The last time Boise State went to play rival Fresno State in California, it nearly derailed their BCS Bowl hopes.
Ryan Matthews ran basically the same play up the gut of the Bronco defense three times for long touchdown runs and Boise State haters ridiculed the team that always proves them wrong, saying “Boise State can’t be that good if they allow touchdowns like that!”
Boise State won the game by the way, and won it convincingly. But Matthews exposed weaknesses in the Boise State defense, gaps that they seemed to correct in future games. Matthews is now a star in the National Football League and to say his understudy, Robbie Rouse, is a workhorse is understating things. Rouse leads the country in rushing attempts with 133. No other Fresno player has more than seven carries.
So Fresno Coach Pat Hill is determined to run the ball. And Rouse has been toting it to the tune of 120 yards per game. In contrast, Doug Martin, Boise State’s leading rusher, is averaging 82 yards so you can see what a job Rouse has done this season for Fresno State.
Fresno State is averaging 30.6 points a game. And they showed what they could do in Lincoln against Nebraska. But then they struggled against North Dakota. So which Fresno State team will we see on glorious national television?
Boise State thought they had seen the last of Carr at quarterback when he was drafted first in the NFL in 2002. Not so. This is another Carr—Derek Carr, David's younger bro, whom Fresno coaches and fans have been excited about from the moment he put on pads. The kid has great potential. I saw him against Nebraska and he performed very well, putting his team in position to win in the fourth quarter before a couple of plays that turned the game decidedly for the home team. But Carr’s great and he’s going to be fun to watch for the next three years. Obviously since Fresno State will soon join Boise State in the Mountain West, you want Carr to do well. Just not tomorrow night.
The Bronco secondary would do well to follow the whereabouts of one Jalen Saunders. The sophomore is second in the nation in yards per reception with (27.2) and four touchdowns. Saunders is the first Fresno wideout to record three consecutive 100-yard games since Bulldog great Bernard Berrian. Devon Wylie is another wideout who is making his mark mostly on punt returns. The appropriately-named Wylie is 10th nationally averaging 16 yards a punt return and he’ll frequently bring them back 30 yards or more.
The Bulldogs are blessed to get the services of Richard Helepiko at center. Helepiko has been out since the season opener against California but is penciled in to start against Boise State. That piece of good news already makes Fresno better. Leslie Cooper, who has filled in for Helepiko, could see snaps at left guard.
Hill tried to get his defense to focus mentally this week. He knows the Broncos’ multiple formations all too well and says that there are too many formations to plan for in one week. Rather, he wants his players to look for personnel groups and defense Boise State that way. One thing’s for sure—few coaches in the country know Boise State as well as Hill. And if there’s a coach that can find a way to beat them, Hill is a hard one to bet against.
Fresno State’s defense seems to reload each year with great pro prospects; defensive tackle Logan Harrell is the latest guy to step up for the Bulldogs. Harrell is fourth in the nation with 8.5 tackles for loss. While Harrell has been a standout, he no doubt is exhorting his teammates to help. You see, Fresno State ranks 97th in scoring defense, allowing 32.4 points a game. That, combined with the video game numbers of Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore is causing Hill and his coaches to toss and turn tonight. The Bulldogs are going to have to step up tomorrow night because with the way Boise State’s defense plays, that’s too many points to give up. If it’s a shoot-out, that has to favor Boise State. Hill wants a rough ‘em, , tough 'em, slug-‘em defensive battle.
In Boise State’s balanced offense, they can beat you a number of ways. Do you try to stop the run and make Kellen Moore beat you? Good luck with that. Most Bronco opponents, however, have tried to do that very thing. The biggest problem is that eventually, Martin will wear your defense out, no matter how many people you crowd the line of scrimmage with. The guy is tough as nails and deals punishment out with each bruising run. He’s one of those guys that get stronger the more he carries the ball. Plus, if you cheat towards the run, you’d better have all-world corners that can contain Boise State’s stable of talented receivers. Moore has often found eight, nine, even ten of them in a game to throw to. There’s only so many guys you can cover well if you move eight or nine in the box.
To complicate matters for Fresno, Geraldo Boldewijn returns for Boise State tomorrow night. Finally. While he isn’t expected to start, he will likely see action and that’s a good thing for Boise State’s deep-ball plans.
Two other Bulldog defenders that can make a difference tomorrow night are linebacker Travis Brown, who has 21 tackles in his last two games, and linebacker Kyle Knox, who had 11 in a 38-28 loss to Mississippi last weekend.
Fresno State has scored first in all five games this season. It’s finishing the game and that is where they share a goal similar to Boise State. The Broncos have not been playing well in the second half either. In Fresno’s case, they led Mississippi in the fourth quarter but couldn’t pull it out.
You always get the best from the Bulldogs against Boise State; the Broncos have to know that. They believe they have the signal-caller in Carr that is going to lead them back to greatness. Carr will certainly go down in Bulldog lore if he can pull the upset tomorrow night.
For the Broncos, they have to run the ball, no matter how Fresno chooses to defense them. The Boise State line has yet to consistently open holes in the running game. Part of that is because of injuries, part is due to execution. But if Doug Martin can turn in a 100-yard performance tomorrow night, that will take the pressure off the passing game. In general, Boise State has to tighten up its blocking schemes, avoid the silly penalties incurred last week against Nevada, and follow defensive assignments and use textbook tackling on defense.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN tomorrow night—should be a great night of football!
Ryan Matthews ran basically the same play up the gut of the Bronco defense three times for long touchdown runs and Boise State haters ridiculed the team that always proves them wrong, saying “Boise State can’t be that good if they allow touchdowns like that!”
Boise State won the game by the way, and won it convincingly. But Matthews exposed weaknesses in the Boise State defense, gaps that they seemed to correct in future games. Matthews is now a star in the National Football League and to say his understudy, Robbie Rouse, is a workhorse is understating things. Rouse leads the country in rushing attempts with 133. No other Fresno player has more than seven carries.
So Fresno Coach Pat Hill is determined to run the ball. And Rouse has been toting it to the tune of 120 yards per game. In contrast, Doug Martin, Boise State’s leading rusher, is averaging 82 yards so you can see what a job Rouse has done this season for Fresno State.
Fresno State is averaging 30.6 points a game. And they showed what they could do in Lincoln against Nebraska. But then they struggled against North Dakota. So which Fresno State team will we see on glorious national television?
Boise State thought they had seen the last of Carr at quarterback when he was drafted first in the NFL in 2002. Not so. This is another Carr—Derek Carr, David's younger bro, whom Fresno coaches and fans have been excited about from the moment he put on pads. The kid has great potential. I saw him against Nebraska and he performed very well, putting his team in position to win in the fourth quarter before a couple of plays that turned the game decidedly for the home team. But Carr’s great and he’s going to be fun to watch for the next three years. Obviously since Fresno State will soon join Boise State in the Mountain West, you want Carr to do well. Just not tomorrow night.
The Bronco secondary would do well to follow the whereabouts of one Jalen Saunders. The sophomore is second in the nation in yards per reception with (27.2) and four touchdowns. Saunders is the first Fresno wideout to record three consecutive 100-yard games since Bulldog great Bernard Berrian. Devon Wylie is another wideout who is making his mark mostly on punt returns. The appropriately-named Wylie is 10th nationally averaging 16 yards a punt return and he’ll frequently bring them back 30 yards or more.
The Bulldogs are blessed to get the services of Richard Helepiko at center. Helepiko has been out since the season opener against California but is penciled in to start against Boise State. That piece of good news already makes Fresno better. Leslie Cooper, who has filled in for Helepiko, could see snaps at left guard.
Hill tried to get his defense to focus mentally this week. He knows the Broncos’ multiple formations all too well and says that there are too many formations to plan for in one week. Rather, he wants his players to look for personnel groups and defense Boise State that way. One thing’s for sure—few coaches in the country know Boise State as well as Hill. And if there’s a coach that can find a way to beat them, Hill is a hard one to bet against.
Fresno State’s defense seems to reload each year with great pro prospects; defensive tackle Logan Harrell is the latest guy to step up for the Bulldogs. Harrell is fourth in the nation with 8.5 tackles for loss. While Harrell has been a standout, he no doubt is exhorting his teammates to help. You see, Fresno State ranks 97th in scoring defense, allowing 32.4 points a game. That, combined with the video game numbers of Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore is causing Hill and his coaches to toss and turn tonight. The Bulldogs are going to have to step up tomorrow night because with the way Boise State’s defense plays, that’s too many points to give up. If it’s a shoot-out, that has to favor Boise State. Hill wants a rough ‘em, , tough 'em, slug-‘em defensive battle.
In Boise State’s balanced offense, they can beat you a number of ways. Do you try to stop the run and make Kellen Moore beat you? Good luck with that. Most Bronco opponents, however, have tried to do that very thing. The biggest problem is that eventually, Martin will wear your defense out, no matter how many people you crowd the line of scrimmage with. The guy is tough as nails and deals punishment out with each bruising run. He’s one of those guys that get stronger the more he carries the ball. Plus, if you cheat towards the run, you’d better have all-world corners that can contain Boise State’s stable of talented receivers. Moore has often found eight, nine, even ten of them in a game to throw to. There’s only so many guys you can cover well if you move eight or nine in the box.
To complicate matters for Fresno, Geraldo Boldewijn returns for Boise State tomorrow night. Finally. While he isn’t expected to start, he will likely see action and that’s a good thing for Boise State’s deep-ball plans.
Two other Bulldog defenders that can make a difference tomorrow night are linebacker Travis Brown, who has 21 tackles in his last two games, and linebacker Kyle Knox, who had 11 in a 38-28 loss to Mississippi last weekend.
Fresno State has scored first in all five games this season. It’s finishing the game and that is where they share a goal similar to Boise State. The Broncos have not been playing well in the second half either. In Fresno’s case, they led Mississippi in the fourth quarter but couldn’t pull it out.
You always get the best from the Bulldogs against Boise State; the Broncos have to know that. They believe they have the signal-caller in Carr that is going to lead them back to greatness. Carr will certainly go down in Bulldog lore if he can pull the upset tomorrow night.
For the Broncos, they have to run the ball, no matter how Fresno chooses to defense them. The Boise State line has yet to consistently open holes in the running game. Part of that is because of injuries, part is due to execution. But if Doug Martin can turn in a 100-yard performance tomorrow night, that will take the pressure off the passing game. In general, Boise State has to tighten up its blocking schemes, avoid the silly penalties incurred last week against Nevada, and follow defensive assignments and use textbook tackling on defense.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN tomorrow night—should be a great night of football!
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