SAN JOSE – The difference was obvious. Fresno State played two different games Friday night at Spartan Stadium.
And the Bulldogs got it right the second time around.
No, there aren̢۪t any doubleheaders in football and no one asked for a do-over.
The Bulldogs were an entirely different team in the second half and forced San Jose State to play their brand of football.
In the first half, Fresno State had two first downs, three turnovers and minus-13 yards on the ground. The Bulldogs̢۪ offense had 28 plays and 29 yards.
Needless to say, coach Pat Hill̢۪s team did not play like they were hungry for the bowl game and San Jose State played like the side of the rivalry that has won 10 of the last 11 meetings.
But the next game, the second half, is when it changed for the ̢۪Dogs. It all started with Hill̢۪s spirited halftime speech.
“You wouldn’t respect me in the morning if I told you what I talk to them about at halftime,â€Â Hill said.
Whatever it was he said, it worked.
The Bulldog defense allowed only 68 yards in the second half, but it was the offense that made the two halves look as opposite as Cheese Wiz and gourmet.
The offense was sparked by Chastin West̢۪s third-quarter punt return for a touchdown to tie the game at 10-10. From that point on, the Bulldogs called only one pass play for the final 23 minutes.
Tailback Jamaal Rashad, who has been waiting for his chance to get playing time behind the Bulldogs’ main three tailbacks, had a career-high 41 yards on five carries Friday – all in the fourth quarter.
“I think it started to break their will,â€Â Rashad said. “As the game went on, we started to wear them down.â€Â
That is Hill̢۪s brand of Bulldog football.
And Bulldog football may not be popular at the moment, but it won the game for Fresno State. The Bulldogs ran for 184 yards in the second half and controlled the ball for 10 minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Spartan defense had no answer for the Bulldogs̢۪ three-tight end, two-running back formation.
Or their will power.
Juan Villa / The Collegian
“They loaded the box and we loaded the line of scrimmage,â€Â Hill said. “We just kept hats on hats and we were able to outplay them. We physically won the fourth quarter.â€Â
Early in that fourth quarter, with the game tied 10-10, the Bulldogs drove to the Spartan 15-yard line and San Jose State defensive coordinator Keith Burns had one last chance to regain composure for his squad.
Burns called timeout to slow Fresno State̢۪s momentum, but it only ignited the Bulldog sideline. Hill came out onto the field to rally his troops and Burns did the same.
Burns signaled with both hands toward Hill and the Bulldog sideline, “Bring it.â€Â
Hill responded and his team brought whatever it was Burns was asking for.
Two plays later, the Bulldogs scored on an 8-yard Harding run. The play capped an 11-play drive that sealed the game for the Bulldogs and erased any hope San Jose State had.
The Bulldogs only needed three play calls to win the game in the fourth quarter: crease, power and blast – three basic running plays that sixth graders run, but it broke the Spartans.
“We ran right at them. They got tired and I don’t think they wanted it anymore,â€Â Harding said.
San Jose State wanted it in the first half, but Fresno State wanted it when it counts. The Bulldogs came out in the second half and played a completely different game.
Maybe you don̢۪t agree with the offensive play calling or the strategy, but it was Hill̢۪s Bulldog football that won the game.
Collegian Players of the Game
The Collegian hands out its game balls following every Fresno State football game:
̢ۢ Offense: Tailback Anthony Harding РThe junior had to carry the load for the second straight week and delivered a 99-yard, two-score performance.
̢ۢ Defense: Strong safety Moses Harris РHarris totaled seven tackles for the Bulldogs and recovered a fumble.
̢ۢ Special Teams: Punt returner Chastin West РHe ran back punt for a touchdown from 49 yards out and sparked the Bulldogs̢۪ comeback.