Juan Villa / The Collegian
FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS 36, UCLA BRUINS 31
Bulldogs take down Bruins for first time ever in the Rose Bowl
Bryan Cole / The Collegian
PASADENA – The Fresno State Bulldogs did something Saturday that had never been done before in program history.
They beat the UCLA Bruins in the Rose Bowl.
The Bulldogs (3-1) were able to run out the clock with 8:55 remaining in the game to clinch the 36-31 victory in front of 73,963 fans in Pasadena. More than 18,000 of those fans were clad in red supporting the Bulldogs.
The win was Fresno State̢۪s 14th over a BCS opponent since 2000, tying Utah for the most in that stretch of time. The Bulldogs are the first non-BCS opponent to beat the Bruins in the Rose Bowl since 1983.
Hill: Rose Bowl win “just a game”
With the victory Fresno State moved up three spots to No. 22 in the AP Poll and our ranked at No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches̢۪ Poll.
Coach Pat Hill was caught up in the moment, waving the ‘W’ flag in front of the band following Saturday’s game, but said the victory over UCLA (1-3) just means his team is 3-1, nothing more.
“It’s just a game that keeps us pushing that big boulder up the mountain,â€Â Hill said. “It’s all about our team and our fans. Together we won a great football game today.â€Â
Bryan Cole / The Collegian
Defense keeps Bruins from last-minute score
The Bulldogs̢۪ defense really had to come together in the fourth quarter against UCLA̢۪s offense, which came into the game ranked 118th in the nation in rushing but were able to amass 234 yards on the ground against Fresno State.
With less than 10 minutes left in the game, UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft was able to run the ball two straight times for 16 and 18 yards to set up the Bruins at Fresno State̢۪s 13-yard line.
On the next play, UCLA tailback Derrick Coleman was smashed by Sharrod Davis, who knocked the ball out. Wilson Ramos recovered the fumble to give Fresno State possession.
“I just triggered on it,â€Â Davis said. “I saw it, I went and luckily popped it out. We kept fighting all day, forced a big turnover and got the ‘W’.â€Â
Mathews shines on offense
After that play, the Fresno State offense put together an impressive 17-play, 85-yard drive, culminating with a big fourth-down run by sophomore tailback Ryan Mathews.
On fourth-and-1, Mathews ran off right tackle and gained seven yards to pick up the first down and put the game out of reach.
“That’s our patented play,â€Â Hill said. “We take a lot of grief for running power, but that helped us win the game.â€Â
Mathews did a couple other things to help the Bulldogs win the game.
In front of several family members and friends who made the trip from Bakersfield to Pasadena, Mathews rushed for a season-high 166 yards on 21 carries.
Mathews̢۪ biggest play from scrimmage came in the second quarter with the Bulldogs down 13-10.
He was lined up at receiver and got the ball on a fly sweep, taking it 49 yards to the end zone for a touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 16-13.
Mathews̢۪ other score came on third-and-17 in the third quarter. Quarterback Tom Brandstater found Mathews on a screen pass, which Mathews took 25 yards for another touchdown and even hurdled over a defender to get there.
“This has been a lot of fun,â€Â Mathews said. “We’ve been trying to get our name out there and I think people are starting to recognize who Fresno State is now.â€Â
Brandstater, West use good judgment
People may also start to take notice of Brandstater.
The senior put together another strong performance with 236 yards passing and three touchdowns. He was 21-of-30 and threw one interception that was batted at the line of scrimmage.
At the end of the second quarter, Brandstater hooked up on a touchdown pass with Bear Pascoe for the second consecutive week to put Fresno State up 20-16.
The two other scores came on the pass to Mathews and a 28-yard score to wide receiver Chastin West.
West sat out all of last season with an injury and hadn̢۪t scored since 2006. He had to make a dive for the pylon to get the touchdown and increased Fresno State̢۪s lead to 36-22.
At first he wasn̢۪t sure if he should have dived for the end zone.
“I was like ‘uh-oh, maybe I should put the ball back in,’â€Â West said. “But, then said ‘nah, go for the touchdown.’â€Â
He led the team with five catches for 69 yards.
The Bulldogs will now prepare for the conference opener against Hawaii Saturday night. The Warriors dropped their WAC opener at home to San Jose State 20-17.
“We can’t keep winning games like this, but for today it’s fine,â€Â West said. “[This win] proves a lot for where the WAC is going and where Fresno State and this organization is going.â€Â
Collegian Players of the Game
Ryan Mathews
Offense
Sharrod Davis
Defense
Marlon Moore
Special Teams
The Collegian hands out its game balls following every Fresno State football game:
Offense: Tailback Ryan Mathews – The sophomore ran for 166 yards and a touchdown for the Bulldogs. He also scored on a screen pass from 25 yards out and sealed the win for the Bulldogs by running for a first down late in the fourth quarter.
Defense: Cornerback Sharrod Davis – Davis totaled eight tackles Saturday and made the biggest hit of the game when he forced a fumble to give the Bulldogs possession.
Special Teams: Punt returner Marlon Moore – After the defense forced UCLA to go three-and-out on its first possession, Moore took a punt return to the house for a 63-yard score on his first touch of the game. He was one of the lone bright spots on special teams.
Coming up next…
After starting the season with a 3-1 record in non-conference play, the Bulldogs open up the WAC season at home this Saturday against the Hawaii Warriors. After busting the BCS last season, Hawaii has fallen off a bit. The Warriors are 1-3 this season and dropped their conference opener at home Saturday night to the San Jose Spartans 20-17.