Fresno State without Mathews beats Tech

2009 Fresno State Bulldogs ... Head Coach: Pat Hill

2009 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 7-5
2009 Record: 7-4

9/5 UC Davis W 51-0
9/12 at Wisc. L 37-34 2OT
9/18 Boise State L 51-34
9/26 at Cincinnati L 28-20
10/3 OPEN DATE
10/10 at Hawaii W 42-17
10/17 SJSU W 41-21
10/24 at NMSU W 34-3
10/31 Utah St W 31-27
11/7 at Idaho W 31-21
11/14 at Nevada L 52-14
11/21 La Tech W 30-28
11/28 OPEN DATE
12/5 at Illinois

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 10-2
2008 Record: 7-6

9/1 at Rutgers W 24-7
9/6 OPEN DATE
9/13 Wisconsin L 13-10
9/20 at Toledo W 55-54 2OT
9/27 at UCLA W 36-31
10/4 Hawaii L 32-29 OT
10/11 Idaho W 45-32
10/18 OPEN DATE
10/25 at Utah State W 30-28
11/1 at Louisiana Tech L 38-35
11/7 Nevada L 41-28
11/15 New Mexico St W 24-17
11/21 at San Jose St W 24-10
11/28 at Boise State L 61-10
New Mexico Bowl
12/20 Colorado State L 40-35

Fresno State Bulldogs

Nov. 21
at Fresno State 30 … Louisiana Tech 28
Fresno State’s Kevin Goessling nailed a 35-yard field goal with no time left on the clock for the win. The Bulldogs got 75 rushing yards from Robbie Rouse in place of an injured Ryan Mathews, but got its offensive touchdowns in the first half on a 23-yard Seyi Ajirotutu catch and a five-yard Lonyae Miller run. But Louisiana Tech battled throughout with Dennis Moore scoring from 50, 12, and 39 yards away in the first half and Cruz Williams catching Ross Jenkins’ fourth touchdown pass of the game from 36 yards away. Goessling finished with three field goals, all in the second half.
Player of the Game: In the loss, Louisiana Tech TE Dennis Morris caught seven passes for 131 yards and three scores
Louisiana Tech: Passing: Ross Jenkins, 14-22, 206 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Daniel Porter, 22-137, Receiving: Dennis Morris, 7-131, 3 TD
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 17-42, 182 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Robbie Rouse, 21-75, Receiving: Seyi Ajirotutu, 5-56, 1 TD
What It All Means: With Ryan Mathews out with a concussion, the offense needed the passing game to step up against the decent Louisiana Tech secondary and it did … but it wasn’t pretty. Ryan Colburn struggled with his accuracy and Robbie Rouse showed that he’s not Mathews. Even so, it was a gut-check win to get to seven wins, assure the Bulldogs of a bowl, with a little bit of momentum after the Nevada debacle. Can Fresno beat Illinois? In a few weeks, Mathews should have enough time to get healthy to play again. 

Nov. 14
at Nevada 52 … Fresno State 14
Nevada’s ground game kept on rolling with 461 yards with three touchdown runs from Luke Lippincott and two from Vai Taua. Fresno State started out how with a 57-yard Jamel Hamler touchdown catch and a three-yard Seyi Ajirotutu wrapped around a 50-yard Taua scoring dash, and then the turnovers started coming with four fumbles and an interception. The Wolf Pack scored 42 unanswered points with two scores in each of the last three quarters. Taua ripped off a 65-yard scoring dash in the third, Colin Kaepernick ran for touchdowns from six and 21 yards out, and Lippincott scored from one, six, and 21 yards away. Fresno State’s Ryan Mathews, the nation’s leading rusher, was held to 32 yards on eight carries.
Player of the Game: Nevada RB Vai Taua ran 17 times for 179 yards and two scores.
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 24-35, 362 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Lonyae Miller, 10-55, Receiving: Chastin West, 7-77
Nevada: Passing: Colin Kaepernick, 6-12, 45 yds
Rushing: Vai Taua, 17-179, 2 TD, Receiving: Brandon Wimberly, 3-25 
What It All Means: Fresno State is a lot better than 52-14. The running game didn’t get a chance to get rolling after the floodgates opened up and with the fumbles giving Nevada too many chances they didn’t need. All is not lost, but the Bulldogs have to come up with a win over Louisiana Tech to be assured of a halfway decent bowl and needs to beat Illinois to make this a strong season. However, if the run defense isn’t better, this game not included since Nevada is rolling on everyone, it might be tough to get a split, at best.

Nov. 7
Fresno State 31 … at Idaho 21
Ryan Mathews ran for a 77-yard score and Ryan Colburn connected on all 14 of his passes as the Bulldogs came away with the big win. Mathews also scored on two one-yard touchdown runs on the way to a 31-7 lead, and then Idaho made things interesting with a Brian Reader four-yard touchdown run and a 69-yard pass to Maurice Shaw. Idaho outgained Fresno State 470 yards to 340.
Player of the Game: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews ran 26 times for 143 yards and three scores, and QB Ryan Colburn completed 14-of-14 passes for 159 yards and a score.
Idaho: Passing: Brian Reader, 12-25, 240 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: DeMaundray Woolridge, 10-97, Receiving: Max Komar, 4-67, 1 TD
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 14-14, 159 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Ryan Mathews, 26-143, 3 TD, Receiving: Seyi Ajirotutu, 4-45, 1 TD
What It All Means: Winners of five in a row, Fresno State is playing at a high level with all the offensive parts working. Ryan Colburn was a perfect 14-of-14, and while he didn’t take too many chances down the field, he made the throws needed to keep the offense moving. Ryan Mathews was his typical self, taking charge of the game from the start with his 77-yard touchdown dash, and there wasn’t too much of a threat the rest of the way. Now the team has a fight on its hands going to Nevada to face its running game. Considering Fresno is 92nd in the nation against the run, there could be problems. 

