Kyle Griner / Idaho Argonaut
Fresno State may have been playing inside at Idaho, but thunder and lightning filled the Kibbie Dome Saturday.
“Me and Ryan like to call ourselves thunder and lightning,â€Â running back Lonyae Miller said of himself and fellow running back Ryan Mathews. “You can expect to see more of us in the future.â€Â
The Bulldogs had another dominant performance, trouncing the Idaho Vandals 37-24, improving to 3-0 in Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play. The Bulldogs are 4-2 overall.
“We came up here with a plan and we executed that plan pretty well today,â€Â coach Pat Hill said. “I think we dominated on the ground and we controlled the ball.â€Â
Miller and Mathews had two touchdowns a piece to pace the rushing attack that gained a total of 238 yards. Miller led the team with 108 yards rushing, his first 100-yard game of the season.
“Our line did a great job today creating holes for Ryan and myself,â€Â Miller said. “It’s fun playing with two backs, which keeps us fresh and keeps the other team on their toes.â€Â
Mathews added 67 yards on 17 carries, while Clifton Smith ran for 42 yards on five carries, averaging 8.4 yards per carry.
“When you have two running backs like Lonyae and Ryan, it gives you options back there,â€Â Hill said. “This puts us in a good position going into next week.â€Â
Perry Hanson / Idaho Argonaut
Quarterback Tom Brandstater efficiently handled the offense. Brandstater completed 17 of 22 for 178 yards.
“We feel we controlled the ball and the clock, which helped all parts of the game,â€Â Brandstater said. “Anytime you can go on the road and get a win like today, you have to be pleased.â€Â
The Bulldogs̢۪ offensive setup was simple and efficient, departing from the unorthodox formations they showed in Reno last weekend. They ran the ball out of the I-formation and wishbone, passing out of empty-backfield formations. The Bulldogs were able to efficiently run the ball up the middle with Miller and Mathews, which set up an in-sync passing game.
In the air, Brandstater̢۪s main target was tight end Bear Pascoe. He ended his day with six catches for 69 yards.
“My job is to just make completions,â€Â Brandstater said. “I don’t worry much about the stats, just the win.â€Â
Not much pressure was on the offense due to the outstanding play of the Bulldog defense. Fresno State stopped Idaho on 9 of 13 possessions, forced four fumbles and had nine tackles in the Idaho backfield. This was all without defensive lineman Jason Shirley, who is out indefinitely with a suspension.
The Bulldogs handled the adversity well though, leading the Vandals for the entire game and never falling behind.
The Vandals three touchdowns came from a 54-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brian Nooy to Stanley Franks, a late fourth quarter touchdown against reserve players and a bizarre play.
Nooy ran the ball up the middle and was absolutely crushed by linebacker Marcus Riley, then fumbled the ball. The ball flew ten feet in the air, then was caught by running back Deonte Jackson doing his best Franco Harris impersonation. Jackson ran the ball up the sideline for a touchdown, making the score 31-14 Fresno.
“That was pretty huge, that trick play we put in there for Deonte,â€Â Idaho coach Robb Akey joked.
On special teams, it was the same story for the ‘Dogs: domination. Idaho’s Shiloh Keo was tops in the conference in punt returns coming into Saturday’s game, but did not gain a yard on punt returns against the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs only allowed 21.2 yards per kick return.
Kicker Clint Stitser made 3 of 4 field goals, two from 44 yards out.
“We’re getting better, but we’re still a work in progress,â€Â Hill said. “Our young guys continue to get better each week and they showed that today.â€Â
The Bulldogs will host the San Jose State Spartans this weekend for homecoming.
“This was a big game for us,â€Â Miller said. “We wanted to keep the momentum going from the last two weeks heading into the San Jose State game.â€Â
“I can’t wait to get home to Bulldog Stadium and I know our players are looking forward to playing front of the home crowd,â€Â Hill said. “I should be another great Fresno State game.â€Â