Fresno State vs. San Jose State

GAME PREVIEW

Bulldogs

Quarterbacks
Paul Pinegar is going up against a defense that is among the leaders in the quarterback sacks among WAC teams. Last week, with 213 yards, Pinegar moved into second on the school’s career passing list.

Running Backs
Wendell Mathis was almost impossible to stop last week. He ran a career-best 229 yards and three TDs. Expect the senior to continue his dominance against a team that allows more than 450 yards a game.

Receivers
Jermaine Jamison was on the receiving end of a 58-yard TD pass last week. Pinegar has other viable options in Adam Jennings, Paul Williams and Joe Fernandez.

Offensive Line
Last week’s battle against the Warriors was a low-scoring defensive battle, which makes the holes that the O-line created for Mathis that much more crucial. Maybe being so concentrated on creating opportunity for Mathis is what led to Hawaii sacking Pinegar twice.

Defensive Line
The Bulldogs broke up two pass attempts on fourth-and-1, including one off a fake field goal. Fresno State also recorded five sacks, three of which were by Garrett McIntyre.

Linebackers
Alan Goodwin intercepted a pass last week against the Warriors and Marcus Riley had 12 total tackles.

Defensive Backs
Against a pass-oriented Hawaii offense, Richard Marshall had five solo tackles and Marcus McCauley had four of his own.

Special Teams
Clint Stitser is still questionable for San Jose State but he has a more than capable back-up in Kyle Zimmerman. Last week, Zimmerman converted his first two PATs.

Intangibles
Fresno State has a top 20 ranking in its sights and San Jose State is in no position to get in the way of that. The Spartans have lost seven straight games and the eighth this weekend is looking probable.

Spartans

Quarterbacks
Last week against the LA Tech Bulldogs, Adam Tafralis completed 11 of 29 passes for 161 yards. For the season, Tafralis has thrown 10 TDs this season and eight interceptions. Edge: Bulldogs

Running Backs
The Spartans had success with the running game last week against Lousiana Tech, especially in the first half. Tailbacks Yonus Davis rushed for 86 yards on 15 carries and Patric Perry chipped in 58 yards for a team total of 160. Usually, the Spartans average 108.3 rushing yards per game.
Edge: Bulldogs

Receivers
Chester Coleman caught an 80-yard TD pass from Tafralis in the first half of last week’s game. The Bulldogs should also keep an eye on Rufus Skillern. He is the most experienced wide receiver and he had two TD receptions against Boise. Edge: Bulldogs

Offensive Line
Did a good job of opening holes up for running backs in the first half but the opportunites for rushes became few and far between as the Spartans went scoreless in the second half.
Edge: Bulldogs

Defensive Line
Kinji Green, Anthony Flores and Shane Lapka have combined for 71 total tackles on the season. Edge: Even

Linebackers
Ezekiel Staples is the defensive leader for the Spartans. He has 37 solo tackles and 91 total in eight games. He had 15 hits and a 19-yard fumble return last week. Edge: Even

Defensive Backs
Two have come up big here. Cornerback Chris Owens recorded his first interception last week and strong safety Josh Powell had a pick against Hawaii the week before. Edge: Even

Special Teams
Spartans’ placekicker Jared Strubeck struggled last week, missing from 30 and 39 yards. Edge: Bulldogs

Intangibles
This so-called rivalry hasn’t been much of one as Fresno State has won the last eight meetings. That statistic plus playing at Bulldog Stadium makes the win for the Spartans very unlikely. Edge: Bulldogs

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