The aboriginal few weeks accept not been affectionate to the Bulldogs, so arena host to a FCS foe charge feel like a bare change-of-pace.
WEEK 4: Southern Utah Thunderbirds (0-3) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs (0-3)
WHEN: Saturday, September 20 -- 7:00 PM, PST
WHERE: Bulldog Stadium; Fresno, CA (41,031)
TV: The bold will be televised online as allotment of the Mountain West Network and Campus Insiders. Click actuality for added details.
RADIO: Fresno's two ESPN affiliates, 940 and 1600 AM, will advertisement the bold in English and Spanish, respectively.
SERIES RECORD: This will be the aboriginal affair amid both teams.
WEB SITES: GoBulldogs.com, Fresno State's official contest armpit | SUUTBirds.com, Southern Utah's official contest site
It's official: The Bulldogs accept spent the aftermost few weeks punching aloft their weight class. The aegis has not bigger as abundant as advancing and it has been torched again by accomplishment position players who will be arena on Sundays in a year or two. The quarterback bearings is no afterpiece to a resolution than it was a few weeks ago, and the playcalling hasn't helped. Never apperception an upset, best Red Wave affectionate would annihilate for a little appropriateness at this point.
Thankfully, the abstract adversity akin has been downgraded from Heisman to... let's say Varsity for at atomic one week. The Thunderbirds followed up a abutting accident to Nevada in the season's aperture anniversary with two beneath advancing efforts adjoin added FCS schools. If there's anytime a time for arch drillmaster Tim DeRuyter and the 'Dogs to booty out all of the pent up frustrations of the aboriginal season, this is it.
What to watch - Southern Utah: One of the things that both the Thunderbirds and Bulldogs accept in common, at atomic for the moment, is first-half scoring troubles. In three games, Southern Utah has denticulate aloof seven credibility afore halftime and Fresno hasn't been abundant better, abrading aloof 19 credibility together. The bearings ability be added acute for the visitors, though, because that Southeastern Louisiana and South Dakota State won't anytime been abashed with USC and Nebraska.
It's an accessible catechism as to whether the Bulldogs can get aback to their ballhawking ways, but if the aboriginal three amateur are any adumbration they should accept some opportunities at a big play. Two SUU quarterbacks, Aaron Cantu and Ammon Olsen, accept accumulated for 5.7 yards per advance and seven interceptions. Nearly 40% of the aeriform advance has flowed through one receiver, chief Chris Robinson. If they get him complex aboriginal and accumulate the chains affective with a counterbalanced offense, they ability be able to abruptness the Bulldogs and lay for the foundation for an upset.
What to watch - Fresno State: Why is this quarterback antagonism still going? It's not bright anyone has an acknowledgment besides "we're cat-and-mouse for addition to stop actuality lousy", but there's no faculty in burying the lead. Brian Burrell played four abode adjoin the Cornhuskers aftermost Saturday and... larboard a lot to be desired. Sure, he had a 66-yard touchdown run, but it came back the Bulldogs were bottomward by 29 and Nebraska had no absolute acumen to account the active bold at all (offensive coordinator Dave Schramm hadn't accustomed it to them). His 241 yards on 59 attempts were the atomic of any quarterback with at atomic that abounding passes in a bold back 2000. DeRuyter will comedy the cat-and-mouse bold with commendations to allotment a starter, admitting it's acceptable he'll appetite to get a best attending at Connette.
On defense, you can brainstorm that Donavon Lewis and Ejiro Ederaine are dying to booty their best attempt at an abhorrent band that's accustomed six sacks in three games. Fresno has been shut out in that administration in two of three amateur so far, but they haven't gone after a sack in after amateur back they went three beeline back 2009. This is a aegis that thrives on actuality advancing and throwing calefaction at opposing quarterbacks, and the opportunities for big sacks accept been there periodically but haven't been cashed in because of blah tackling. An aboriginal appraisal would absolutely animate the army and could be the atom the aggregation needs to cycle through an inferior opponent.
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Title : Southern Utah vs. Fresno State bold preview: 'Dogs still attractive for aboriginal win
Description : The aboriginal few weeks accept not been affectionate to the Bulldogs, so arena host to a FCS foe charge feel like a bar...