Saturday’s Standouts
Game-changing moment: Jermaine Thomas’ interception
Heading into the third quarter, the Fresno State offense couldn’t generate anything offensively after being shut down on their first drive to start the second half. After a Bulldogs punt, the Spartan offense marched into Fresno State State territory in a prime position to score until Thomas stepped in front of a Jordan La Secla pass. The interception led to a touchdown just four plays later on an Isaiah Burse touchdown toss to Rashad Evans. The interception was Thomas’ first of the year.
Unsung hero: Kevin Goessling, kicker
Goessling had a career night, booting in four field goals, the most in a single game for his career. The junior was a perfect four-for-four including an impractical 43-yard connection that bounced through off the left upright. Goessling also has kicked through 116 straight extra points.
Fresno State sealed the deal when…
…Robbie Rouse darted into the end zone for his second touchdown of the night, giving the ‘Dogs a 27-3 lead just before the fourth quarter. Although there was still more than 16 minutes to play, San Jose State’s dead-last-in-the-nation scoring average essentially ended any shot at a Spartan comeback.
Interesting stat of the game: Five different players complete a pass
A football game typically features two quarterbacks, sometimes three. But five? On Saturday five different players completed a pass, two for Fresno State and three for San Jose State. The longest completion from the ‘Dogs came from wide receiver Isaiah Burse.
Call of the game: Burse on the reverse…pass
True freshman Isaiah Burse took in a double reverse for a touchdown run in last week’s win over New Mexico State. Afterwards many wondered when the former high school quarterback would attempt his first pass. Fans caught their first glimpse on Saturday when Burse took the reverse pitch and threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Rashad Evans to give Fresno State a 20-0 lead.
Dog bone giveaway: Bulldog defensive line
The unit that has been nearly nonexistent the past few seasons has suddenly turned into the most productive unit for Fresno State. Chris Carter, Logan Harrell, Anthony Williams, Nat Harrison and Cornell Banks combined for six sacks against San Jose State. The ‘Dogs have a WAC-best 26 sacks on the season now.
What we learned:
Not much can be taken away from Saturday’s 33-18 win over longtime rival San Jose State, but it’s clear that this football team is improving. The running game is finally starting to emerge like most expected while the secondary is quietly playing its best football in years after intercepting two passes off of Spartan quarterback Jordan La Secla. Ryan Colburn has fallen back to earth as of late, but the team does not need Colburn to throw for 250 yards every week to win a game against the bottom feeders of the Western Athletic Conference. Expect much of the same when the team travels to Lousiana Tech after their bye week.
Offensive breakdown:
The Fresno State offense wasn’t flashy against the Spartans on Saturday, but it got the job done after running for 185 yards and passing for 168 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Robbie Rouse recorded his second-straight 100-yard performance with 116 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while quarterback Ryan Colburn was held out of the end zone for the first time this year. Rouse is slowly evolving into the featured back that Hill likes to employ in his smash-mouth style offense. The only downside for the offense on Saturday was that coach Pat Hill and the offensive coaching staff decided to take the conservative route after taking a 27-3 lead into the fourth quarter. Instead of taking a shot at the end zone after Phillip Thomas’ interception, Hill elected to take a knee to end the game when he could have added some style points.
Defensive breakdown:
Outside a fourth-quarter scoring barrage by the Spartans, the Fresno State defense turned in one of the most impressive performances of the season. The defensive front continued its string of dominance by generated six sacks. A knock on the defense all season has been its lack of forced turnovers, but defensive coordinator Randy Stewart’s unit had a season-best three turnovers, including two interceptions. Likewise, the Fresno State run defense has taken some flack this season, but held San Jose State to just 12 yards on 21 carries. The Spartans did score a season-high 18 points, but 15 came in the fourth quarter with the game well in hand off two long touchdown passes.