Saturday’s Standouts

Game-changing moment: Ryan Colburn’s second interception
After the defense forced Hawaii to a quick three-and-out and a punt on their own 8-yard line, the ‘Dogs started their next drive in Warriors territory trailing 28-13. If the ‘Dogs score here, the team has a shot to win the game, but Colburn floated a pass down the left sideline that was intercepted by a Hawaii defender. With the turnover, Hawaii marched 74 yards on 11 plays while milking nearly six minutes off the clock. The interception all but ended Fresno State’s chances of getting back into the game.

Unsung hero: Jamel Hamler
Hamler missed last week with an injury and was listed as a game time decision prior to Saturday night’s contest. Although he didn’t start, the junior wide receiver fought through pain with three catches and 65 yards.

Hawaii sealed the deal when…
Warrior running back Alex Green plunged in from two yards out to take an insurmountable 42-20 lead with under four minutes remaining in the game. The score was Green’s second touchdown of the night and put the dagger into Fresno State’s comback hopes. Hawaii defensive back Jeramy Bryant capped off the night’s scoring with a 48-yard interception return just over a minute later.

Interesting stat of the game: Not converting on third downs
Outside of the Cal Poly game, the ‘Dogs have converted less than 42 percent of third down plays. Against Hawaii, the offense converted only six third downs on 14 attempts, good for only 40 precent. Fresno State’s inability to extend drives on third downs have been a season-long headache for the ‘Dogs. On the season, the offense is converting only 36 percent of third downs into a first down.

Call of the game: Offsetting penalties?
With third-and-ten on the Fresno State 21 yard line, a controversial pass interference call in the back of the end zone offset a Hawaii holding penalty, essentially giving the Warriors a retry. Hawaii took advantage the very next play when Bryant Moniz hit Royce Pollard for a 19-yard gain. On the play, Pollard fumbled into the end zone and Greg Salas jumped on the loose ball for the touchdown, putting Hawaii up 21-10.

Dog bone giveaway: Jalen Saunders, wide receiver
The true freshman receiver has picked up the slack left behind due to injuries at wide receiver and kick returner in recent weeks. Against Hawaii, Saunders hauled in a 50-yard touchdown in the first half and added six kick returns for 138 yards. He also had three rushes for 20 yards.

What we learned:
It took us a few games to realize it, but after Saturday it was evident that the strong and traditional running game for the Fresno State offense is nonexistent. It’s nowhere to be found through five games and it probably won’t emerge at all this season. Against Hawaii, the Bulldogs ran for a disappointing 104 rushing yards. The offense became one dimensional after the ‘Dogs failed to generate any yardage on the ground from the running backs. Quarterback Ryan Colburn ran for 54 yards, but was sacked three times for a loss of 35 yards. Not being able to run the ball effectively out of its base offense cost the ‘Dogs a shot at a Western Athletic Conference title. It might only be one conference loss, but Hill said before the season that the WAC champs would probably be a team that went through the conference unscathed. A shot at a conference title is not entirely out of reach for the ‘Dogs, but a loss sets the team back a few big steps.

Offensive breakdown:
Head coach Pat Hill said he wanted to run the ball on Saturday to keep the explosive Hawaii offense on the sidelines, but that didn’t happen. Starter Robbie Rouse ran for a mere 43 yards on nine carries while backups Michael Harris and Tracy Slocum gained 20 and four rushing yards, respectively. The only bright spot on offense was the recieving corps. Freshman Jalen Saunders displayed his big-play ability by hauling in a 50-yard touchdown pass while Rashad Evans played well after returning from an injury. But Colburn had his worst outing of the year, throwing three interceptions and only one touchdown. The offense is quickly becoming a one dimensional threat.

Defensive breakdown:
Head coach Pat Hill praised his defense’s effort, but the Hawaii offense came to play. The ‘Dogs gave up more than 400 yards of offense for the second time this season. Reminiscent of the Ole Miss game two weeks prior, Fresno State gave up a number of big plays, mostly off screens and shovel passes in the second half. The Warriors had just 163 offensive yards in the first half and were forced to punt on four straight possesssions. The second half was an entirely different story. Hawaii’s halftime adjustments torched the ‘Dogs for 309 yards, 203 through the air.