In what was a must win game, the Bulldogs brought their 'A' game for the 2nd straight week as they knocked off San Jose State 24-10 on Friday night.
Defensively, Fresno State was outstanding. They had to be in the field more than I'm sure they wanted to, but they were up for the challege. They would give up the only points the Spartans would score (10) in the first half, shutting them out in the 2nd half and allowing their offense to run away with the game with three second half scores including two from running back Anthony Harding and a 49-yard punt return from Chastin West.
The team was, again, without the team's leading rushing Ryan Mathews as he is still nursing his ankle injury, but they would show just how strong the running back trio of Mathews, Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding are. Miller would carry the ball 14 times for 67 yards while Harding would have an even bigger night, carrying the ball 17 times for 99 yards and 2 scores. Jr. running back Jamaal Rashad would even get into the act as the Bulldogs' third option, finishing the night with 5 carries and 41 yards rushing.
The Bulldogs used the ground game to their advantage and it was much needed, as they got a season low 71 yards through the air from Sr. quarterback Tom Brandstater on 5-of-18 passing and an interception.
This should be an incredible confidence boost for this team as they look forward to their showdown against 9th ranked Boise State on the blue turf. With the kind of defense this team has played in recent weeks, they'll need to put up an even bigger effort against a very high powered offense.
With the win, Fresno State (7-4, 4-3) should be a lock for a post season bowl game, though we'll have to wait until probably mid-December before that is announced, but the win definitely helps their chances. Their game against Boise State will be a nationally televised game on ESPN2 on Friday afternoon. Kickoff scheduled for 3pm local time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment