After a tough loss against California, the ‘Dogs will look
to right the ship during a short practice week against the
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium.
Dalton Runberg / The Collegian

Breakdown: Bulldogs

Fresno State is coming off a tough loss at the hands of California. The ‘Dogs will face a tough challenge on Saturday against the tenth ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Bulldogs went into the California game very young and inexperienced and suffered a blow to the offensive line when center Richard Helepiko got injured during the first quarter. The ‘Dogs moved guard Leslie Cooper to center and had to shuffle the rest of the line to make up for the loss.

Sophomore Derek Carr had a tough time during the game with the constant pressure. He will have to get the ball out of his hands to his playmakers to be successful.

The Bulldogs could rely heavily on junior Robbie Rouse, who was a bright spot in the season opener providing the offense with a reliable run threat.

On defense, Fresno State was playing with a lot of first-time starters. The ‘Dogs gave up 413 yards of total offense against California. The defense will have to learn on the go as they will travel to Nebraska on a shortened practice week.

If the ‘Dogs can contain Nebraska’s offense and make enough plays on the offensive side of the ball, then the ‘Dogs could come up with the unlikely upset.

Breakdown: Cornhuskers

Nebraska is coming off an opening win against Tennessee-Chattannoga where it scored 40 points and showed its explosiveness on the offensive side of the ball.

The Cornhuskers return starting quarterback Taylor Martinez, who was in the running for Heisman Trophy early on last season. He is now a sophomore and has one year of experience at the collegiate level.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cornhuskers have senior Jared Crick (6-foot-6, 285 pounds) back to give opposing offensive lines fits. He is one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the country. Joining him on defense is LaVonte David, who will start at linebacker for the Cornhuskers. The defense will be without defensive back Alfonzo Dennard who is injured and there is no timetable for his return.

The Cornhuskers have one suspect area and that is in their passing game. Last season, they averaged 150 passing yards per game and Martinez threw for 116 yards in the season opener. This could change with Martinez entering his second season as the starter and having receiver sophomore Quincy Enunwa. Also, he has tight ends Kyler Reed and Ben Cotton to throw too.

Keys to Victory

1. Contain Martinez
California’s starting quarterback Zach Maynard torched the ‘Dogs through with the air and with his feet. This week Fresno State faces another dual-threat quarterback in Nebraska’s quarterback Taylor Martinez. The ‘Dogs will have to keep him contained to get the “W”.

2. Establish a run game
In the California game, Derek Carr attempted 33 passes. Fresno State will need more balance if they want to upset the Cornhuskers in front a rowdy crowd.

3. Convert the ‘Big Play’
In the season opener, the ‘Dogs couldn’t make any big plays of 20 yards or more. The pass to senior Devon Wylie was the only long-yardage play by the Bulldogs.

Position Match-ups

When Fresno State runs:
Advantage – Nebraska
Nebraska has one of top run defenses in the country and one of the main reasons is senior defensive tackle Jared Crick cloggs up the running lanes.

When Nebraska runs:
Advantage – Nebraska
Fresno State’s run defense was better than in 2009, but still allowed 150 yards per game last season. Nebraska has one of most explosive athletes in the open field in quarterback Taylor Martinez.

When Fresno State passes:
Advantage – Fresno State
The ‘Dogs had a tough first week, but look for Derek Carr to feel more comfortable in his second collegiate start.

When Nebraska passes:
Advantage – Nebraska
Nebraska only averaged 150 yards per game through the air last season, but with the loss of strong safety Phillip Thomas, the secondary is inexperienced.

Special teams:
Advantage – Even
Fresno State senior Kevin Goessling missed a chip shot against California that he usually doesn’t miss. Look for the kicking game to be a strength in this game.