Preview: San Jose State (1-4, 0-1) @ Fresno State (2-3, 1-1)

Quarterbacks
Edge: Bulldogs
Fresno State’s Ryan Colburn (6-3, 220) enters homecoming against the Bulldogs’ longest rival on a high note. While Colburn didn’t put up gaudy numbers in a 42-17 win at Hawaii, he was about as efficient as could be, completing 12 of 14 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. The two incompletions were dropped passes, and Colburn was interception-free for the first time as a starter. The junior lefty simply followed the game plan, spread the ball from sideline to sideline and kept the Hawaii defense from flooding the middle of the field. He’ll be challenged by a San Jose State team that, like Hawaii, has had great success gathering takeaways this season. On the year, Colburn has 910 yards, nine touchdowns and seven picks, while completing 60% of his throws. True freshman Derek Carr (6-3, 190) played the fourth quarter – his second career game action – and completed 2 of 3 passes. Redshirt freshman Ebahn Feathers (6-0, 210) didn’t play as Pat Hill had concerns about the rainy weather and a reserve center, but is likely to see time against San Jose State by the second quarter.

San Jose State junior Jordan La Secla (6-3, 205) is coming off his first 300-plus-yard game, but it resulted in a loss at home to Idaho. La Secla completed 31 of 43 passes for 302 yards and two interceptions, giving him 914 yards, six scores and five picks on the season to go with a 62.2% completion rate. La Secla has started the Spartans’ past three games (including their only win of the season against Cal Poly), after senior Kyle Reed (6-3, 215), a former Cal transfer, struggled in his first two starts. Reed is 14 of 26 for 104 yards. The most impressive stat these two quarterbacks contributed to is the Spartans’ 100% scoring rate in the red zone (one of just three teams nationally that can say that) – granted they’ve only made it to the red zone 11 times.

Running Backs
Edge: Bulldogs
Junior Ryan Mathews (5-11, 220) is on the verge of entering the Fresno State record books in some major categories. He’s seven yards from passing Kelly Skipper for 10th on the school’s career yardage list, and tied with Wendell Mathis after his fifth consecutive 100-yard game at Hawaii. Expect Mathews to break the mark against a suspect San Jose State run defense. Mathews averages a nation-best 148.2 yards per game and has rushed for 741 yards and six touchdowns on 6.7 per carry this season. He’s got 2,230 (6.1 average) and 26 touchdowns in two-plus seasons. And that’s just one of the four backs San Jose State has to worry about. The Bulldogs’ No. 2 rusher, true freshman Robbie Rouse (5-7, 185), has squirted, spun and sprinted his way to 297 yards and three touchdowns and is second in the nation at 8.7 yards per carry. Then throw in seniors Lonyae Miller (5-11, 220) and Anthony Harding (6-0, 220), who rushed for 62 and 99 yards respectively last season at San Jose State with Mathews injured and Rouse still in high school, and it’s obvious the Spartans should be concerned. Harding had two touchdowns in last season’s 24-10 ‘Dogs win, and fifth-stringer Jamaal Rashad rushed for a career-high 41 yards in last season’s match-up.

San Jose State, on the other hand, totaled minus-5 yards rushing in the 2008 game against a Fresno State defense that ranked among the nation’s worst at stopping the run. Things do look a little better this year as the Spartans have introduced junior college transfer junior Lamon Muldrow (5-9, 210), who leads the team with 235 yards and two scores (5.7 per carry). Muldrow showed he is capable of breaking a big play, with a 71-yard long. More good news for San Jose State came with sophomore Brandon Rutley’s (5-10, 190) return to the field last week. Rutley has just four carries for six yards this year, but was second on the team with 356 yards and three scores last season.

Receivers
Edge: Bulldogs
It’s no secret any longer Fresno State has depth rivaled by no one in the WAC at wide receiver. The biggest trick is sharing the ball with everyone and balancing it with the running game – which the Bulldogs will continue to lead with. The most pleasant surprise remains senior Chastin West (6-1, 215), who is third on the team with 152 yards and has two touchdowns (15.2 yards per catch). Senior Seyi Ajirotutu (6-4, 210) is the most immediate NFL prospect and has a team-high 231 yards with two scores. Ajirotutu was the deep threat last season, but has been used as more of a possession receiver this year, seeing his yards per catch drop from 16.9 to 13.6. Junior burner Devon Wylie (5-9, 170) leads the squad with three touchdowns and is second with 215 yards (15.4 per catch). The missing link right now is senior Marlon Moore (6-1, 190), another burner who emerged as a sophomore but has had disappointing production the past two years. Moore got off on the right foot with a 90-yard touchdown catch in the season opener, but has been quiet since. The biggest question is whether Fresno State’s receivers can get open this year? Last time against San Jose State, the Spartans’ secondary held the Bulldogs to just five catches for 71 yards in an ugly display of offenses.

The bright spot in an otherwise dim Spartans offense has been the return of senior Kevin Jurovich (6-0, 190), who was injured last season after being converted from safety. Jurovich picked up where he left off with a team-high 463 yards on the year – but no touchdowns. In 2007, Jurovich had eight receptions for 58 yards in a 30-0 loss at Fresno State. But he might be able to do more damage against the Bulldogs’ suspect secondary this time around. Junior Marquis Avery (6-4, 200) is a new threat to the Bulldogs with his size, and ranks second on the team with 224 yards and a Spartans-high three scores. After that, the Spartans’ running backs are the biggest threats in the passing game – they like to look for both Muldrow and Rutley (when he’s healthy). San Jose State just can’t compare with the Bulldogs’ depth at the position.

Offensive Line
Edge: Bulldogs
This unit has done more than any other on the Bulldogs to prove itself from the time fall camp began until now. It’s another spot – along with running back and receiver – where no one in the WAC can compare. The line has been playing so well that it’s easy to take the work for granted. As a team, the Bulldogs average 5.9 yards per carry. And any time you’re paving the way for the nation’s leading rusher and a freshman who ranks second in yards per carry – you’re doing something right. Fresno State’s allowed just five sacks in five games, and the depth was shown last week when senior Richard Pacheco (6-2, 285) stepped in for injured center Joey Bernardi (6-2, 280) and didn’t skip a beat. The team will be in good hands with either as the starter on Saturday.

San Jose State’s numbers aren’t so impressive. The Spartans’ backs average just 2.6 yards per carry – not strictly the line’s fault, but partly. The proof is in the pudding – which in this case is an embarrassing concoction of 15 sacks by San Jose State opponents. If the Bulldogs continue the trend, the Spartans offense will have little chance to keep up with Fresno State. Though the Spartans have great continuity dating back to 2007, when three freshmen started on the line, senior center Ronnie Castillo (6-0, 292) is the only real honors candidate. Castillo is a member of the Rimington Award watch list with 26 career starts under his belt.

Defensive Line
Edge: Spartans
The Mega Man nickname earned by junior end Chris Carter (6-2, 230) is looking more and more accurate each game. Carter has solidified himself among the WAC’s best ends while playing with a giant club cast on his hand since Week 2 at Wisconsin. All he’s done in that time is risen to the top of the conference with four sacks (though watching film of the Hawaii game he should seemingly have five). He’s also wreaked havoc with three hurries, a pass breakup, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. There simply aren’t any tackles fast enough to keep up with Carter’s motor – he had a team-high eight tackles against the Spartans last season. The problem is not one other linemen – heck, not one other defender – on the Bulldogs has a single sack. Sophomore end Kenny Borg (6-3, 245) showed an improved pass rush at Hawaii, and has two hurries, but still isn’t quite making plays. The same holds true for sophomore tackle Logan Harrell (6-2, 275), who occasionally breaks through the protection but doesn’t do it in time to finish.

Last year’s San Jose State squad boasted a line that was flatout deadly. But with Jarron Gilbert off to the NFL, the Spartans haven’t been quite as stingy. Still, senior end Carl Ihenacho (6-3, 256) poses a huge threat. Ihenacho is third on the team with 33 tackles – a nasty number for any lineman through five games. Comparatively, Carter leads Fresno State’s linemen with 11 tackles. Ihenacho also has team-highs with two sacks, three tackles for losses and three fumble recoveries. Senior tackle Adonis Davis (6-2, 295) is the other experienced veteran and has a sack and two tackles for losses. Ihenacho had three tackles for losses against Fresno State last season, but Davis recorded just a single tackle.

Linebackers
Edge: Bulldogs
Junior Ben Jacobs (6-3, 225) showed had his most impressive pass coverage outing of his career at Hawaii, dropping back often and even picking off a pass. Jacobs leads Fresno State with 34 tackles (two for losses). Junior Nico Herron (6-3, 240) should have had his second interception of the season but dropped it late in the game. He got off to a hot start but has been inconsistent since. Everyone’s still awaiting a breakout game by sophomore Kyle Knox (6-1, 215), who shows flashes of being a more vicious hitter and fast-paced aggressor than any of his teammates, but the dependability hasn’t fully clicked yet. Knox and Jacobs each had seven tackles at San Jose State last year.

San Jose State goes with a two-linebacker set, and starts two seniors in Travis Jones (6-1, 230) and Justin Cole (6-3, 240). Both had big games against the Bulldogs last season, with eight and six tackles respectively. Cole assisted on a tackle for loss and had a fumble recovery. Junior reserve Pompey Festejo (6-0, 215) leads the corps and is tied for fourth on the team with 28 tackles.

Defensive Backs
Edge: Spartans
Last week was big for junior corner Desia Dunn (5-9, 190), who earned WAC defensive player of the week honors after recording 10 tackles, two pass breakups and forcing a fumble at Hawaii – a special performance by a former walk-on who displayed blanket coverage against one of the WAC’s best passing teams after getting beat by some of the best receivers on the Bulldogs’ schedule in previous games. Just as notable as Dunn’s performance was senior strong safety Moses Harris (5-11, 205) with his interception in the end zone that flip-flopped a Hawaii drive in the first quarter. It was Harris’ second career pick, and remains one of only three this year for the Bulldogs. If Fresno State can force some turnovers for a second straight game it’ll be time to start getting excited.

