Breakdown of the Fresno State Bulldogs and Weber State Wildcats

Breakdown: Bulldogs

Coming into Saturday’s game against the Wildcats of Weber State, the Bulldogs look to start off the season strong.

This season also marks Tim DeRuyter’s first year as head coach as he preaches his mantra of “fast, physical, fanatical!” The ’Dogs will look to continue their streak against Weber State in which they are 3-0 and have scored an average of 32 points per game.

Keys to success for the Bulldogs will be how well they implement DeRuyter’s new playbook, both for the offense and defense. Senior quarterback Derek Carr takes the reigns of the offense for the second time. With a new spread-four offense, Carr will have a plethora of options to throw the ball.

The defense is set for another solid season with returning senior starters in strong safety Phillip Thomas and outside linebacker Shawn Plummer. DeRuyter, who emphasizes defense, will be revealing the Bulldogs’ new 3-4 defensive scheme.

The ’Dogs need to contain Weber State’s strong offense, which accumulated 2,000 yards last season, both in the air and on the ground.

Bulldogs senior running back Robbie Rouse will attempt to tie or break Ron Rivers school record.

Rouse needs to make big plays out of the backfield and in the slot for him to attain Rivers record. And if he does, the Bulldogs should continue their unbeaten streak against Weber State.

Breakdown: Wildcats

Under new head coach Jody Sears, the Wildcats look to have a formidable team.

Although Weber State came off a 5-6 record last season, including 5-3 in conference play, they will provide a difficult challenge for the Bulldogs. With 14 returning starters from last year’s team, the Wildcats possess a devastating offense and strong defense.

Senior quarterback Mike Hoke, who received the majority of snaps last year, will look to add to his career total. Amassing 2,499 passing yards and 22 total touchdowns in his three years at Weber State, Hoke is a deceptively good quarterback.

The Wildcats use a multiple running-back attacking scheme, which easily deceives opposing defenses. However, junior running back Josh Booker looks to receive the majority of the rushes.

On defense the Wildcats return senior defensive end Trevor Pletcher, who was named to the all-conference team last year. Pletcher led the Wildcats defense in total sacks and is a veteran presence on the team.

Junior middle linebacker Anthony Morales returns as Weber State’s top defensive player. Last season Morales had a total of 115 tackles and two sacks for the Wildcats.

In order for Weber State to be successful, they will need to continue to spread the ball around in the rushing game. Mixing up their offensive schemes to keep the opposing defense on their heels will help the Wildcats pull off an upset.