Fresno State vs. LA Tech
GAME PREVIEW
By Darrell Copeland and Maggie Thach
The Collegian
Bulldogs
Quarterbacks
Last week Paul Pinegar completed passes at a 67 percent clip and had four touchdown passes, although his lone interception wasn’t at the most opportune time.
Running Backs
Wendell Mathis has been running like a man crazed from a strait jacket, running from the windows, to the walls. A week after averaging 4.7 yards per carry against USC, Mathis ran for 5.1 yards per carry versus Nevada and now has 14 touchdowns on the year.
Receivers
Joe Fernandez has finally returned to form, combining his hands, speed and impeccable route running to earn nine catches for 150 yards and a touchdown against the Wolf Pack. Fresno State now has three receivers with at least 30 receptions this season.
Offensive Line
The O-line has gotten off to very slow starts of late, allowing a tempo-setting sack on the first series against Nevada, in addition to five tackles for loss. In the second half, however, the tide turned. Senior night would be a good time for a complete game.
Defensive Line
The tackles in the middle have been awesome-- everything is stuffed. The ends have played well against the pass, routinely making the opposing quarterbacks scramble if not picking up a sack.
Linebackers
Someone has some ‘splaining to do, as Ricky Ricardo would say.
USC and Nevada combined for 543 rushing yards the last two weeks, a vast majority of it coming on runs to the outside. Without the injured Marcus Riley, the starting linebackers for the Bulldogs combined for only 11 tackles a week ago.
Defensive Backs
Nobody has passed with any real success on this group. Richard Marshall and Marcus McCauley are eventual pros, and their wingmen are darn good as well. Marshall led the team in tackles last week and leads the team overall. That means too many runs are getting through the front seven.
Special Teams
Something’s different here. The Bulldogs miss injured Clint Stitser the most on kickoffs, where opponents could only dream of making the long trek across the field. Punter Mike Lingua kicked a 14-yard punt last week, and the return game hasn’t been its normal self either.
Intangibles
When will Fresno State learn? Another year, another over-looked team, and a loss. This is senior night though, so emotions should be high. The visiting Bulldogs could very well be in for a world of hurt, where the home Bulldogs have been unstoppable on its own turf.
Bulldogs
Quarterbacks
For the season, Matt Kubik has thrown 15 touchdowns and has a passing percentage of 54.5. Donald Allen has gotten significant playing time as he has played in seven games but has no touchdowns. Edge: Fresno State
Running Backs
The Bulldogs will look to Mark Dillard and Freddie Franklin to carry most of the burden of the running game. Patrick Johnson, who has racked up 383 yards for the season, is doubtful due to injury. Dillard is Tech’s leading rusher this year with 646 rushing yards. Franklin might be rusty because he hasn’t seen action since an Oct. 29 victory over San Jose State. Edge: Fresno State
Receivers
Eric Newman is the go-to player in this position. In 10 games, he has 473 yards on 27 receptions and leads has the second-most touchdowns on the team with six. Although Newman can score, the ball is evenly distributed as Senec Chambers and Johnat Holland had 29 and 26 receptions, respectively. But, there has only been one touchdown between the two. Edge: Fresno State
Offensive Line
Left guard Aaron Lips, center Marcus Stewart and right tackle Marcus Lindsey are the most experienced players for the Bulldogs. At six-foot-five and 317 pounds and considered Tech’s most complete offensive lineman, Lips has a legitimate shot at an NFL future. Edge: Louisiana Tech
Defensive Line
Last week, the D-line could not stop Boise State’s running game; the Broncos called rushing plays on 31 of their last 32 offensive snaps. LA Tech was going up against the No. 1 rushing team in the conference but Fresno State is not too far behind. Edge: Even
Linebackers
Barry Robertson will be looking to relieve some pent-up frustrations after a 30-13 loss to Boise State, a game the Bulldogs thought they could win. Robertson led Tech with 14 tackles in the defeat. Senior Byron Santiago had 13. Edge: Even
Defensive Backs
The most inexperience of any group resides in this position. Tech lost three of its four starters to graduation last year and Tramon Williams was the only one with any career starts. He leads the team with three interceptions. Edge: Fresno State
Special Teams
Louisiana Tech leads the WAC in kickoff returns with 37 for 903 yards. The Bulldogs are also fifth in the conference in punting. Edge: Even
Intangibles
The Bulldogs have a lot to play for in this game: a bowl berth. Tech has an outside shot at the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl if they come out of Fresno with a win and also pull Fresno State down to third place in the conference for the second straight year. Edge: Even
Comment on this story in the Sports forum >>
|