Those freakishly good Spartans corners of recent years (most notably Dwight Lowery and Christopher Owens) are finally gone. But junior safety Duke Ihenacho (6-1, 210), brother of Carl, remains. This half of the Inhenacho brothers is second on the team with 37 tackles and has a Spartans-high five breakups, as well as a pick. The surprise has been the emergence of sophomore safety Tanner Burns (6-1, 185), son of defensive coordinator Keith Burns, who had Pat Hill fired up with his sideline antics in last year’s meeting. Burns leads the Spartans with 47 tackles and is tied with sophomore corner Peyton Thompson (5-11, 180) for a team-high two interceptions. Burns has also forced four fumbles.

Special Teams
Edge: Bulldogs
The Bulldogs got a little moxie back at Hawaii, when offensive guard Andrew Jackson (6-5, 295) blocked a field goal on the opening drive and Jacobs returned it inside the 10-yard line. Then, out of the Bulldogs’ new shield punt protection, sophomore long snapper Bobby Shepard (6-2, 235) ran downfield and recovered a fumble on a botched catch by the return man. Now if Fresno State could just get its own return men going as they usually do. Senior corner A.J. Jefferson (6-0, 190) was an All-America candidate who led the nation in kick returns his sophomore year. But he’s averaging just 23.7 yards on 12 tries this season, with a long of 34 – nowhere near the Jefferson fans have grown accustomed to.

The Spartans have been even less impressive in the return game. After Rutley led freshmen in returns last year, he averages just 19.6 yards, and Jurovich just 3.2 yards on punt returns. Senior punter Philip Zavala (6-1, 200) has gotten an insane amount of work with 36 punts this year for a 42.6 yard average. Comparatively, Fresno State’s senior punter Robert Malone (6-2, 225) has punted just 14 times for a 45.9-yard average. Spartans sophomore kicker Tyler Cope (6-1, 180) is 3 of 4 on field goals with a long of 41.

Coaching
Edge: Bulldogs
Fresno State’s Pat Hill was an assistant under San Jose State’s Dick Tomey when Tomey was excelling as the leader of Arizona in its glory days. There’s a great respect between the two coaches, but there’s no denying Hill’s been more successful in their current roles – despite what these skewed San Jose State stats from a recent news release claim. Fresno State has won 14 of the past 15 games against hated rival San Jose State in the past two decades, though the one Spartans win came under Tomey in 2006 – in a season the Bulldogs recorded their worst record (4-8) since joining Division I-A. But Tomey is just 1-3 against the Bulldogs since taking the helm.
Intangibles
Edge: Bulldogs
Dating back to the Spartans’ dominant days of the late 1980s, Fresno State still owns an 11-2 all-time record against San Jose State at Bulldog Stadium. Under Hill, the ‘Dogs are 6-0 at home against the Spartans, averaging 40.5 points and a 28-poin margin of victory. This rivalry is historically as fierce as any in the programs’ history but has lost some of its fervor in the past decade.

***Photo courtesy of Juan Villa.

'Dogs earn "Golden Screwdriver"

Funny stuff emerging on the blogosphere today thanks to Guy Haberman at 1430 ESPN Radio.

Though the idea of Fresno State and hawaii playing annually for the "Golden Screwdriver" has been a hilarious concept since early this decade when former Rainbows coach June Jones claimed a screwdriver was thrown from the Bulldog Stadium stands, who knew a Golden Screwdriver trophy actually existed!?

Well now we have proof in the photos. Do you think this trophy should become tradition between the two rival programs? Should Haberman give it to Hill and the 'Dogs to display in their trophy case, or to at least use as a demo for what a fancier model should look like?

Grading the 'Dogs (2-3, 1-1) @ Hawaii (2-3, 0-2)

FRESNO STATE 42, Hawaii 17

Quarterbacks: B+
Ryan Colburn did everything he needed to for Fresno State to stick to its game plan and win big. And while I don't know what the heck his 204.86 passer efficiency rating means, I know it's a darn high rating. Colburn threw 2 TDs, no interceptions (a first this year) and completed 12 of 14 passes. Throwing for 120 yards isn't going to impress anyone, but there was no need for him to throw any more than he did. He methodically picked apart Hawaii's defense going from sideline to sideline to open the middle of the field for the run -- game management at its finest.

Running Backs: A-

Goodness gracious these guys are just unstoppable as WAC standards go. There's no one left on Fresno State's schedule to give any reason to believe Mathews won't top 100 yards every game this season. He went for 149 yards (6.2 per carry) on Saturday, edging his No. 2 in the nation season average of 148 per game. And true freshman Robbie Rouse has a chance to run wild on the rest of the WAC. Rouse had 2 TDs on 73 yards (12.2 per carry), including a career/season-best 34-yarder where he looked faster than every Hawaii defender. Lonyae Miller started and scored the team's first TD (though he later lost a fumble). And Reynard Camp's big-time blocking efforts at fullback did not go ignored.

Receivers: B+
Stats weren't flashy with Seyi Ajirotutu's 48 yards leading the way, but wideouts did a lot with the routes that were called. Highlight was Devon Wylie's 17-yard TD where he embarrassed Hawaii's defensive back with a nifty outside-in juke at near full-speed. And Chastin West's 17-yard TD grab in the front corner of the end zone just before half in double coverage ranked right up there (especially considering that a white truck appeared to back into West on the sideline as he ran through the end zone and out of bounds).

Offensive Line: A
Just can't applaud this unit enough right now. With Joey Bernardi battling injury, Richard Pacheco stepped in and played well enough for no one to notice Bernardi's absence (which is a compliment because Bernardi is a darn good player). Leslie Cooper also got early action and was the lead blocker on Miller's early TD run. Nice to see Matt Hunt get some reps as well. Overall, the unit helped the backfield earn 5.9 yards per carry as a team and gave up 1 sack. This group has the potential for greatness, considering none of the regular starters are seniors.

Defensive Line: C+
Credit the d-line for not giving up any big runs to the opposing QB, but for cryin' out loud would somebody please step up and help Chris Carter with some pressure? Carter literally abuses his opponent with speed and agility nearly every down, but pressure from the tackle spots is almost nonexistent (save for the occasional Logan Harrell spin move) and Kenny Borg hasn't produced as we expected after seeing him play so well in fall camp. Redshirt freshman Matt Akers saw his most extensive time (as Pat Hill loves putting speed rushers against Hawaii's overmatched offensive tackles) and showed some positives but also was pushed easily off the ball on one first down run. Carter got his WAC-high fourth sack (though we could have sworn he should have been credited with 2 Saturday night). P.S. Carter was held at least 10 times in the game without getting calls.

Linebackers: B-

The Bulldogs again stuck with mostly three-linebacker sets while defending a spread-type passing offense, but luckily it didn't hurt this time because of Hawaii's inaccurate passer (which is odd because coming into the game we all heard accuracy was his strength -- obviously not). Ben Jacobs picked off a pass, and Nico Herron nearly got one, while Kyle Knox forced a fumble. Those are the types of game-changing plays the Bulldogs need from this unit. But it also must take partial blame for Hawaii's early success in the running game (despite having one of the worst rushing attacks nationally).

Defensive Backs: B-

Desia Dunn really played up at corner, leading the team with 10 tackles and a forced fumble, and Moses Harris intercepted a pass in the end zone -- something Fresno State should expect from its safeties but rarely gets. It was Harri's second-career pick, but most impressive was the footwork he used to put himself in position and play for the turnover instead of fixating on the opposing receiver. Redshirt freshman Phillip Thomas saw his most extensive playing time, as did sophomore Isaiah Green. Thomas was second on the team with 8 tackles (1 for loss), but was caught out of position at times in the running game. Zak Hill gave up a touchdown on a missed tackle for the second straight game, and then missed another tackle the same way just minutes later. His play recently is a liability for the Bulldogs defense.

Special Teams: B

Just when the Bulldogs put the "special" back in special teams after blocking a field goal attempt on Hawaii's first possession (which Jacobs returned nearly 60 yards to set up a TD) and a fumble recovery by long snapper Bobby Shepard after he ran down in coverage in the Bulldogs' new shield punt formation, a mistake scarred the elation. Hawaii recovered an onside kick with more than 7 minutes to go when the Bulldogs weren't in onside formation and the ball bounced away from Vince Pascoe.

Coaching: A-

Coaching staff continues to impress with game plans put in place this season. Pass was designed to keep Hawaii's defense away from the middle of the field, opening big space for Mathews and Rouse to attack. Refreshing to see special teams coach John Baxter break the stubborness that has killed the Bulldogs in coverage and test new schemes. Still confused, though, why West is returning kicks/punts instead of Rouse, Wylie or Marlon Moore? Also refreshing to see Thomas and Green get more time. Great to see Derek Carr get some playing time, but coaches need to let him rip downfield instead of keeping his pass package conservative (there's no need to keep his arm under wraps like that, he's ready).

***Photo courtesy of Juan Villa

Sunday Hangover - 'Dogs win 42-17 on the island

**The Sunday Hangover is a new day-after-the-game quick read reaction post that we will publish the day after each Fresno State football game. After a day and/or night of tailgating, beer drinking, partying, crying, cussing, cheering and celebrating, etc, combined with a short to long night to sleep on it, we will post the knee-jerk reactions of Bulldog Bounce bloggers, in three sentences or less each.

Reactions will range from entertaining, a waste of ___ seconds/minutes of your life, funny, boring, curse-laden and everything in between. Feel free to post yours in the comments below as well. It could be just about the previous day's game, the current state of the season, a play you can't get out of your head and want back, trash talk to the other team or anything else that you can connect the dots to make a connection to the Fresno State football team about.

(Update: a fourth comment has entered the mix) Some of us deal with the hangovers better than others, so for now, here are some initial reactions running through our heads:

"After such close and competitive games against top 10 teams, I wanted to believe that the 'Dogs were close to that level too, as the scores vs those teams would suggest. With our talent, we need and should get blowout wins in this conference and after a solid beat-down of hawaii, I'm pleased. More work to be done, but this was a nice step."

"IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!!!! Thank God for Bakersfield!!!"

"Great win for the 'Dogs on the island. I'm excited to see them against the rest of the WAC."

"Whew! That felt good. I'm not fond of hawaii dating back to Anthony Carter trying to pick fights with Chris Herren on the bball court and Ashley Lelie getting away with offensive interference in '01. Poor pass rush from everyone not named Carter and poor tackling by Zak Hill is still a major concern."

Surfing through some hawaiian sound bytes

Came across some quotes from hawaii coach Greg McMackin and a couple of his players after meeting with hawaii media members on Thursday. My reactions are in red. Anyone else have thoughts?

