|
||
|
||
Fresno State at Southern Methodist
Bulldogs Quarterbacks Paul Pinegar has shown at least one positive in the passing game since returning from a torn pectoral injury. In four games, the sophomore has completed 63.4 percent of his passes. He’s thrown four touchdowns and three interceptions. But Pinegar averages just nine more passing yards per game than backup Jeff Grady did. Running Backs Sophomore Bryson Sumlin had two touchdowns in last week’s win over Rice, bringing his season total to seven. Sumlin, a sophomore, has been the Bulldogs’ go-to back in short yardage situations. Sophomore starter Dwayne Wright leads the team in rushing with 596 yards and averages 74.5 yards per game. Receivers The Fresno State passing game hasn’t lived up to its preseason hype. A variety of talented wide receivers, featuring Bernard Berrian and Marque Davis, have produced just three touchdowns to this point in the season—all by Berrian. But Berrian averages just 42 yards a game to go with Davis’ 29.9 yards. Offensive Line Redshirt freshman Kyle Young is living up to expectations. He was the Bulldogs’ nominee for WAC player of the week after his performance against Rice. The Bulldogs allowed only one sack with a line that is without star Logan Mankins and experienced tackle Matt Stevenson. Defensive Line Donyell Booker (6-foot-2, 305 pounds) made his presence felt against the Rice option with eight tackles. But the Bulldogs’ front seven was torn apart by the Owls. End Claude Sanders made a pivotal fourth-down stop that led to the Bulldogs’ victory. Linebackers The most experienced defensive position for the Bulldogs didn’t look experienced last week. Several Rice runs gained more yards than they should have. Senior Bryce McGill had six tackles. McGill also recovered a Rice fumble to end an Owls drive late in the game. Junior David Adamo is out at least two weeks with a knee sprain. Defensive Backs The secondary took a hard hit with news that top cornerback Raymond Washington is out for the season with a torn finger tendon. Washington is being replaced in the starting lineup by converted running back Therrian Fontenot. Special Teams Junior kicker Brett Visintainer came through in the clutch again. For the second time this season, Visintainer won a game on a last-second field goal. He did the same against Oregon State earlier this season. The Bulldogs shouldn’t need such late-game heroics against SMU, but who knows? Coaching The Bulldogs’ win over Rice marked Pat Hill’s 50th career victory as Fresno State’s head coach. Hill led the Bulldogs to a 30-7 win over SMU last season at Bulldog Stadium. Intangibles The 0-8 Mustangs might not seem like much of a challenge to Fresno State, but Hill knows otherwise. A winless SMU squad beat the Bulldogs in Dallas in 1999.Owls Mustangs Quarterbacks Sophomore starter Richard Bartel quit the team to transfer, coach Phil Bennett announced Oct. 20. Now, freshman Chris Phillips is listed as the starter, with sophomore Tate Wallis backing him up. Wallis for 4 of 12 for 33 yards last week against Tulsa. Phillips was 2 of 4 for 18 yards. Edge: Bulldogs Running Backs Keylon Kincade might just hit the 1,000-yard plateau Saturday against the Bulldogs. He has 908 yards on the year, including 185 last week against Tulsa. With the passing game in trouble, Kincade—one of the WAC’s top backs—will have to carry the offense for SMU to have a shot at winning. Edge: Even Receivers Chris Cunningham has just 15 catches for 140 yards this season. Cunningham had 45 catches and seven touchdowns in 2001 before missing all of 2002 with a broken left foot. Junior Matt Rushbrook leads the team with 359 yards, three touchdowns and 44.9 yards per game. Edge: Bulldogs Offensive Line Senior center Steve Reindl (6-3, 285) was an All-WAC selection in 2002 and is a preseason choice this year. He anchors a line that includes only one other senior—Sterling Harris, a 6-6, 315-pound tackle. Edge: Even Defensive Line There is a significant gap in production between junior nose guard Allan Adami and the rest of the defensive front. Adami has 44 tackles and 10 quarterback hurries. Redshirt freshman end Justin Rogers is second with 28 tackles. Edge: Bulldogs Linebackers The strength of this struggling SMU squad is at linebacker. Seniors D.D. Johnson and Brian Bischoff have 64 and 51 tackles, respectively. If this group can put some pressure on Pinegar while limiting the Bulldogs’ short-yardage passing game, SMU will be in good shape. Edge: Mustangs Defensive Backs Senior cornerback Jonas Rutledge will likely draw the Berrian assignment. Rutledge is one of the better corners in the WAC, making for an interesting matchup. His two interceptions this season lead the Mustangs. Edge: Even Special Teams Sophomore kicker Chris McMurtray is 5 of 7 on field goal attempts this season with a long of 42 yards. Sophomore punter Ryan Mentzel averages 35.5 yards per attempt. Edge: Bulldogs Coaching Phil Bennett is considered one of the conference’s top recruiters. Ten of the team’s 23 signees were rated at least three-star prospects by Rivals100.com. But the recruiting success hasn’t translated to the team’s performance yet. The Mustangs are winless this season. Edge: Bulldogs Intangibles The Bulldogs haven’t won on the road this season. The Mustangs haven’t won period. One of these streaks is about to end. Edge: Even |