Fresno State Football Game Preview
Crystal LoGiudice / The Reveille
LSU senior safety LaRon Landry stands over University of Kentucky wide receiver Dicky Lyons, Jr. as he lies on the ground after being brought down during the second quarter Saturday of the Tigers 49-0 win against the Wildcats. |
By Darrell Copeland IIi
The Collegian
Bulldogs
Once again, Fresno State has entered the national spotlight, only this time it’s the surprise regarding the Bulldogs’ inability to win.
What time is better than now to turn all of that negative attention into some positive attention? For the Bulldogs, a win would do just that.
For a 1-5 football team, there is always room for improvement, so not much has changed in the way of necessary improvements.
As much as the offense seemed to improve, the defense seemed to regress — again. The Bulldogs inability to create a turnover and execute simple tackles led to an opponents record 68 points in Bulldog Stadium at the hands of the Hawaii Warriors.
If the Bulldogs have fixed some areas and can hide others, they’ll be in this game.
Pressure cooker:
It has been difficult enough for the Bulldogs to reach the quarterback from the likes of Hawaii and Utah State, let alone one of the country’s most talented teams. The Tigers have excelled at defending the pass rush this season, this coming against stiff competition in the Southeastern Conference. If Fresno State can force LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell to hurry his throws, it’ll have a chance to create a turnover via the interception, something it hasn’t done this season, and something Russell has rarely done this season. Should the Bulldogs struggle in this aspect of the defensive game, a performance in the mold of the Hawaii game would seem likely.
Create Doubt:
The LSU defense isn’t just good, it’s the best in all of college football. Fresno State head coach Pat Hill was hoping his offense would receive a boost from then backup Sean Norton against Hawaii, and he got just that. Norton put life into a Bulldogs offense that previously seemed allergic to putting points on the board. If Norton and the Fresno State offense can continue the momentum created against the Warriors, that confidence may carry over to the defense. Ideally, it would also put doubt into the minds of the LSU defenders. If that doubt enters, only then will the Fresno State offense have a chance.
Tigers
The LSU football program is far from in need to play anybody, anywhere, anytime.
How nice it must be for the Tigers to play in the Southeastern Conference. Yet another sellout is in the works for the 90,000-plus seat Tiger Stadium, meaning noise will be a definite factor — that is indeed notable considering the amount of freshmen that are expected to see time for the Bulldogs.
The Tigers have not seen much competition in games they have won this season, while each of their two losses has come against teams ranked in the top 10 in the country.
Still, LSU will have a swagger in this game much like the USC Trojans carried into the game with the Bulldogs a year ago. Execution has been anything but a problem for the Tigers this season, but it will be something emphasized against Fresno State, a team they are definitely not overlooking.
On the defense:
If you’re going to look for a weakness in the armor of the LSU defense, you should probably set aside a big chunk of your day. A big part of the Fresno State offense is rhythm, something that the Tigers have made nearly impossible for their opponents to have, even in losses. In fact, the top defense in the country is more likely to take away the ball from its opponent than not, putting all the more pressure on Sean Norton, a first-time starter for the Bulldogs. It is not out of the realm to expect a double-digit number of punts for Bulldogs punter Kyle Zimmerman. The LSU defense is that good.
On the offense, too:
Against Florida and Auburn — the only two teams to hand the Tigers a loss — the LSU offense was very inconsistent and struggled to score points. In victories against Tulane and Kentucky, among others, the opposite could be said. Tigers quarterback JaMarcus Russell has a cannon of an arm, which helps when he throws to receivers Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis, who possess world class speed. The Tigers may not even need a run game to move the ball against the Bulldogs.
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