Oh, and a quick weather report (kind of) for those interested.

It's gonna be a one-on-one street fight. It's gonna be line it up, that's your man, that's my man and here we go. It's a one-on-one gameplan and they've got the best running back in the country but we are working very hard at that. --Greg McMackin, hawaii head coach

Can't argue with anything he said there, except for the fact that it won't technically be on a street, but rather a rock-hard greenish shade of turf with large amounts of trash in the form of silver hot dog wrappers, unused napkins and empty cans of spam blowing around all over the field.

Hard-nosed football -- they can hit. They're just gonna bring it, you know? If you don't step up to the plate, you're gonna get runned over. --Blaze
Soares, hawaii linebacker

First quote is the honest truth from him, which is usually how a hawaii player begins before he enters himself into sunshine, lollipops and rainbow land and drops a runned on us.

Let us continue our journey with the Blaze-meister.

I know we're ready. A lot of our guys like to hit, actually I think all of our guys like to hit.It's not gonna happen again. I put everything on it. That wasn't hawaii football, that was like Pop Warner football that we played [against louisiana tech]. We're a much better team. [Mathews is] a great athlete, but we're gonna play our best and he better play his best if he wants to ... we're gonna make him earn every
yard that he gets. That's something that we're gonna do.

Ready or not, hawaii at home is a different team, so we'll assume they're ready by default. And that was a nice piece of backtracking there by the American Gladiator wanna be (start watching at 1:07). If he wants to what Blaze? It's too late for you, I already sent Ryan the quote.

We just gotta do a much better job of filling those holes and just staying gap sound.

Thanks for the insight.

I don't see Fresno State even coming out and passing the ball, you know. I feel like they're just gonna try and play hard-nosed football and just pound that ball down our throats and we just gotta be ready for it. We're gonna bring it cause I'm not gonna let that ever happen again. I'm never gonna be embarrassed again like how we were embarrassed this past week.

At this point, I can't help but wonder why only now, after several horrific outings by the hawaii defense, did Blaze now decide he's capable of single-handedly preventing another meltdown? What's in those hawaiian lollipops? That being said, as much as I want to continue to trash talk this guy, Fresno State's history on the island only let's me get away with so much. It's been fun Blaze.

You know us local boys, you gotta throw your hands up and make a statement.
We're going for that one knockout punch, you know, make a big play in the
beginning and sit 'em down and let 'em never come back up. --Rocky
Savaiigaea

Oh you local boys, always making statements with your hands up in the air. Not my thing, but hey, I'm not one to judge. By the way, Rocky obviously isn't familiar with the phrase "No 'Dogs Down." Let's just hope it holds true for this game as well.

WAC rundown Week 6

Louisiana Tech (2-2, 1-0) @ Nevada (1-3, 0-1)
Friday, 6 p.m., ESPN

Last week: Louisiana Tech 27, Hawaii 6 / Nevada 63, UNLV 28
Where the heck did that 700-plus yards of Wolf Pack offense come from? UNLV had it close at the half, before Nevada just embarrassed 'em. But La Tech did some embarrassing of its own, holding Hawaii touchdown-less on national TV. On the road, against a now-confident Nevada team, La Tech won't be able to duplicate such a defensive effort.
Prediction: Nevada

Idaho (4-1, 1-0) @ San Jose State (1-3)
Saturday, 5 p.m., ESPN 360
Last week: New Mexico State 20, New Mexico 17 / San Jose State bye
Are you kiddin' me Vandals? This is starting to get ridiculous, and as hot as they are, there's no reason to think the dreadful-looking Spartans can stop them. San Jose State has been solid at home under Dick Tomey, but struggled to beat Cal Poly two weeks ago. Idaho comes up big again against the Spartans' sad state of offense and will be one win from bowl eligibility -- unreal.
Prediction: Idaho

Utah State (1-3) @ New Mexico State (2-3, 0-1)
Saturday, 5 p.m., ESPN 360
Last week: BYU 35, Utah State 17 / San Diego State 34, New Mexico State 17
New Mexico State is real, real bad. Period. Utah State is much, much better. But the blueish/slight purple tinted Aggies of Logan have played tough competition with losses to Texas A&M, Utah and BYU. Utah State wins big this week.
Prediction: Utah State

Fresno State (1-3, 0-1) @ Hawaii (2-2, 0-1)
Saturday, 8 p.m., Bulldog Sports Network/ESPNU
Last week: Fresno State bye / Louisiana Tech 27, Hawaii 6
Pat Hill's Bulldogs have struggled mightily on the island, winning just one of six attemps under the fu manchu. It's just flat tough to justify picking against Fresno State this season with the talent differential, experience and depth.
Prediction: Fresno State

Byes:
No. 6 Boise State (5-0, 1-0)
Last week: Boise State 34, UC Davis 16

Preview: Fresno State (1-3, 0-1) @ Hawaii (2-2, 0-1)

Fresno State

vs.

hawaii

Quarterbacks
Edge: Bulldogs
Fresno State’s Ryan Colburn (6-3, 220) continues to make mistakes at the most inopportune times – granted any interception thrown in a close loss is going to look like a glaring mistake. But Fresno State now has three close losses – at No. 25 Wisconsin, to No. 6 Boise State and at No. 8 Cincinnati. Against Cincinnati two weeks ago, the Bulldogs were at the 5-yard line about to take a fourth-quarter lead when Colburn threw a pass seemingly directed to a Cincinnati linebacker instead of the wide-open fullback. He was also picked off in the end zone in double overtime at Wisconsin, and started the Boise State game by throwing a pick-six. But it hasn’t been all bad for the junior in his first year as starter. Colburn has proved to be a much more potent passing threat than Tom Brandstater was the previous three years, especially with consistency on the deep ball. On the year, he’s completed 56.4% for 790 yards, 7 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. The yards are a positive, considering he played about half of the opening blowout over UC Davis and the Bulldogs ran the ball most of the day at Cincinnati. But the touchdown-interception ratio is not going to cut it – after four games there were just four quarterbacks in the nation with more picks than Colburn – and the completion percentage needs to bump above 60%. Coach Pat Hill is sticking with Colburn as the leader of the nation’s seventh most prolific offense in yards per game. Expect to see redshirt freshman Ebahn Feathers (6-0, 210) in at least one series on Saturday to keep Hawaii off balance, but true freshman Derek Carr (6-3, 190) won’t play unless it’s a blowout or Hill’s ready to make a switch from Colburn.

The quarterback competition would have been more interesting before Hawaii’s 27-6 loss this past Wednesday at Louisiana Tech, when starter Greg Alexander’s impressive senior season came to an end. Alexander was flushed out of the pocket scrambling, and upon getting lit up by a La Tech defender, hurt his knee. Going in to that game, Alexander led the nation in passing efficiency. His replacement will be former Fresno City College quarterback sophomore Bryant Moniz (6-0, 190). Moniz offers more speed at the position, though Alexander led the Warriors with 103 yards rushing on the year. Against La Tech, Moniz came on in relief, completing 5 of 11 passes for 109yards. Though sophomore Shane Austin (6-0, 200) is listed as the backup, senior Inoke Funaki (5-11, 205), who was converted to running back before the season, starter under center in a 32-29 overtime win at Fresno State last season. In that game, Funaki passed for 170 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 14 times for 79 yards. Fresno State would be wise to prepare in case Hawaii coach Greg McMackin gets any ideas.

Running Backs
Edge: Bulldogs
Fresno State presents an onslaught of backfield talent led by junior Ryan Mathews (5-11, 220), who ranks third in the nation with 592 yards rushing (with one less game played than the nation’s leader after last week’s bye). Mathews averages 6.8 yards per carry (No. 2 in the nation) and has a team-high five touchdowns. Being that Bulldogs seniors Lonyae Miller (5-11, 220) and Anthony Harding (6-0, 220) harassed Hawaii last season for 161 and 157 yards respectively, the Warriors better also have those two on their radar. But Mathews has never before played against Hawaii, being sidelined with injuries the last two times the two rivals met. Miller had two touchdowns in last year’s match-up, including an 80-yarder. On the season, Miller has 137 yards, 24 yards less than he rushed for in one game against Hawaii last season, and Harding has just 12 yards. The two backs have seen decreased roles with Mathews’ health. If containing those three isn’t enough of a head-banger for the Warriors, they’ll also be introduced to true freshman Robbie Rouse (5-7, 185), who is second on the team with 224 yards on 8 yards per carry. Rouse brings elusiveness that rivals former Bulldog Clifton Smith, but with more speed.

Containing Hawaii’s rushing attack (if it can be called an attack) is the least of Fresno State’s worries. The Warriors had just one player with more than 100 yards, and it was Alexander, their quarterback who is out for the season with injury. Their leading running back is junior Alex Green (6-2, 220), who has 20 carries for 93 yards (4.7 per carry) and two touchdowns. Senior starter Leon Wright-Jackson (6-1, 215) has 12 carries for 46 yards (3.8 average) and one score. Hawaii will likely take advantage of Fresno State’s defense keying on the pass for a few substantial runs, but it shouldn’t make a big difference.

Receivers
Edge: Even
The Bulldogs are coming off their least impressive aerial performance of the season, but still managed to produce the emergence of highly-touted sophomore Jamel Hamler (6-2, 205). Hamler led the team with 57 yards on four catches, including a 22-yard touchdown where he located the hole in Cincinnati’s coverage and sat in it. Senior H-back/tight end Isaac Kinter also had four catches and added 27 yards in his first significant offensive output of the year. But the Bulldogs would prefer to let the tight ends block and go to the big-play receivers more often this season. Senior speedster Marlon Moore (6-1, 190) has essentially disappeared from the stat sheet the past two games (though he left the Boise State game early with injury). Senior Seyi Ajirotutu (6-4, 210) leads the team with 13 catches for 183 yards and two scores, while junior burner Devon Wylie (5-9, 170) has a team-high 188 yards on 11 grabs for two scores. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise has been the big-play emergence of senior Chastin West (6-1, 215), who has seven catches for 120 yards. West has shown the ability to battle for tough, acrobatic catches in traffic – a recent addition to his repertoire which was previously defined as a possession receiver.

