Fresno State Football Game Preview

By Darrell Copeland III
The Collegian

Bulldogs

For only the second time all season, Fresno State will get a chance to play what would be considered a weak opponent in New Mexico State.

Still, that’s not necessarily anything for Bulldogs fans to breathe a sigh of relief about, because the Bulldogs fell victim to the last “inferior” opponent in Utah State, 13-12. The Aggies will bring a Hawaii-like offense into Bulldog Stadium Saturday, an offense that put up 68 points only a few weeks ago.

Even worse for the Bulldogs is that top wideout Paul Williams will be out with an injury while many others are nursing nagging injuries as well. The injuries only add to the turmoil that has surrounded the Bulldogs in a 1-7 season, which became even more interesting with the latest move by Fresno State head coach Pat Hill.

Quarterback carousel:
At Monday’s weekly press conference, Hill announced that Tom Brandstater would once again be the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs, based on his second half performance in the Bulldogs’ 45-21 loss to Boise State last week. Hill expects Brandstater to be a changed quarterback after the tough times he dealt with earlier in the season. Hill said Brandstater will be “hardened” from his experiences on the sideline, and he would no doubt like to see it pay off against the Aggies.

That means former starting quarterback Sean Norton will move back into the backup role, but the likelihood that Norton will enter the game remains likely.

Tenacious D-line:
It’s no secret that the Bulldogs have struggled in all areas of defense this year, but an area which has received the least criticism is the defensive line. With Jason Shirley, Tyler Clutts, Louis Leonard and Marlon Brisco returning as established performers, the defensive line was supposed to be an area of strength for the Bulldogs’ defense. It still may be the strength of the defense, if only because the remaining aspects have struggled so mightily.

Opposing quarterbacks have had as long as needed to pass on the Bulldogs’ secondary, which has had struggles of its own. There is really no quick fix for the lack of pressure on the quarterback, but a possible one would be to mix in another technique aside from the bull-rush. No matter what they decide, the Bulldogs’ pass rush needs to make something happen, and soon.

Youth movement:
It seems likely that Fresno State fans will get to see larger doses of a few of the Bulldogs’ defensive backs. Corners A.J. Jefferson and Damion Owens are expected to see increased time against the Aggies, who use many multiple wide receiver sets.

Safeties Marvin Haynes and Moses Harris, who have already begun to see extended playing time, may begin to see their roles increase even further. Whether or not the young defensive backs can improve a struggling secondary this season may not matter, as the experience gained the rest of this year may pay off for the beginning of next year.

Aggies

The New Mexico State Aggies have never defeated the Bulldogs in 12 meetings. Believe it or not, the team that was winless a year ago actually has a realistic chance to knock off the Bulldogs, even at home.

Despite their 2-7 record, New Mexico State has only been outscored by an average of four points per game and have shown drastic improvement just a year after an 0-12 season. That being said, the strides have been made more so on the offensive side of the ball, as an abundance of playmakers seem to have come of age for the Aggies.

Led by sophomore quarterback Chase Holbrook, the Aggies are passing for 397.3 yards per game, which ranks as the best in the Western Athletic Conference and second in the country. Just as staggering is the completion percentage of Holbrook, who completes passes at a 68 percent clip while guiding an offense that scores nearly 30 points per game.

Wide-open receivers:
Aggies receivers have 316 catches between them, with the top four receivers all averaging 11 yards per catch or better. Those stats play right into the weakness of Fresno State, which just so happens to be the secondary. At 5-feet-8 inches tall and 155 pounds, the Aggies Chris Williams is the biggest threat to score, most likely out of the slot. Williams has 993 yards in nine games this season and is one of four receivers to already have over 500 yards receiving.

Defensive opportunity:
Fresno State can’t be totally ruled out of stopping the Aggies’ offense with the running struggles New Mexico State has had this season. On 237 attempts, the Aggies are only averaging 2.6 yards per rush, but that’s of little concern with the amount of passing plays they call.

The opportunity for the Bulldogs to make a difference against the Aggies’ offense could come with a pass rush, where New Mexico State has allowed 35 sacks in nine games this year. If Fresno State can get a push and put pressure on Holbrook to make bad throws, the Bulldogs will have a chance to create turnovers, which have been hard to come by in a tumultuous season.

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