Matt Weir / The Collegian

After a tough, double-overtime loss, ̢۪Dogs look to avoid letdown

After being on both ends of the spectrum, the Fresno State Bulldogs have to move on from the first two games of the season and focus all their energy in the upcoming game against the Boise State Broncos.

Coach Pat Hill intends to capitalize on the dominating offensive plays displayed in the UC Davis game and formulate a plan to avoid making the game mistakes they made in the Wisconsin game.

One would assume that after the Bulldogs̢۪ destruction of the Aggies, a bowl game is right by the corner. The 51-0 game left fans begging for more victories that left unrealistic expectations on a young and inexperienced roster.

In what Ryan Colburn described as a “heartbreakingâ€Â against the Wisconsin Badgers, which ended 34-31 in two overtimes, the Bulldogs look to the future knowing that their potential is unlimited.

In the Wisconsin game last Saturday, the Bulldogs̢۪ were exposed to the national audience as a new, formidable contender for the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Their moments of brilliance in the first two quarters showed what newly appointed starting quarterback was capable of.

Colburn threw three touchdowns, which included the 70-yard pass to wide receiver Devon Wylie. Colburn completed 22 of his 36 attempts and put up 289 passing yards.

Unfortunately, the plays that will be remembered are the three picks he threw, one in particular is the overtime interception.

Colburn addressed these as mistakes he would not want to repeat, but had helped him improve as a player.

“The fact that I’ve made those mistakes help me be a better player, a more seasoned player,â€Â Colburn said.

Colburn will have another test this week with Boise State̢۪s defense. The Broncos defense only allowed eight points in their game against Oregon and kept the Miami (Ohio) offense from scoring altogether.
Hill said the key to victory against the Broncos will be the aggressive plays of the offensive linemen.

“They’re really good on defense. Our front has to give our quarterback protection to give the receivers the ball and for them to open up the perimeter for our running back,â€Â Hill said.

Another factor that would lead them to victory against the Broncos is avoiding defensive mistakes that were made against Wisconsin.

Though junior linebacker Ben Jacobs led the defense with 15 tackles against the Badgers, he said the errors they made in the double-overtime game, such as lack of run defense in the fourth quarter, could have easily been avoided and should not be repeated.

“It was a team defense issue. We got sidetracked in doing our job and they capitalized on that,â€Â Jacobs said.

With the home field advantage on their side, the ̢۪Dogs have a chance in turning their three-game losing streak to the Broncos around, especially with the offense showing a lot of promise in both games.

“We’ve showed that we can be an explosive offense but we’ve also showed we’ve made some mistakes. When we play Boise this weekend, we have to eliminate those weaknesses,â€Â Colburn said.