Hawaii put up its typically obscene passing numbers with Alexander at the helm in the run-and-shoot, but it remains to be seen whether that will change with Moniz. Junior Greg Salas (6-2, 200) emerged a year later than predicted to lead the Warriors (and the country) with 601 yards and four touchdowns on 26 catches (a whopping 23.1 yards per catch), and junior Rodney Bradley (6-0, 190) has 423 yards and four scores on 22 receptions (19.2 average), including a 73-yarder. The possession guy is definitely junior Kealoha Pilares (5-11, 200), a converted running back who’s racked up 35 catches for 317 yards and a touchdown. Pilares hurt the Bulldogs last season with 7.2 yards per carry, but got just eight rushing attempts. Hawaii has completed passes to just seven players this season, and just six receivers. While Fresno State’s wideouts are deeper and more talented, Hawaii’s offense runs through its receivers allowing for more gaudy numbers.

Offensive Line
Edge: Bulldogs
Mathews redirects much of the credit for his rushing success to the guys in the trenches, which have played beyond expectations early on for Fresno State. Junior center Joey Bernardi (6-2, 280), the tiny one of the group, played through the second half at Cincinnati with an injury but used the bye week to recover and is expected to play Saturday. He’s off to an All-WAC-caliber start, as is junior right guard Andrew Jackson (6-5, 295), who might be the WAC’s best NFL prospect not named Mathews. The Bulldogs have allowed just four sacks on the year.

Hawaii, on the other hand, allowed seven sacks – in its last game at La Tech. The Warriors have given up 14 on the season. With a quarterback entering his first major college start, it’ll be disastrous if his line doesn’t offer better protection than it did last week. The Warriors will have to defend against the WAC’s speediest defensive end, though overall the Bulldogs’ pass rush has been lackluster.

Defensive Line
Edge: Bulldogs
If Fresno State gets anywhere near the type of pass rush La Tech did against Hawaii, these Bulldogs will win big. But that’s a substantial “if,” considering junior end Chris Carter (6-2, 230) is the only member of the unit with a sack this season – he has a WAC-high three (four tackles for losses). The interior linemen have provided very little pressure on the opposing quarterback. Junior Chris Lewis (6-3, 260) and sophomore Logan Harrell (6-2, 275) have shown flashes, but aren’t doing anything consistently. Redshirt sophomore end Kenny Borg (6-3, 245) offers speed opposite Carter, but has had little impact so far with just six tackles and 0.5 tackles for losses. The Bulldogs will need to produce havoc with their front four, or risk the rest of the defense being nickel-and-dimed in the intermediate passing game.

Only two Hawaii defenders had started a game before this season – one of them being sophomore tackle Vaughn Meatoga (6-2, 290). But the most dangerous of the group might be senior Tuika Tufaga (6-2, 285), who is second on the team with 3.5 tackles for losses and a sack. He recoverd one of three fumbles in last year’s win at Fresno State. The unit has combined for three sacks on the year, and will not only face the best offensive line it has seen this season – but also the best group of running backs and receivers.

Linebackers
Edge: Even
It’s still a head-scratcher that Fresno State used three-linebacker sets so often against Cincinnati’s spread attack. And now the Bulldogs face a similar passing challenge from Hawaii. Junior linebacker Ben Jacobs (6-3, 225) leads the team with 31tackles (two for losses) but hasn’t yet shown that he can dominate from his position. The casual fan doesn’t yet turn on the TV and say, “Wow, that No. 54 is a force.” And that’s what the Bulldogs need from Jacobs. Junior strong side Nico Herron (6-3, 240) came close to getting his second pick of the season at Cincinnati, but couldn’t jump the passing lane quick enough. With his size, Fresno State should be getting more bone-crunching hits, but something is lacking. Sophomore Kyle Knox (6-1, 215) is the most athletic and explosive of the starting trio, but isn’t consistently wreaking havoc – something the Bulldogs should expect from starters.

The stud of Hawaii’s defense is first-year starting sophomore Corey Paredes (5-11, 230), whose fourth on the team with 28 tackles but has a Warrior-best three sacks (four tackles for losses) and three forced fumbles. Senior Blaze Soares (6-1, 245) leads Hawaii with 37 tackles, and senior R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane (5-11, 225) is the only linebacker with starting experience before this season. Kiesel-Kauhane also had a fumble recovery against Fresno State last year. The group is capable of flying to the football, but will have to make sure tackles to have any hoping of slowing Mathews’ rushing attack.

Defensive Backs
Edge: Warriors
Fresno State’s secondary success could hinge on whether junior free safety Lorne Bell (5-10, 200) returns from an injury sustained at Wisconsin, as expected. Bell missed the past two games and had a bye week to recover, after being slowed much of the past two years with a different injury. But he came out this season as the defense’s heart and soul and most fearsome hitter. In Bell’s absence, senior Marvin Haynes (6-1, 205) was disappointing and sophomore Zak Hill (6-2, 200) looked ill-suited for the responsibility, missing a tackle on Cincinnati’s tight end that resulted in a touchdown, and being caught out of position twice on big plays by Boise State. It might also be time to start grooming the youth at corner, including sophomore Isaiah Green (5-10, 180), who has seen mostly special teams action so far. With no interceptions recorded by the entire secondary yet this season, it’s tough not to wonder if it’s a personnel issue. It’s either that or a scheming problem with the coaches. Either way, it needs to be fixed – soon.

Facing a Fresno State quarterback who’s been prone to throwing inopportune interceptions, Hawaii boasts junior free safety Mana Silva (6-1, 220) who ranks sixth in the nation with three interceptions. Junior strong safety Spencer Smith (5-11, 205), who Hawaii lists at the SAM position, is second on the team with 32 tackles, and has a team-high five pass breakups. Hawaii’s corners will face a stiff challenge from Fresno State’s bigger receivers – the tallest Warrior corner is junior reserve Lametrius Davis (6-0, 190). Junior starters Tank Hopkins (5-9, 165) and Jeramy Bryant (5-10, 180) will be well undersized if matched against Ajirotutu (6-4), Hamler (6-2) and Moore (6-1).

Special Teams
Edge: Bulldogs
The kicking game and coverage units were much improved at Cincinnati, with redshirt freshman kickoff specialist Andrew Shapiro (6-1, 180) accounting for two touchbacks, something sophomore Kevin Goessling (6-0, 190) hasn’t done consistently in his career. In last season’s loss to Hawaii, Goessling missed a game-winning field goal attempt at the end of regulation and missed another in overtime. He’ll need to get rid of the demons on Saturday. Kick returner A.J. Jefferson (6-0, 190), the NCAA’s active leader, finally came close to breaking one at Cincinnati but was stopped by the kicker after a 34-yard return. He’s averaging a disappointing 23.7 yards per return.

Sophomore receiver Royce Pollard (6-0, 175) averages 25.4 yards per kick return for Hawaii, who had to find a replacement at kicker for standout Dan Kelly. Junior Scott Enos (5-9, 180) is off to a good start, connecting on 6 of 7 attempts with a long of 47 yards. There are questions at punter though, with freshman Alex Dunnachie (6-3, 235) averaging just 34.8 yards, about 12 yards less than Fresno State senior Robert Malone (6-2, 225)

Coaching
Edge: Bulldogs
Though Fresno State coach Pat Hill has won just once (in 2005) on the island in six tries at the helm, he’s much more proven than Hawaii’s second-year coach Greg McMackin, who led a subpar Warriors squad to a Hawaii Bowl appearance last season (losing to Notre Dame). Hill’s highly ranked 2001 team lost at Hawaii on a last-second touchdown catch by Ashley Lelie (who wasn’t called for an obvious pass interference in the end zone).

Intangibles
Edge: Warriors
The Hawaiian islands are an eye-opener of scenery for anyone who’s never been before, and it’s easy to get distracted – part of the reason the Warriors are always tough to beat at Aloha Stadium. Hawaii fans are rabid and sometimes as maniacal as the players doing their pre-game dance routine (no dance comments please McMackin). But Fresno State has an obvious talent edge and should win as long as Mathews and company aren’t tripped up by the trash constantly blowing across the Aloha Stadium field. There’s always extra intensity when these two rivals meet up, but might be a little extra distaste from Hawaii fans who remember Fresno State’s Marcus Riley delivering a slobber-knocking hit to their beloved Colt Brennan two years ago (we’ll post video for old time’s sake).

Be the Hammer

* Be the Hammer is the latest in a line of Fresno State football related features that gives us the opportunity to further discuss the 'Dogs in more facets. This time, it's in regards to special teams.

Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of multiple camera angles and video editing equipment like the Fresno State coaching staff does, so we'll make our selection the old-fashioned way -- memory and dvr.

Our top 3 selections in the running to carry the hammer (in no particular order):

• Kevin Goessling (K) - Made good on field goals of 36 and 49 yards

• Andrew Shapiro (K) - Kicked off 5 times, resulting in 2 touchbacks. Helped keep one of the nation's most dangerous kick return men in check.

• A.J. Jefferson (KR/CB) - 3 kick returns for 77 yards (good for about 26 per). His long kick return of 34 yards was the closest he's come this year to breaking one.

Yes, we see it too. Sadly, there are two kickers in the running for the hammer, and frankly, it's disappointing. After years of special teams dominance in all phases, it has become easy to take these things for granted. Hopefully, the coaches see something we didn't have the eyes for, because honestly, a kicker potentially carrying the hammer is embarrassing.

On a small tangent, but related nonetheless, I don't think you'll find many dissenting opinions to the claim that Fresno State has played in some tough, physical games this year. But in my opinion, they haven't been physical enough. I can't help but compare current teams to teams of the past, and using that as the standard, I don't think opposing teams are using nearly enough ice the day after the game.

Special teams is one of those areas in which this has been glaring. Especially when Kendall Edwards sets the standard (yes, it was a penalty, but baaaaarely). Aside from Lorne Bell and occasionally Kyle Knox, not many 'Dogs are coming close to making opponents clap their knees in fear.

But I digress, although this is absolutely a topic that needs further discussion, just at a later date. Devon Wylie -- who is easily the best Bulldogs special teamer overall -- and Isaiah Green were also considered as nominees. Wylie showed his 4.25 speed in outrunning a line drive punt and stopping it inside the 5, while Green saved a ton of yardage on an early kick return by tackling Cincinnati's Mardy Gilyard after busting through a double team. In the end, Wylie just didn't have enough opportunities to make an impact, while Green flopped big time on blocking for punt return men.

