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Fresno State vs. Oklahoma Game PreviewFresno State Quarterbacks Senior Jeff Grady, filling in for injured starter Paul Pinegar, threw for 276 yards in a victory over Oregon State. But Grady is still struggling to find time in the pocket and threw three interceptions against the Beavers. Coach Pat Hill said Grady injured his hip in the home opener and is still feeling the effects of a sprained left shoulder. Grady now goes up against the nation’s toughest defense. Running Backs The Bulldogs will again try to get the running game going—but this is the most challenging opponent yet. Rodney Davis rushed for 34 yards against Oregon State, averaging 1.8 yards per carry. That’s just not going to be good enough against Oklahoma. Sophomore Dwayne Wright has shown he can be effective against top competition and should get some looks Saturday. Receivers Marque Davis had seven catches for 129 yards against Oregon State. Couple that with Bernard Berrian’s 80 yards and a touchdown, and the Bulldogs’ receivers are on their way to fulfilling their potential. The Bulldogs’ best chance to win will come by getting the ball into the receivers’ hands as much as possible. Offensive Line The return of sophomore Dartagnon Shack was a big boost to the team’s protection of Grady, but there’s still a whole lot of room for improvement. Shack, a guard, moved to left tackle to fill in for injured Logan Mankins. The line has the difficult assignment of stopping one of the country’s best front seven from getting to the quarterback. Defensive Line If Oklahoma has any weakness, it’ll be found on offense. And that starts with Fresno State’s defensive line getting to the quarterback and applying pressure. The unit did well after a rough start against Oregon State. It’s always a good sign if a team sees its players in the opposing backfield consistently, and the Bulldogs did last week. Linebackers Redshirt freshman Dwayne Andrews was impressive filling in for injured starter Marc Dailey a week ago. Andrews had six tackles against the Beavers and will be needed just as much against Oklahoma. Bryce McGill played a key role in slowing Oregon State running back Steven Jackson. The Bulldogs must slow Oklahoma’s running attack this time. Defensive Backs The coverage continued to impress last week. This Bulldogs secondary is young, but talented. It has been the key to the defense so far this season. Strong safety James Sanders was all over the field making plays last week. Special Teams Junior Brett Visintainer won the Oregon State game with a 47-yard field goal in the final minute. Freshman Mike Lingua was also impressive when he boomed a 68-yard punt in the first quarter. Visintainer will likely get more opportunities Saturday. Coaching This game is the epitome of what Hill’s scheduling philosophy is all about. Playing the No. 1 team in the nation is as tough a task as there is in college football. But the real challenge is winning. Intangibles Fresno State is playing the nation’s top team for the first time in program history. Oregon State was ranked No. 1 by Sports Illustrated in 2001, but Oklahoma is No. 1 in both major polls.
Oklahoma Quarterbacks The Sooners are led by senior Jason White, who threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win over Alabama. To the disappointment of everyone who loves a great storyline, Tommy Grady is not starting for the Sooners. The freshman is the younger brother of Fresno State’s Jeff Grady. Edge: Sooners Running Backs Sophomore Kejuan Jones had 63 yards on 20 carries against Alabama, but is listed second on the depth chart for the Fresno State game. Listed atop the chart is senior Renaldo Works, who rushed for 12 yards last week. This running game doesn’t have a feature back as good as the Bulldogs’ first two opponents had. Edge: Even Receivers The Sooners had a knack for big passes last week, with three receivers making plays of more than 40 yards. Both Brandon Jones and Mark Clayton scored touchdowns. The passing game can be dangerous if the Sooners are allowed a lot of time on passing plays. Edge: Bulldogs Offensive Line This unit is difficult to get past. Just ask Alabama. The Crimson Tide didn’t get a single sack against Oklahoma last week. The Sooners have two of the nation’s top linemen in center Vince Carter (6-foot-3, 289 pounds) and tackle Jammal Brown (6-6, 313). Edge: Sooners Defensive Line This unit has to strike the most fear into Fresno State. It’s a unit featuring four juniors; tackles Tommie Harris and Dusty Dvoracek and ends Dan Cody and Jonathan Jackson. Harris is a first team All-American. Edge: Sooners Linebackers The defensive strength doesn’t drop off a bit at linebacker. Lance Mitchell tied for the team lead with 10 tackles against Alabama. First team All-American Teddy Lehman had nine tackles. With these two looming behind the defensive line, it will be a wonder if the Bulldogs are successful running. Edge: Sooners Defensive Backs The secondary boasts cornerbacks Antonio Perkins and Derrick Strait along with safeties Brandon Everage and Donte Nicholson. Everage, an All-American, also had 10 tackles against Alabama. Perkins and Nicholson each had an interception in the game. Edge: Sooners Special Teams Kicker Trey DiCarlo made 16 of 22 field goals in 2002 as a freshman. Junior punter Blake Ferguson averaged 38.9 yards per punt last season. Edge: Bulldogs Coaching Bob Stoops is in his fifth season as the Sooners coach. In 2000, he led Oklahoma to a 13-0 record and the national championship. Edge: Sooners Intangibles Oklahoma is the top-ranked team in the nation, playing at home. If the Sooners overlook the Bulldogs, they could be in for a surprise. But the Bulldogs have nothing to lose. Edge: Sooners |