State sends out Rimington Trophy candidate Ryan Wendell (6-2, 285), who moved over from left guard for the final four games last season. After allowing just 12 sacks as a unit last season, the line gave up two in the opener against Sac State.

Another Rimington Trophy candidate lines up for Texas AM in Cody Wallace (6-4, 296). The preseason All-American heads one of the nation’s most highly regarded lines with Kirk Elder (6-5, 308), a three-time All-Big 12 pick.
Edge: Aggies

Defensive Line
If ever the ‘Dogs needed Jason Shirley, it’s this game. But the 6-5, 330-pound tackle was suspended for the first two games. His replacement is senior Charles Tolbert (5-11, 265), who played great against Sac State. But the ‘Dogs will rely most heavily on ends Tyler Clutts and Jason Roberts to contain the option and stop the Aggies’ star running backs and speedy quarterback from breaking anything big.

Aggies end Chris Harrington (6-5, 268) led the team in tackles, sacks and tackles for losses last season – and got off to a good start this year with a sack in the opener. Red Bryant (6-5, 322) is a beast at tackle and will be much tougher to run through than anyone Sac State had to offer last week. Bryant is coming off a season-ending knee injury toward the end of last season.
Edge: Aggies

Linebackers
Is this the new strength of the defense? All early signs point to yes with senior Marcus Riley (6-2, 220) back at full strength for the first time since the 2005 USC game. He led the team with 11 tackles in the opener and was all over the field with redshirt freshman Ben Jacobs (6-3, 225). On top of that, sophomore speedster Quaadir Brown (6-2, 215) returns to the field after missing most of last season with an injury and missing the opener because of suspension.

Mark Dodge is a tackling machine. He made 14 stops against Montana State and averages 11 in his last four games. The 6-2, 220-pounder has already served four years in the Army. Misi Tupe (5-10, 254) might be short and a bit on the heavy side, but that didn’t stop him from earning Big 12 defensive newcomer of the year honors. He had 54 tackles last season.
Edge: Even

Defensive Backs
The ‘Dogs lack the experience Texas AM has, but might have more raw talent. The question is how quickly will that talent mature? Redshirt freshman safety Lorne Bell might be the most talented of the unit, and he’s not even starting – yet. Reserve safety Jake Jorde dropped an easy interception in the opener, something the team cannot afford this week. The ‘Dogs must capitalize on mistakes and force turnovers.

Safety Devin Gregg emerged in his first full season as a starter last year, and is the third-leading returning tackler. Hard-hitting safety Alton Dixon had 10 tackles in the opener, and corner Marquis Carpenter had an interception (he leads the team with five in his career).
Edge: Even

Special Teams
True freshman Devon Wylie looks to be the primary kick returner, averaging 31.5 yards on two returns. One of the nation’s best takes punt return duties in Clifton Smith, who can break a big one at any moment. Kicker Clint Stitser nailed a 47-yard field goal in the opener and missed from beyond 50 yards – but had plenty of distance. The ‘Dogs also blocked a field goal in the opener and have blocked 71 punts and kicks since 1997, when Pat Hill became coach.

Aggies punter Justin Brantly has a heckuva leg. The junior has a career average of 43.9 yards per attempt. Sophomore kicker Matt Szymanski connected on his only attempt so far this year, a 34-yarder. Kerry Franks averaged 27.7 yards per kick return – a number that could go up this year with the new kickoff rule.
Edge: Bulldogs

Coaching
Pat Hill always – always – has his team amped up to play the "big-name" schools. And this should be no different. This team is young and has a lot to prove. A win proves Hill is one of the best coaches in the game.

Dennis Franchione is in his fifth season at Texas AM and is the fifth winningest active coach at 181-96-2. Franchione and Hill have met before, when he headed TCU from 1998-2000.
Edge: Even

Intangibles
Normally, playing in front of 82,600 fans at a hostile road environment wouldn’t be a huge deal to the ‘Dogs (they’re usually used to it). But this team is young. Only six players played significant roles two years ago in the near-win at USC. The ‘Dogs better adjust quickly. But don’t count them out – Fresno State doesn’t have a big-game reputation for nothing.
Edge: Aggies