Although we tried to avoid it, we were left with no choice but to announce the winner of this week's Be the Hammer award as ...

... Andrew Shapiro (As much as we like him, we're crossing our fingers for a different choice by the coaches)

Photo by Jason O. Watson - U.S. Presswire

Doyel doesn't rule!

What's with this Gregg Doyel guy trying to come down with his hard-as-nails approach at Cincinnati and boise state?

While he certainly has a point that boise state has traditionally made its living by feasting on weak non-conference opponents, and because of that does not deserve a shot at the national title if it finishes the season undefeated, that's no reason to support the "haves" trying to keep the "have-nots" from joining the fray.

Why keep criticizing teams for their conference schedule? That's what is a waste of time. If schools like Fresno State and boise state had a chance to be in the Pac-10, they would jump at it. Then they'd both have better recruiting, an immensely larger budget (thanks to the BCS contracts), more attractive schedules that would garner more fans and attendance and they'd be able to hold on to great assistant coaches.

Speaking of Fresno State, Doyel lost all credibility by saying Oregon was boise state's best win and Bowling Green was its second-best win. Seriously Doyel, you think Bowling Green is better than Fresno State? Heck, one could argue Fresno State would beat Oregon this year, or Oregon State and Florida State (the other team you compared the Bulldogs to). The line on Fresno State vs. Bowling Green would be double digits -- if it were on the road.

National media is a big part of the reason why there's such a steep hill for schools from non-BCS conferences to climb in the first place. There are preseason magazines devoting pages upon pages of hype to even the nobodies from BCS conferences (think Washington State, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Syracuse, Baylor and half the Big East) while most teams from the WAC and Mountain West get a paragraph or three.

You turn on the TV and see constant coverage of usc, Florida, Texas -- same ol', same ol' -- and only see Fresno State news and highlights if the Bulldogs are still running undefeated. Think you'll hear another mention of Houston this year after its first loss? Nope, but you can bet you'll hear plenty more on Oklahoma State and Texas Tech (two teams Houston defeated this year, and two who cowardly backed out of a return game at Fresno State within the past decade).

It's time for the media to step up, and stop helping the injustices of college football continue.

WAC rundown Week 5

***I should be ashamed. I realized far too late the La Tech-Hawaii game was being played on Wednesday night. Then I had no clue Utah State-BYU was tonight. So I didn't get my predictions for those two games up in time. For the record, I woulda picked Hawaii and BYU. I would have been wrong and right.

Hawaii (2-2, 0-1) @ Louisiana Tech (2-2, 1-0)
Louisiana Tech 27, Hawaii 6

Utah State (1-3) @ No. 20 BYU (4-1, 1-0)
BYU 35, Utah State 17

UNLV (2-2, 0-1) @ Nevada (0-3, 0-1)
Saturday, 1 p.m.
Last week: Missouri 31, Nevada 21
What was supposed to be an epic season for the Wolf Pack is in danger of falling apart. A loss to the in-state Rebels might buckle the players' spirt. But talent-wise, this game shouldn't be close. Don't prove me wrong again Nevada.
Prediction: Nevada

New Mexico State (2-2, 0-1) @ San Diego State (1-3, 0-1)
Saturday, 5 p.m.
Last week: New Mexico State 20, New Mexico 17
The Aggies might very well be the worst team in the country. Seriously. This isn't a joke. It's actually quite offensive how bad their team is. But the Aztecs are bad too, having already lost by double digits to Idaho. Still, expect the heavily-favored Aztecs to put another notch on the belt (do you get a notch for beaing New Mexico State?).
Prediction: San Diego State

UC Davis (1-2, 0-1) @ No. 5 Boise State (4-0, 1-0)
Saturday, 5 p.m., ESPN 360
Last week: Boise State 49, Bowling Green 14
Local radio personality Guy Haberman of 1430 ESPN joked this week that the line for this game should be about 56. He might not be far off. UC Davis was stomped 51-0 in its opener at Fresno State, and now faces a more dangerous defense. These two teams run the same system, but the Aggies are about to get a tutorial on executing it at a higher level.
Prediction: Boise State

Colorado State (3-1, 0-1) @ Idaho (3-1, 1-0)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
Last week: Idaho 34, Northern Illinois 31
This is getting ri-gosh-darn-diculous. The Vandals are 3-1? Watch out for bacon bits falling from the sky. If Idaho can beat another Mountain West team (after San Diego State) and pick up another quality win (this and Northern Illinois count as quality wins for Idaho) then we'll know the Vandals are for real. You can guess from my prediction whether I think they are.
Prediction: Colorado State

Byes:
Fresno State (1-3, 0-1)
Last week: No. 14 Cincinnati 28, Fresno State 20

San Jose State (1-3)
Last week: San Jose State 19, Cal Poly 9

Fresno State in national title game?

Yes, Fresno State is 1-3, but the bye week has left us with too much time to think. And that brings about a few what-ifs. Like, what if Fresno State -- with a schedule featuring two top 10 teams in the first four games this year -- was 4-0 right now?

What if Fresno State went undefeated this season, with wins at Wisconsin, vs. No. 5 Boise State, at No. 10 Cincinnati and at Illinois later in the year? That's a darn solid resumé. And if the 'Dogs did pull off the magical undefeated run (which we obviously now know they won't) it would be worthy of an appearance in the national title game.

But, does Boise State, with its schedule, deserve to play for the national championship when its undefeated season is complete? The Broncos won at home vs. an Oregon team that looked terrible, but now pulled off a stunning blowout of Cal. And the Broncos won at Fresno State, a team with a high-powered offense that should be much better than 1-3 at this point.

Today's Yahoo! story seems to think Boise State in the biggest of big BCS bowl games is a possibility. Do you?

Time To Start Talking Some Hoops

As you all very well know, the football team has a bye week before playing Hawaii on October 10th, so what better way to celebrate a bye week than with the talk of some Fresno State basketball! It's always fun to play the guessing game and make predictions and that's just what we are going to do today! Let's talk about the potential line-up. Here is how I think the rotation will look for this year's squad based on nothing! Haha. There are a lot of new guys on this years team that I have never seen play, so my knowledge comes from what I have heard or read about.

Starting 5

Point Guard- Steven Shepp (6-2 170, So.) Has great ball handling skills and his pass first mentality is ideal for this team built with size and athleticism.

Shooting Guard- Mychal Ladd (6-5 190, So.) Might be the most athletic player on a team that is loaded with many athletes.

Small Forward- Paul George (6-8 210, So.) Showed tremendous talent last year as a freshman. Do it all player who can throw it down with the best of them.

Power Forward- Sylvester Seay (6-10 235, Sr.) Only senior on this years team. Will need to become a leader. He is a tough match-up with his length, athleticism, scoring and shot blocking ability.

Center- Greg Smith (6-10 250, Fr.) The most highly anticipated player to come into the basketball program since the Tark era.


Bench (In Order of Impact)

G- Brandon Sperling (6-4 180, So.) It looks like Sperling might be the back-up at both guard positions. He really turned it on at the end of last year, so it will be key for him to come off the bench and eat up some quality minutes. Needs to be more confident in his scoring abilities and driving to the basket.

F/C-Nedeljko Golubovic (6-8 245, Jr.) Started last year, but with the addition of Greg Smith, he will mostly likely be coming off the bench. Ned is a team player who will need to eat up some quality minutes with his ability to score inside and out.

G/F- Jerry Brown, Jr. (6-7 195, Fr.) Another freshman in this highly touted incoming class, Jerry brings a lot of athleticism and will see some time off the bench.

C- Brandon Webster (6-10 275, Jr.) Big body player who has shown signs of promise that makes you wonder if he can put it all together and play hard all the time, that he has the potential to be a very valuable player since most teams can't match up with his size.

G/F- Garrett Johnson (6-5 190, Fr.) Could potentially come off the bench for defensive purposes this season.

G- Taylor Kelly (6-2 200, RS Fr.) Red-shirted last season. Good shooter, who most likely will come off the bench in mop up duties this season, but may play himself into a much larger role.

F- Justin Johnson (6-6 205, RS Fr.) Surgery forced him to red-shirt last season. Father, Eddie, played in the NBA for 17 years.

G/F- Jonathan Wills (6-6 180, Jr.) The transfer from the University of New Mexico will sit out this year due to NCAA transfer rules, but will be able to practice with the team.



Now it's your turn. Tell us how you think the rotation will set up. I know there are others just as excited for the upcoming season. IT'S GREAT TO BE A BULLDOG!

Easy there Coach Hill

How many of you listened to the Pat Hill Show Monday afternoon on KMJ radio? On his weekly show hosted by Paul Loeffler (it's a heck of show by the way) Hill talks about the previous week's game, looks ahead to the next opponent and then takes calls from fans.

So far this year it's been a pretty cordial exchange between fans and the ball coach who can soon be referred to with an "ol'" in front of his title. But that changed today, when a caller voiced frustration about Hill's strategy and Fresno State's ticket prices. (The show should be posted at some point on the KMJ site, and was even blogged about by Bee reporter Daniel Lyght.)

Hill didn't like the caller's opinion, which, granted, was way off base, and proceeded to put him in his place. At one point, Hill told the caller he knows nothing about competition (not exact quotes here, but not far off) and asked if he's ever even played the game?

The caller's response: My name's Vincent Petrucci.

For those of you new to Bulldog Football or not yet read up on the history, Vince Petrucci is the name of a former Bulldogs kicker whose jersey number is retired atop the Bulldog Stadium press box. It seemed from the radio show, Hill believed it was that Vince Petrucci calling. And therefore so did some listeners. But just this morning on 1430 ESPN radio, that Vince Petrucci was a guest on Paul Swearengin's show and said it absolutely was not him who called, and that he was at the last home game and has been a Bulldog Foundation member for years.

Anyway, the guy who really did call in said $50 was too much to pay to see his former team take on Boise State, so he watched the last home game from a sports bar.

Problem is, there were plenty of tickets available for $35, a three-game deal for $89 or so and a family pack for about $340. Translation -- Bulldog tickets are very reasonably priced. Just compare 'em to similar programs around the nation:
Boise State (charging more for premium seats to see Nevada than FS did for Boise)
Utah (heck, just look at the Air Force game, which wouldn't be a premium price at FS)
BYU (charging $50 for end zone, $75 elsewhere for Utah)
Hawaii (charging comparable prices to FS for its upcoming game against FS)

The caller said tickets should be $15 -- please show me sir where you can find tickets for an upper echelon program for $15. Heck, Fresno State actually DID sell a batch of tickets for $16 a pop for the opener against UC Davis. But don't expect that for the premium game of the home schedule. This program is already in great need of generous donors and Bulldog Foundation members to step up and help it reach its highest potential. It can't afford to sell itself short here. Would any of us argue that Fresno State football is more entertaining than even the very best concert? Not me. Yet concerts regularly charge upwards of $100 for big names.

But here's the thing, as right as Pat Hill was today in this little call-in debate, he didn't handle the situation as well as he could have. And it's not the first time that's happened in his reaction to fan feedback. Hill's a public figure, maybe the most famous person in the Valley, and he has to be prepared for the criticism and questioning that sometimes comes with that. Especially as a Division I college football coach. Every coach deals with constant evaluation of how they're doing their jobs. It's part of the deal, and part of the reason they get compensation of hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.

Sure, some fans are uneducated on the facts, some aren't good at analyzing the happenings of the team and some indeed ask irritating questions. But that doesn't mean the coach should alienate those people by publicly putting them down. That's bad PR, and bad fan/potential donor relations. No positives come out of it. There's a way to be respectful and stern in your point at the same time, but this didn't come close.

Sunday Hangover

The Sunday Hangover is a new day-after-the-game quick read reaction post that we will publish the day after each Fresno State football game. After a day and/or night of tailgating, beer drinking, partying, crying, cussing, cheering and celebrating, etc, combined with a short to long night to sleep on it, we will post the knee-jerk reactions of Bulldog Bounce bloggers, in three sentences or less each.

Reactions will range from entertaining, a waste of ___ seconds/minutes of your life, funny, boring, curse-laden and everything in between. Feel free to post yours in the comments below as well. It could be just about the previous day's game, the current state of the season, a play you can't get out of your head and want back, trash talk to the other team or anything else that you can connect the dots to make a connection to the Fresno State football team about.

Moving on, today's edition features four of the Bounce's bloggers:

"Freaking crap this hurts, but this team is full of toughness and resiliency, which makes me proud. I just hope they stay motivated to push through this glass ceiling, because it'll only take a few more cracks to break it and Bulldog Football officially returns."

"This is gonna be a frustrating two weeks before the 'Dogs have a chance to get back on the winning track at evil hawaii."

"The Bulldogs never seem to give up, which I commend. However, there are mistakes on the field and in the game plan that have prevented us from winning."

"I feel frustrated and disappointed. I am tired of being close and not winning."

Grading the 'Dogs (1-3, 0-1) @ No. 14 Cincinnati (4-0, 1-0)

Quarterbacks: B-

We at the blog have been and will continue to root hard for Ryan Colburn. And we also can't help but wonder how much further along in his development he would be had he seen more time in non-game-deciding situations last year (and there were plenty). That being said, what's done is done, and here we are, with the Bulldogs sitting at 1-3 on the season. Against Cincinnati -- and for the first time all season -- Colburn was the lone quarterback to see action. The Bearcats challenged the Bulldogs to execute the run by doubling the receivers on the outside for a vast majority of the game in what Cinc(i or y, circle your preference) coach Brian Kelly called a double zone defense. Colburn seemed to show general improvement in the time he took to deliver the ball, but his confusion in his reads seem evident at times as well, and the delay of game coming out of the timeout just can't happen.

Colburn finished the night 16 of 27 for 153 yards, 1 TD and 1 pick. His longest completion was just 22 yards, a reflection of the lack of a presence by the vertical passing game. Problem is, the presence of a short to mid-range passing game was inconsistent, which was no more evident than the interception he lobbed to a Bearcats defender less than 5 yards from the Bulldogs taking the lead in the fourth quarter.

All things considered, Colburn has outstanding qualities, and many of his intangibles fit the Bulldog Football mentality perfectly. He "managed" the game very well, but a quarterback must have the ability to take over when needed, which means finishing drives. Colburn has been good but not good enough, a tagline any football player and/or team needs to avoid. If given the chance, he will still shine in the remainder of conference play, however.

Running Backs: A

It was only a matter of time until the entire nation found out that Ryan Mathews is a millionaire-in-waiting. That time was last week. But this week, the Mathews Farewell Tour continued at Cincinnati, where the junior took 38 handoffs for 145 yards and a touchdown. Mathews broke to the Bearcats' final line of defense several times, but couldn't break through for one of his patented 60+ yard runs. Credit solid tackling by the UC defense. Bearcats coach Brian Kelly said Mathews -- whose longest run was 11 yards -- was at least every bit as good a back as Donald Brown (uconn) and LeSean McCoy (pitt), two first-round draft picks in this year's NFL draft.

Senior Lonyae Miller and true freshman Robbie Rouse contributed mightily to the Bulldogs' ground attack, accumulating 77 yards on 10 carries and 50 yards on 5 carries, respectively. For Miller, it was essentially his first chance of the '09 season to really contribute, and he impressed. Miller pushed piles forward with his leg drive and nearly broke free to the endzone on a 33-yard carry around the outside edge. His speed is ridiculous on the edge and he should continue to make noise during WAC play.

Rouse hung a 29-yard run on the Bearcats, and the change of pace he brings to the offense continues to reap rewards. He changes field position in a hurry and is small enough and shifty enough to make a broken play a big play. Rouse has been a truly valuable asset for the three-headed monster in the backfield.

Receivers: C

The receivers came into the game against Cinc(ee) a small part of the game plan for the Bulldogs and a big part of the game plan for the Bearcats. The Bulldogs wanted and needed to control the clock, and Bearcats coach Brian Kelly refused to let the Bulldogs chalk up big yards through the air.

For the Bulldogs, Jamel Hamler had a mini-breakout game, as he caught 4 balls for 57 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Isaac Kinter also had 4 receptions from a position that has had very little production all year. In fact, it's a shame Ryan Skidmore isn't ready for the physical part of the game yet, because the danger he'd present as a receiving option would be huge.

Still, it was an average performance by the unit, as they had a tough time creating separation when they found themselves in one-on-one coverage, and failed to make big plays when presented. Devon Wylie was almost nowhere to be found on offense. A player as dangerous as him must get more touches.

Offensive Line: A

There were running lanes galore all day and Ryan Colburn hardly went touched in 27 throwing opportunities, including no sacks. The Bulldogs faced a 3-4 defense for the first time all season and adjusted well, assisting the running backs to pick up and average of 5.1 yards a pop.

Fresno State coach Pat Hill has said the line has been a very good unit thus far, but has much more potential in them. Saturday's game was a good step in that direction. The o-line is becoming a great strength of the team, which is scary considering there are no seniors among the starting five.

Defensive Line: C-

Sure the Bulldogs defended the run very well (aside from Cincinnati's first drive of the game). But the Bearcats only attempted 16 rushes and are a spread passing team, meaning the pass rush was their most critical goal of the game. Chris Carter has been a one-man wrecking crew, and is an effing blast to watch play football. He had 1 sack for 7 yards, a forced fumble and 2 hits on the quarterback, all while playing with a cast club on his hand due to some severely broken fingers on his left hand.

Kenny Borg was expected to return to an even better form than he showed his true freshman year two years ago after missing last year with an ACL tear. Borg has been almost nonexistent in pass rush situations, which is completely surprising.

With a four man rush, Fresno State has to do more to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, as Bearcats senior signal caller Tony Pike had way too much time to throw. Until that changes, the Bulldogs will be vulnerable to big plays in the passing game. When all three levels of the defense can click at the same time, that's when Fresno State can once again become a big play defense. The tackle for loss numbers are far below what they need to be to help assist them in that aspect.

Linebackers: B

The linebackers were put in a tough spot Saturday, as the Fresno State coaches once again chose to use a 4-3 zone defense to defend a 4-5 wide receiver spread offense that has a quarterback with solid scrambling ability.

Nico Herron continues to put forth consistent performances and has been solid in pass coverage, for the most part. Herron came through for a team-best 7 tackles and 1 tackle for loss. Ben Jacobs came through for 6 tackles, but is still vulnerable in one-on-one coverage situations. Jacobs is a reliable tackler and great at plugging the run, but his lateral movement is just a tad behind where it needs to be.

Shawn Plummer recorded 2 tackles and had one forced fumble, while Kyle Knox was left completely off the stat sheet.

The linebackers did a good job avoiding the big plays.

Defensive Backs: D+

The first series for the Fresno State defense has been very underwhelming this season. A.J. Jefferson allowed Bearcats receiver Mardy Gilyard to sneak by for a long run after the catch before turning on some serious afterburners to run him down. After that play, however, Jefferson turned in a good showing, recording 5 tackles and 1 pass break-up.

But there were still struggles galore -- mainly with Gilyard -- for each member of the secondary. But in their defense, the Bearcats were presented with the same defense the Bulldogs have used for years against their offense, with few alternative looks shown to confuse them. Still, a missed open field tackle by Zak Hill allowed UC tight end Ben Guidugli to catch and run for a 33-yard touchdown, his only catch of the day.

Moses Harris and Desia Dunn were also beaten for touchdowns by Gilyard, who tallied 9 catches for 177 yards and 2 TDs, all team-highs. The good news is that aside from Gilyard, who is easily one of the top 5 receivers in the nation, UC receivers did little against the Bulldogs. D.J. Woods pulled in a remarkable one-handed catch on what looked to be an overthrow by Pike. Still, minus Gilyard, the remaining 4 Bearcats to catch a pass combined for 123 yards on 9 catches.

The bottom line: despite Pat Hill's praise for his defense limiting the Bearcats to only 28 points and 357 yards in four quarters, it was the defense and secondary that allowed 300 yards through the air in only 16 minutes of possession for the Bearcats. That's not good, no matter how you slice it.

But it's the glaring zero in the interception column that continues to haunt the secondary. The one interception came by a linebacker. Fresno State must return to being a big play defense to have any chance at upsetting top 25-caliber teams. Whether or not it's the players making different reads than guys in years past or the schemes putting them in the right position, we won't for sure know. But over the course of a 12 game season, you should almost be presented with a chance for an interception at least once per game, just by chance.

