The Bulldogs will get yet another crack at a Pac-12 opponent on Saturday when they battle Utah.
“We have a situation where we’re playing an excellent Utah team that’s very, very physical,” Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter said. “Clearly you can tell they’ve been in the Pac-12 for a few years now, and they’ve recruited well. They’re very physical on both sides of the ball. They have an experienced quarterback, some really outstanding wide receivers and a physical offensive line.
Defensively, Kalani Sitake has been Utah’s coordinator since 2005. DeRuyter says that Sitake’s playbook features heavy quarterback pressure, and the Bulldogs are preparing for that.
“[Utah has] been known to be a very physical defense, and this year’s unit is no different,” DeRuyter said. “I’m really impressed with their edge guys. We didn’t see a whole lot last week from them playing against Idaho State, but we know we’re going to run into a very impressive Utah defense.”
The ‘Dogs defense will have its hands full again this week, playing against another talented offense in Utah. The Utes displayed offensive firepower last week in their 56-14 blowout win over Idaho State, 49 of those coming in the first three quarters.
“Offensively they’ve changed gears from a year ago with Dave Christensen as their offensive coordinator,” DeRuyter said. “We’ve gone up against coach Christensen the last couple years at Wyoming. He’s always done a terrific job with the spread offense and they’ve really picked it up well. It’s attested to by the 50 points they put on last week. We know it’s a challenge and we’re looking forward to it.”
Utah stood out in both the run and pass game in its opener, racking up a combined 589 total yards, 238 on the ground and 351 coming through the air. Quarterback Travis Wilson and wide receiver Devontae Booker led the offense combining for 3 touchdowns.
The Utes’ special teams were also bright, as senior wide out Kaelin Clay had two returns for touchdowns, a playmaker the Bulldogs will have to take into account.
For Fresno State’s offense, it’s two weeks into the season, and the coaching staff still hasn’t found that one guy to be the lone signal caller.
DeRuyter said the Bulldogs would stick with the same game plan this week regarding the quarterback position, saying both passers will see action Saturday as the evaluation process continues at the position.
“We’ll play both of them definitely,” DeRuyter said. “Each week, we have different game plans to try to get the matchups we want and see where we can take advantage of schemes and our personnel. We’ll see how each quarterback does with what we think they can do, and we’ll make a decision, but both will likely play come Saturday.”
With both quarterbacks still settling in, Fresno State’s run game led by junior Marteze Waller, figures to play a key element in relieving some of that pressure off the passers.
“Last week, I thought Marteze really ran hard,” DeRuyter said. “He provided a spark. He ran the ball really hard and caught the ball really well.”
The ‘Dogs return to Bulldog Stadium next week for their home opener against No. 19 Nebraska, in what will be their third-straight opponent from a power conference.