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Fresno forces challenge
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The class of the Western Athletic Conference plays tonight to decide which team, the Boise State Broncos or the Fresno State Bulldogs, is the best.
The WAC has no championship game, but tonight’s contest is the most a fan could ask for: two teams, undefeated in conference and with only three losses between them, both having dispatched of every other WAC team either of them has played in 2005 and both at the top in nearly every category in the league.
Check out the Dogs-
- Fresno State enters this week having won 13 of its last 14 games dating back to last
Season, the only loss was a 37-34 falling at No. 14 Oregon.
- In those 14 games, Fresno State is averaging 47.3 points per game and has won 10 straight WAC games.
- The Bulldogs’ defense has been equally impressive, allowing just 17.1 points per game. This season, the Fresno State defense ranks 10th in the NCAA in scoring average (15.8 points per game).
- In WAC games, the Bulldogs allow just 11.6 points per game. Fresno State is 21st nationally in total defense, allowing just 307.0 yards per game.
- For the season, the Dogs have allowed a WAC-low six rushing touchdowns while leading the WAC with a 3.4 yard-per-rush average.
- Fresno State is 12th in the NCAA with 25 quarterback sacks.
- The Bulldogs are averaging 41.9 points per game this season. That’s good for fifth amongst NCAA teams.
- Fresno State is 21-2 in regular season games after October, including wins in 20 of the last 21 overall.
- The Bulldogs are N o. 1 in the nation in converting third downs with a 55.2 percent conversion rate. Last season the Bulldogs ranked sixth with a 49 percent success rate.
- The Bulldogs are No. 1 in the WAC in (NCAA ranks are in parentheses): scoring offense, 41.9 ppg (5), scoring defense, 15.8 avg. (10), sacks, 25 (12), third down conversion, .55.4 (1), total defense, 303.0 ypg (21), pass defense efficiency, 112.4 (27), pass efficiency, 153.4 rating (13), punt returns, 26.6 avg. (2), kickoff returns, 25.9 avg. (7) and pass defense, 189.4 avg. (27).
The offense
Bulldog senior quarterback Paul Pinegar is 134-for-206 passing this season for 1,735 yards, 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions. His back-up Tom Brandstater has come in for relief in every game this season, except the loss against Oregon.
The Bulldogs are 31-9 in games when Pinegar starts at quarterback, including 3-0 in bowl games.
Pinegar has connected with six players for multiple touchdowns this season. J. Jamison leads the team with 21 catches for 304 yards and two scores. And Joe Fernandez is a close second with 20 receptions for 243 yards and a pair of TDs. Both Paul Williams and Adam Jennings have caught three scores.
Senior running back Bryson Sumlin moved passed the 2,000-yard mark in his career this season and moved up to eighth on the Fresno State Top 10 list for career rushing yards.
Wendell Mathis leads the Bulldogs in rushing, with 811 yards on 135 carries and 12 touchdowns.
His rushing average is 6.0 yards per carry and he averages 101.4 yards per game. Sumlin is second on the team with 415 yards on 97 carries and 4 touchdowns. The Bulldogs average 174.6 yards per game on the ground as a team
The defense
For the second straight year, the Bulldog defense has been tops in the WAC.
Defensively the Bulldogs are led my Marcus Riley’s 46 tackles. Dwayne Andrews and Rich Marshal each also have at least 40 tackles.
The Fresno State defense has recorded 54 tackles for a loss, 24 sacks, seven interceptions, 35 pass breakups, seven fumble recoveries and three blocked kicks.
Three players (Tyler Clutts, G. McIntyre and Ikenna Ike) have four sacks and 14 Bulldogs have registered at least one sack.
Two of Fresno State’s opponents this season were ranked in the NCAA top 10 in scoring offense, averaging better than 40 points per game. Toledo came into the game with the Bulldogs averaging 53 points per game, third-best in the nation.
FSU held the Rockets to 14 points. Over the last two weeks, the Dogs held their opponents to season lows in scoring, holding Hawaii to 13 points and San Jose State to seven. Hawaii’s 13 points, were the second fewest points it scored at home in the June Jones era.
The special teams
Senior Adam Jennings is the only player in the nation to be ranked in the NCAA top five in both kickoff return and punt returns. Jennings averages 30.7 yards per kickoff return, No. 3 in the NCAA, and 18.1 yards per punt return, No. 4 in the NCAA.
He averages 15.5 yards every time he touches the ball this season.
The Bulldogs’ punt return team has blocked three punts this season and has returned four for touchdowns, gaining 505 yards in field position.
Fresno State is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA with a punt return average of 26.6 yards per return.
The Fresno State punt team has only allowed 16 yards on five returns this season. That is five punts returned by Bulldog opponents all season.
Dustin Lapray / Asst. Sports Editor