Special Teams: A-

The two most important areas of special teams for the Bulldogs are covering kicks and executing on field goals, both of which kept the Bulldogs in the game on Saturday. Bulldogs kicker Kevin Goessling drilled each of his two field goal attempts from 36 and 49 yards, while the coverage units were outstanding -- finally.

Robert Malone bounced back from a week where he gave one of the best return men in the nation in boise state's Kyle Wilson 3 wide open opportunities for big returns to an outstanding effort against Cincinnati. Malone averaged 50 yards on his kicks, while pinning the Bearcats on their own 20 and in.

Fresno State has also found it's man on kickoffs as Andrew Shapiro collected 2 touchbacks on 5 kickoffs. The kick coverage unit, which received some schematic and personnel makeovers during the week, was never in danger of allowing a big return and swarmed ball carriers.

Frustratingly enough, despite the success in these areas, the Fresno State return game was the lone area of weakness. Even when they set up for a return, the Bulldogs could not break a big return on punts with gamechanger Wylie, nor a electric return by the All-American Jefferson on kick returns. Still, there's no reason to think they won't excel sooner rather than later in the return game.

Coaching: B-

Fresno State coaches did well to put together a smart game plan on offense, keeping the ball away from the Bearcats as much as they could on offense. And special teams coach John Baxter quickly fixed a struggling coverage unit to help the Bulldogs control field position.

However, the stubbornness to not move away or throw different looks at these spread offenses is hurting the defense and putting them in a position to fail. Opposing playcallers know what to expect on every down. With three linebackers on the field, the Fresno State secondary is assigned large zones to cover, which has often times created that extra step the offense needs to have an open window. A three linebacker set just isn't suited to succeed in 4 and 5 wide situations, at least not on a down-by-down basis.

Finally, the Bulldogs have struggled in the compete zone (plus 25 and in) on offense, partly due to player execution and partly due to playcalling. The Bulldogs need to put more touchdowns on the board and reward themselves on their long drives. Too many times the Bulldogs are trying to climb out of holes instead of burying their opponents in one. Fans have been pleading for too long for the Bulldogs to go for the throat rather than play for coin-flip-like odds at the end of games.

WAC rundown Week 4

No. 21 Missouri (3-0) @ Nevada (0-2)
Friday, 6 p.m., ESPN
Last week: Colorado State 35, Nevada 20
Getting shut out at Notre Dame was one thing, but a double-digit loss at Colorado State after a bye week must have the Wolf Pack questioning things. Missouri smoked Nevad 69-17 a year ago, and should win again, but it'll be closer in Reno.
Prediction: Missouri

Fresno State (1-2, 0-1) @ No. 14 Cincinnati (3-0, 1-0)
Saturday, 9 a.m., ESPN Regional/Bulldog Sports Network
Last week: No. 10 Boise State 51, Fresno State 34
A 1-3 start for a Bulldogs team this talented would be heartbreaking, but this Bearcats squad is determined to have its best season ever and has a flatout prolific offense. Weather permitting, it could turn into a high-scoring affair similar to Fresno State's game last week, but if it rains hard enough the edge swings greatly in Fresno State's advantage with its running game. Otherwise, the Bearcats' offense is built to deconstruct the Bulldogs' defense with the spread passing attack.
Prediction: Cincinnati

Idaho (2-1, 1-0) @ Northern Illinois (2-1)
Saturday, 12:30 p.m., Comcast/ESPN Gameplan
Last week: Idaho 34, San Diego State 20
Wow, would ya look at the Vandals? They surprised last week with a two-score win over the Aztecs, and now it's not unreasonable they could improve to 3-1 with a win this week. But the Huskies are coming off a 28-21 win at Purdue, and almost came back at Wisconsin in the opener. With home field, they get the edge. Plus, Idaho has reached its win quote for the next two years.
Prediction: Northern Illinois

No. 8 Boise State (3-0, 1-0) @ Bowling Green (1-2)
Saturday, 4 p.m., ESPN Gameplan
Last week: Boise State 51, Fresno State 34
Even without running back D.J. Harper, who was lost for the year with a knee injury, the Broncos are going to run away with this one. The tough travel hype in the media all week is nonsense. The Falcons' offense doesn't present near the challenge Fresno State's did.
Prediction: Boise State

Southern Utah (1-2) @ Utah State (0-2)
Saturday, 5 p.m.
Last week: Texas A&M 38, Utah State 30
Close losses to Texas A&M and Utah early in the season makes Utah State seem like a team on the verge of competing in the WAC -- just not this year. Still, playing an FCS team will get the Aggies in the win column.
Prediction: Utah State

Cal Poly (1-1) @ San Jose State (0-3)
Saturday, 5 p.m.
Last week: Stanford 42, San Jose State 17
The Spartans have had a rough early go of it with losses to USC, Utah and Stanford, but as long as their spirits aren't crushed they're too talented to lose to even a strong FCS program like Cal Poly's. Many questions remain to be answered about the Spartans' offense, and it'll be interesting to see if they figure them out this week?
Prediction: San Jose State

New Mexico State (1-2, 0-1) @ New Mexico (0-3, 0-1)
Saturday, 7 p.m.
Last week: UTEP 38, New Mexico State 12
New Mexico State is just bad. And so is New Mexico. The Lobos haven't come close against Texas A&M, Air Force or Tulsa. But it would still be a stunner if the Aggies beat anyone in the FBS, let alone a Mountain West team.
Prediction: New Mexico

Byes:
Hawaii
Last week: UNLV 34, Hawaii 33

Louisiana Tech
Last week: Louisiana tech 48, Nicholls State 13

Preview: Fresno State (1-2, 0-1) @ No. 14 Cincinnati (3-0, 1-0)

Quarterbacks
Edge: Bearcats
First-year starter Ryan Colburn (6-3, 220) had an abysmal first half in last Friday’s 51-34 loss to then-No. 10 Boise State, throwing for just 10 yards and two interceptions. Colburn had more completions to Boise State defenders (1) than his Fresno State teammates (0) in the half. Coach Pat Hill said he considered inserting true freshman Derek Carr (6-3, 190) after halftime, but ended up sticking with the junior Colburn and it paid off. The lefty Colburn heated up and threw for 177 second-half yards and a touchdown, nearly helping the Bulldogs to a comeback. On the year, Colburn has thrown for 637 yards, 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions (55.4%). Shifty redshirt freshman Ebahn Feathers (6-0, 210) led one drive, resulting in a field goal for the team’s first points of the game. If Cincinnati defenders are overly aggressive, the Bulldogs might use Feathers to burn them for a run this week.

Cincinnati’s potent offense starts with senior Tony Pike (6-6, 225), who loves to spread the ball all over the field and has put up ridiculous numbers while doing it. Pike averages nearly 100 yards per game more than Colburn and has completed 75 of 106 passes (70.5%) for 923 yards, 8 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Coaches won’t hesitate to let Pike keep it in the red zone – he’s got two rushing scores on the year. In a tight 28-18 win at Oregon State last week, Pike threw for 332 yards, 2 scores and a pick. Pike was named Big East offensive player of the week after a 362-yard performance at Rutgers in the opener.

Running Backs
Edge: Bulldogs
Wow. There’s no other word to aptly describe junior Ryan Mathews’ (5-11, 220) showing on national TV last Friday, despite the loss to Boise State. Mathews did everything in his power to run the Bulldogs back into the game after an early deficit, racking up a career-high 234 yards and 3 touchdowns. Mathews leads the nation with 447 yards, and averages 9.1 per carry. His touchdowns against a vaunted Boise State defense went for 69, 60 and 68 yards, respectively. As if he’s not enough for the Bearcats to worry about, the emergence of true freshman Robbie Rouse (5-7, 185) has opponents on alert. Rouse is second on the team with 174 yards (7.6 per carry). And don’t forget about seniors Lonyae Miller (5-11, 220) and Anthony Harding (6-0, 220). Both have gotten limited carries so far this season, but each rushed for more than 800 yards last year (Harding was the team’s leader).

Cincinnati relies much less on the run than Fresno State, but the Bearcats have a talented young back in sophomore Isaiah Pead (5-10, 193), who broke his high school’s all-time rushing mark previously held by two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin. Pead is second on the Bearcats with 138 yards (4.6 average) while senior Jacob Ramsey (6-0, 216) has 161 yards and an 8.1-yard average. Though Ramsey has a the team-long with a 62-yard carry, he hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown, but has two receiving. Both backs will be used in the passing game, as they’ve combined for 159 yards receiving and thee scores.

Receivers
Edge: Even
Both teams have big playmakers at wide receiver, and though Cincinnati has the biggest name, Fresno State has four wideouts with more than 100 yards in just three games – junior Devon Wylie (5-9, 170), senior Seyi Ajirotutu (6-4, 210), senior Chastin West (6-1, 215) and senior Marlon Moore (6-1, 190). Ajirotutu leads the Bulldogs with 11 catches for 167 yards, but Wylie leads with 175 yards (17.5 per catch) – both have 2 touchdowns. West and Moore have 120 yards apiece, but Moore’s done it on just four catches (including a 92-yarder in the opener against UC Davis). Wylie had a 70-yard score at Wisconsin. Sophomore Jamel Hamler (6-2, 205) is waiting in the wings and will also emerge as a big-play threat when he gets his turn. He had three receptions last week. The Bulldogs average 15.4 yards per catch as a team, compared to 12.8 by the Bearcats. Most exciting for ‘Dogs fans is the ability the receivers have shown to go up and get the ball at its high point in recent weeks.

The biggest danger the Bearcats present is senior Mardy Gilyard (6-1, 187), an All-American who had 1,276 yards and 11 touchdowns last season and leads the Bearcats with 265 yards and 4 scores this year (11.5 average) and is a candidate for several national awards. Sophomore D.J. Woods (6-0, 175) emerged last week against Oregon State with 7 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Woods is second with 208 yards on the year, ahead of junior Armon Binns (6-4, 200), who has 179 yards and is second-best on the Bearcats with 15 receptions. Pike has spread the ball around to 14 different players, including junior tight end Ben Guidugli (6-0, 237), who has 5 catches for 49 yards.

