Juan Villa / The Collegian

Fresno State Bulldogs (4-2, 3-0 WAC) vs. San Jose State Spartans (3-4, 2-1 WAC)

Game Day: Saturday, 2 p.m., at Bulldog Stadium (homecoming)
Television: Bulldog Sports Network (Comcast Channel 5, KFRE-59)
Radio: KMJ-AM 580 and KGST-AM 1600 (ESPN Deportes)
Pre-game Show: ESPN Game Day Live (KFIG-AM 1430) at 11 a.m.

Bulldogs̢۪ Three Keys to Victory:

1) Get to Tafralis early. The Bulldogs need to force Tafralis to make poor decisions in the passing game. Last weekend he threw three interceptions. If the Spartans̢۪ passing game is shut down, the entire offense is shut down.
2) Put the Spartans away for good. Lately Fresno State has been letting teams stick around for four quarters. The Bulldogs need to get ahead, stay ahead to seal a victory.
3) Be loud Red Wave! This key to victory is directed at the fans. The Bulldogs have been talking all week about how they can̢۪t wait to play in front of a packed home crowd. It̢۪s homecoming, so let the ̢۪Dogs know you̢۪re there and don̢۪t leave early!

This is Sparta!

Last Week: Lost 35-42 (OT) to Hawaii
2006 Record: 9-4, 5-3 WAC (T-3rd)
Head Coach: Dick Tomey (Third Season)
Offense: Multiple
Defense: Multiple
Key Players: QB Adam Tafralis, LB Matt Castelo, CB Chris Owens
Series Record: Fresno State leads 35-33-3
Last Meeting: 2006 – San Jose State won 24-14 in San Jose

Position Match-ups

Juan Villa / The Collegian

When Fresno State Runs: Fresno State
Mathews and Miller are proving to be the dynamic duo. The Spartans have not seen a running game like this all season.

When San Jose State Runs: Fresno State
The Spartans have the worst rushing offense in the conference – enough said.

Ron Fried / San Jose State Media Relations

When Fresno State Passes: San Jose State
Lowery and Owens are two of the best corners in the WAC. This will be a great test for Brandstater.

When San Jose State Passes: San Jose State
Tafralis has been having his way with opposing secondaries as of late.

When Fresno State Kicks: Fresno State
Stitser is starting to come around, making 3 of 4 field goals last weekend. Zimmerman is third in the conference in punting.

When San Jose State Kicks: Fresno State
Spartan punter Waylon Prather has fallen off a bit since his All-WAC performance last year. Clifton Smith will be primed for a touchdown at homecoming.

Breakdown: Bulldogs

Believe it or not Bulldog fans, the football team is playing at home this weekend. This is only the third time in the first 53 days of the college football season that Fresno State is playing at Bulldog Stadium. So “homecomingâ€Â has more than just one meaning this Saturday.

Fresno State is currently on a three-game winning streak and boasts a 3-0 record in conference play. This weekend the Bulldogs welcome intrastate rival, San Jose State, for their 69th meeting. Last season the Spartans beat the Bulldogs 24-14 in San Jose.

Pat Hill and the ̢۪Dogs have been looking forward to this game for weeks and are anticipating a full house at Bulldog Stadium. You can bet they will be striving to put on a display for the hometown crowd.

Offense:

̢ۢ The last couple of weeks for the Bulldogs̢۪ offense has been an explosion of the running game. The dynamic duo of sophomore Lonyae Miller and true freshman Ryan Mathews have been providing the bulk of the offense for Fresno State. The two had a couple scores each last weekend against Idaho.

̢ۢ Tom Brandstater has been doing well as of late, keeping the offense running in a smooth, even tempo. His numbers aren̢۪t extraordinary but he doesn̢۪t have to be if he is doing his job of running the offense. Brandstater faces his biggest challenge this year in the form of cornerbacks Dwight Lowery and Chris Owens.

̢ۢ Wide receiver Marlon Moore is back this week after sitting out due to an ankle injury he suffered three weeks ago against Louisiana Tech. His presence will provide a huge boost to the passing game.

Defense:

̢ۢ The main focus for Fresno State on defense will be shutting down the passing game. San Jose State quarterback Adam Tafralis is the center of the Spartans̢۪ offense. Cornerback Damon Jenkins will need to shut down Tafralis̢۪ main target, Kevin Jurovich.

̢ۢ San Jose State̢۪s leading rusher from last season, Yonus Davis, has been out with an ankle injury. His absence has led to a non-existent running game for the Spartans. The Bulldogs need to shut down the run early and focus on pressuring Tafralis.

Special Teams:

̢ۢ Kicker Clint Stitser showed much improvement last weekend, making 3 of 4 field goals, two of which came from 44 yards out.

̢ۢ A.J. Jefferson leads the nation in kick return average with 33.3 yards per game.

Breakdown: Spartans

After a 0-3 start to their season, the San Jose State Spartans have started to turn a corner as of late. The Spartans had their three-game winning streak snapped last weekend when they dropped an overtime heartbreaker to Hawaii, 35-42. Coach Dick Tomey does not expect an emotional letdown from his team this weekend, as he will be taking on his former assistant, Pat Hill.

These two schools are longtime rivals and the Spartans would not mind spoiling Fresno State̢۪s homecoming to move up in the conference standings.

Offense:

̢ۢ Senior quarterback Adam Tafralis runs the Spartans offense. He is fourth in the WAC in passing with 1,663 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also holds a school record with four consecutive 300-yard passing games. He currently has a 65.7 completion percentage.

̢ۢ Tafralis̢۪ main target is junior wide receiver Kevin Jurovich. The junior has 44 receptions for 638 yards this season to go with five touchdowns. Two of those scores came last weekend against Hawaii.

̢ۢ Tomey likes to run the ball, but hasn̢۪t been able to effectively this season without his injured star, Yonus Davis. His rushing offense is the worst in the WAC, only gaining 62 yards per game.

Defense:

̢ۢ Senior linebacker Matt Castelo is the heart of the Spartans̢۪ defense. Castelo led the nation last season, averaging 9.2 tackles per game. This season he is third in the WAC with 71 total tackles and leads the Spartans with 7.5 tackles for loss.

̢ۢ Dwight Lowery and Chris Owens provide great pass defense in the secondary. Lowery was an All-American in 2006 with nine interceptions. This year he has three. Owens is tied for the WAC lead with four interceptions.