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There's gonna be a showdown'Dogs' 41-7 blowout win over San Jose gives WAC matchup with Boise State championship implications
For the second straight week, Fresno State jumped out to an early first-half lead—only this time the Bulldogs wouldn’t let up. Fresno State dominated San Jose State for 60 minutes Saturday as it gave both its best offensive and defensive performances of the year, crushing the Spartans 41-7 before a crowd of 39,453 at Bulldog Stadium. Last week, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 21-0 lead over Nevada in the first quarter, but scored only six more points in their 27-10 win in Reno. “We always talk about starting fast and finishing strong,” sophomore quarterback Paul Pinegar said. “I think this week we finished strong. Whereas last week we started fast, but we kind of just cruised through.” The Bulldogs’ strong performance was accentuated by the offense, which used an assortment of misdirection plays—ranging from flea-flickers to reverses—to pile-up a season-high 508 yards. For the third straight week, Fresno State pounded out more yards rushing than passing, as 311 yards were gained on the ground. Pinegar threw for 197 yards. Sophomore running Dwayne Wright led the Bulldogs running attack carrying the ball 15 times for 106 yards, breaking the 100-yard barrier for the third time this season. Running backs Bryson Sumlin and Rodney Davis both received time in the backfield, each gaining 38 yards on seven rushes. Davis added his first touchdown of the season, receiving a pitch from two yards out and barreling over a would-be tackler at the goal line. Wide receivers Bernard Berrian and Adam Jennings also contributed to the ground game, adding a combined 99 yards on five rushes, while scoring one rushing touchdown each. The Bulldogs took their first possession of the second quarter and rushed the ball 65 yards down the field in two plays, culminating in a 13-yard end-around score by Jennings. Berrian set up the touchdown by turning the corner on a reverse and racing up the sideline behind a block by wide receiver Marque Davis before being forced out of bounds at the Spartans’ 13-yard line. “ Using our receivers to run the ball became a big part of our game plan because I don’t think [San Jose State] adjusted well,” Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. Berrian added another touchdown in the third quarter on a 1-yard pass from Pinegar, and appears to be returning to his form of 2001 when he led the NCAA in all-purpose yardage, Hill said. As impressive as the Bulldogs offense performed, the defense was just as stellar. Fresno State held potentially potent San Jose State—who last week scored 69 points against the University of Texas-El Paso—to less than 300 yards of total offense. The Bulldogs didn’t allow a score until late in the fourth quarter. Spartans quarterback Scott Rislov was contained by the Bulldog defense, throwing for 179 yards, after a 543-yard and seven-touchdown outburst last week. The Bulldogs defense hassled Rislov the entire game, sacking the Spartan quarterback three times and denying the Spartans two fourth down conversion attempts. Strong safety James Sanders led the way with 12 tackles and two sacks. “ Our defensive coaching staff did a great job in preparing us for this game [against San Jose State],” Hill said. Fresno State special teams blocked its eight and ninth kicks of the season and junior kicker Brett Visintainer made both field goal attempts of 40 and 41 yards. The Spartans marched 46 yards on 13 plays on their opening drive, only to have kicker Jeff Carr’s 40-yard field goal blocked by redshirt freshman Marcus McCauley. The Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead by a Visintainer field goal on the ensuing possession. |