Offensive Line
Edge: Bulldogs
For the second straight week, the Bulldogs allowed two sacks in a game, and face their stiffest challenge on Saturday morning against a 3-4 blitzing defense from Cincinnati. The Bulldogs’ scout team has been emulating the Bearcats’ blitz looks this week to prepare for the battle in the trenches, but Fresno State matches up better against bigger defensive fronts than faster, more athletic ones. Credit Fresno State’s line for opening up running lanes for Mathews and Rouse last week and helping propel the Bulldogs to No. 4 in the nation among rushing offenses. Junior right guard Andrew Jackson (6-5, 295) will be the best lineman on the field.

The Bearcats have a stable line that returned three starters from last season and found two new starters who have been set in their positions each game this year while the unit has allowed just two sacks. The two linemen Cincinnati lost from last season are the only offensive starters who didn’t return this year. It starts with senior left tackle John Linkenbach (6-6, 311), senior center Chris Jurek (6-2, 286) and junior left guard Jason Kelce (6-4, 290), who have 49 career starts combined. Keep an eye on junior left tackle Samuel Griffin (6-4, 260), who is greatly undersized but might have an easier time keeping up with Fresno State’s speedy ends than Linkenbach.

Defensive Line
Edge: Even
Junior end Chris Carter (6-2, 230) has blossomed into a fierce pass rusher for the Bulldogs, despite an obscenely large cast on his left hand resulting from an injury in the Wisconsin game. Carter’s owns the team’s only two sacks of the season, leads the team with 3 tackles for loss and was in Boise State’s backfield all night last Friday. How often and how quick he and fellow end, sophomore Kenny Borg (6-3, 245), can get in Pike’s face on Saturday might determine the outcome of this game. With the secondary as Fresno State’s biggest concern, it’s all the more important the Bulldogs force Pike into pressure decisions with defensive line play. Junior tackle Chris Lewis (6-3, 260) is on the verge of a breakout season if he keeps up the intensity – which was his problem area in past seasons. Fresno State could sorely use a better pass rush from the interior linemen.

When a defense gives up an average of just 12 points per game as Cincinnati’s has, no one’s going to have a ton of tackles. But senior end Alex Daniels (6-4, 259) is tied for second on the team with 15. The team has a ridiculous 32 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. Senior end Ricardo Mathews (6-3, 294) leads the Bearcats with 4.5 tackles for loss and is second with 2.5 sacks. The Bearcats surely saw game film of Fresno State using the draw against Boise State last week and will have to be ready for it if they’re in the Bulldogs’ backfield early.

Linebackers
Edge: Bearcats
Sophomore Kyle Knox (6-1, 215) had one of the biggest hits of the season for Fresno State on Friday, when he blasted a gap and met Boise State running back D.J. Harper head on, unfortunately ending Harper’s season with a knee injury. But it was the type of good, clean hit the Bulldogs need from their linebackers to keep Bearcats’ receivers from getting too comfortable in space. All-WAC junior Ben Jacobs (6-3, 225) leads the team with 25 tackles after recording 113 last season, and has 2 tackles for loss. Junior Nico Herron (6-3, 240) had little impact last week after a big start to the season, and may see less time in favor of reserve sophomore Shawn Plummer (6-0, 200), a former walk-on who offers more speed.

The Bearcats defense has been surprisingly strong after losing 10 starters from a season ago, and the leading tackler is senior Andre Revels (6-0, 221) with 21. Redshirt freshman Walter Stewart (6-5, 226) made his first start at Oregon State in place of Curtis Young, who was lost for the season with injury. Stewart had 4 tackles, 2.5 for losses and forced a fumble – he leads the team with 3 sacks. Sophomore J.K. Schaffer (6-1, 223) has two interceptions.

Defensive Backs
Edge: Bearcats
Fresno State faces a tall task with junior safety Lorne Bell (5-10, 200) still out with injury – not just because he’s established himself as the defense’s hardest hitter and on-field leader, but because his replacements struggled last week. Senior Marvin Haynes (6-1, 205) fills in with two-plus years of starting experience but dropped a wide-open, would-be interception against Boise State that was right in his hands with the Bulldogs trailing by only seven points in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Zak Hill (6-0, 200), Pat Hill’s son, was an even bigger liability in his first significant game action, being caught out of position and outrun for two big plays last week. The Bulldogs could benefit from sliding redshirt freshman Phillip Thomas (6-1, 205) into that spot for pass coverage on Saturday. While Thomas lacks the experience to lead the defense like Bell, he’s got the talent to be one of the WAC’s best. Junior corner Desia Dunn (5-9, 190) has to improve his awareness, especially if he matches up with Gilyard so senior A.J. Jefferson (6-0, 190) can cover the taller Binns.

The Bearcats have seven interceptions on the year, compared to Fresno State’s one, but their secondary faces its biggest challenge with the number of skilled receivers that will be on the field and rotating in and out to keep fresh. Senior safety Aaron Webster (6-2, 211) is tied for the team lead with two picks, while redshirt freshman safety Drew Frey (6-4, 205) is coming off his best game with 12 tackles in the win at Oregon State. Frey played in four games last season before an arm injury forced him to take a medical redshirt. Webster is the team’s lone returning starter from a year ago, when he finished with 60 tackles and a pick.

Special Teams
Edge: Even
Forget how good the Bulldogs have been in the past decade blocking kicks. Forget how good A.J. Jefferson, Devon Wylie, Chastin West and Marlon Moore have been returning kicks and punts. The kick coverage has been flat out poor. And special teams coach John Baxter needs to do something about it – stubbornness doesn’t win ballgames. The Bulldogs were burned more than ever under Hill for big returns last season, and the trend seems to have carried over, as Boise State had two different players with 77-yard returns, and a long punt return that was called back on a penalty. Fresno State can’t afford to put its defense in bad field position and expect to win big games.

Mardy Gilyard earned Big East special teams player of the year honors last season. Think he can repeat? Gilyard’s 53-yard punt return for a touchdown against Southeast Missouri State ended a 12-year drought without a punt return score for the Bearcats. To put that into perspective, consider the Bulldogs returned three punts for touchdowns just last season (with three different players). Gilyard averages a modest 20 yards per kick return, but the Bulldogs can’t afford to take risk with him. Junior Jake Rogers is just 1 of 2 on field goals this season, with a long of 30 yards. Freshman punter Patrick O’Donnell (6-5, 210) averages only 37.9 yards, giving Fresno State a big edge in the kicking game but it’s evened out in coverage.

Coaching
Edge: Bearcats
It’s hard to pick against Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly right now after he led the Bearcats to a BCS bowl last season and an all-time high No. 12 final ranking. He’s got the team ranked 14th right now, and has national media even talking about national championship possibilities – unheard of at the school that’s had back-to-back 10-win seasons after having just one previous 10-win season in its history (1951). But don’t forget, it’s the type of big-time non-conference game Pat Hill and his players live for, and after a 1-2 start with a team this talented, they’re hungry. Still, Fresno State has lost its past 10 games against ranked teams.

Intangibles
Edge: Even
A week after Fresno State wore its all-Bulldog Red uniforms during a “white-out” of Bulldog Stadium in which the visitor wore all white uniforms, Cincinnati is doing it right with the Bearcats wearing all white to match their fans. Fresno State will wear the Bulldog Reds. The Bulldogs let a lesser Wisconsin team sneak back in the game and steal a win at Camp Randall two weeks ago and now find themselves in danger of falling to 1-3 with another loss. With a team that’s proven to lack the mental toughness to bounce back in the past, that’s a big risk. Though Cincinnati is a BCS-conference opponent, 35,000-seat Nippert Stadium is smaller than the Bulldogs’ home. From Cincinnati’s perspective, a win is a must to keep national title dreams alive.

***Photos courtesy of Juan Villa

Thou shalt not discipline Boise players

Is there some WAC rule we don't know about prohibiting discipline against Boise State players? The Broncos have played just three games in the young season -- two of them featuring questionable behavior by their players.

We've all heard all about the first incident, when defensive lineman Byron Hout ran by Oregon star Lagarrette Blount, hit him on the helmet and shoulder pad before giving a little taunt, and then got a roundhouse to the chinny chin chin. Hout was not suspended for his actions.

Now, word out of the WAC office today is commish Karl Benson reviewed two Boise State hits from this past Friday's game at Fresno State -- both on Bulldogs quarterback Ryan Colburn -- and determined neither were worth disciplinary action.

The Fresno Bee wrote it this way: "In fact, Benson said further replay showed it was the shoulder pad of Broncos safety Winston Venable that came in contact with Colburn's helmet during the fourth-quarter collision ..."

Then The Bee quoted Benson as saying, "The Boise State defender was leading with his helmet, but did not make helmet-to-helmet contact. ..."

The Bee story then follows with this nugget: "Benson did say that the officiating crew should have flagged Venable with a personal foul for hitting a player above the shoulder pads ..."

Really? Does Benson have replays more clear than this one (fast forward to fourth quarter and listen to commentators' remarks)? Because, with my modest 20-20 human eyesight, it appears quite obvious that it was not Venable's shoulder pad that first came into contact with Colburn. It also appears possible there was indeed helmet-to-helmet contact (unless there are better replays available proving otherwise). And thirdly, the officiating crew did not flag Venable -- he got away with a hit and Boise State got away with a win.

Shoot, if I didn't know any better, I'd think Benson is a Boise State alum or something...

Time to talk Colburn

It was still the first quarter of Friday night's 51-34 loss to No. 10 Boise State when the Red Wave (which was mostly clad in white) made me cringe. Quarterback Ryan Colburn threw an incomplete pass and the fans, his own fans, Fresno State's own fans, booed. Not all of 'em, but dozens of them at least. And they should all be ashamed.

Colburn's not an NFL player making $2 million a game. He's a college kid, and he's playing his heart out for the Valley's team. And how can you not root for a guy who's hurt this much by a loss? If that doesn't show how much Colburn cares, I don't know what would?

Now that that's settled, let's analyze how he's doing (no boos allowed). After throwing for just 10 yards in the first half Friday, including two interceptions, Colburn finished 14 of 29 for 187 yards and two scores. Very underwhelming stats, but considering the poor first half he finished quite strong. Plus, he out-passed Boise State's Kellen Moore.

On the year now, Colburn is 41 of 74 (55.4%) with 637 yards, 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.

So you tell us Red Wave, has Colburn done enough to earn a stronghold on the starting quarterback job? Was it a mistake for coach Pat Hill not to play Derek Carr, or even Ebahn Feathers in passing situations?