Oct. 31
at Fresno State 31 … Utah State 27
Ryan Mathews ran for a ten-yard score with less than five minutes to play and the defense held on, holding Utah State scoreless in the second half, on the way to the tough win. The Aggies ran wild cranking up 263 yards with both QB Diondre Borel and Robert Turbin running for over 100 yards with each one scoring from a yard out. Mathews also ran for a nine-yard score and Lonyae Miller ran for a two-yard score. The two teams combined for 969 yards of total offense.
Player of the Game: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews ran 23 times for 185 yards and two scores, and he caught two passes for 26 yards.
Utah State: Passing: Diondre Borel, 20-31, 240 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Robert Turbin, 19-138, 1 TD, Receiving: Xavier Bowman, 7-65, 1 TD
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 17-27, 256 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ryan Mathews, 23-185 yds, 2 TD, Receiving: Seyi Ajirotutu, 7-124, 1 TD
What It All Means: Fresno State came up with the win but there has to be a big concern going forward. If Utah State could get more than 100 rushing yards out of QB Diondre Borel and RB Robert Turbin, then Nevada, coming up in a few weeks, should go ballistic. The Bulldogs keep on rolling with an effective passing game and Ryan Mathews running, but Colburn can’t go without throwing a pick and the defense suddenly got soft. The turnover margin has to start to shift the other way. 

Oct. 24
Fresno State 34 … at New Mexico State 3
New Mexico State scored first on a 32-yard Kyle Hughes field goal for a 3-0 lead going into the second, and then it was all Fresno State scoring 34 unanswered points starting with a 17-yard interception return for a score from Lorne Bell. Ryan Mathews scored on a one-yard run in the third and a 68-yard dash in the fourth, and Chastin West took a punt 88 yards for a score.
Player of the Game: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews ran 25 times for 157 yards and two scores.
New Mexico State: Passing: Jeff Fleming, 3-6, 46 yds
Rushing: Seth Smith, 19-105, Receiving: Marcus Anderson, 2-33
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 7-14, 164 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Ryan Mathews, 25-157, 2 TD, Receiving: Seyi Ajirotutu, 3-64
What It All Means: The Bulldogs aren’t going to take any wild chances against bad teams like New Mexico State. Keep the passing game simple, rely on the defense, and hand it off to Ryan Mathews. That’s not bad, and the formula has helped FSU to get on a nice three-game run with a home game against Utah State up next. Still in the WAC title hunt, at least for a piece of it, the Bulldogs have to use next week to sharpen everything up, including the midrange passing game, before dealing with Idaho and Nevada on the road. 

Oct. 17
at Fresno State 41 … San Jose State 21
Fresno State explodes with a 24-point second quarter with Ryan Mathews tearing off a 59-yard touchdown run and Marlon Moore catching a 23-yard scoring pass. Moore scored from four yards out in the fourth as part of a 34-point Bulldog run, which was finally stopped with nine seconds to play on a 59-yard Josh Harrison catch.
Player of the Game: Fresno State RB Ryan Matthews ran 20 times for 233 yards and a score
San Jose State: Passing: Jordan LaSecla, 17-27, 143 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Lamon Muldrow, 15-73, Receiving: Jalal Beachman, 5-56, 1 TD
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 7-12, 117 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ryan Mathews, 20-233, 1 TD, Receiving: Seyi Ajirotutu, 4-61
What It All Means: Ryan Mathews continues to be terrific. The passing game is just along for the ride when the running attack is moving, and that’s a plus. Ryan Colburn is great when he doesn’t have to do too much, and while he struggled to move the chains and make third down throws against the Spartans, he didn’t make any big mistakes to allow the game to get close. Quietly, the Bulldogs should keep the nice run going with New Mexico State and Utah State up next, but then come the showdowns at Idaho and Nevada to determine the No. 2 spot in the WAC pecking order behind Boise State. 

Oct. 10
Fresno State 42 … at Hawaii 17
Fresno State had no problems in the rain getting out to an early lead on first quarter touchdown runs from Lonyae Miller and Ryan Matthews followed up by two 17-yard Ryan Colburn touchdown passes on the way to a 42-3 lead. Robbie Rouse added touchdown runs from 34 and 16 yards away in the third quarter, and then Hawaii finally got on the board with two short Bryant Moniz touchdown passes.
Player of the Game: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews ran 24 times for 149 yards and a score.
Hawaii: Passing: Bryant Moniz, 24-52, 283 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Leon Wright-Jackson, 5-66, Receiving: Rodney Bradley, 7-94, 1 TD
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 12-14, 120 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ryan Mathews, 24-149, 1 TD, Receiving: Seyi Ajirotutu, 4-48
What It All Means: Bryant Moniz is trying, but the offense isn’t close to being the same without Greg Alexander. The defense needs to pick up the slack by doing something more than it was able to against the Fresno State offense that ran for 277 yards and allowed the Bulldog passers to complete 14-of-17 passes. To have a chance against a strong Idaho team next week, and with Boise State and Nevada to follow, the team has to be perfect, the seven penalties and three turnovers of this week were too many, and the receivers will have to take short Moniz passes and do something with them.
What It All Means: This might have been an easy win, but after losing three straight games, the Bulldogs needed to come up with a breather. This should get the team back on track with the running game working effectively, Ryan Colburn and the passing game efficient and effective, and the defense was a rock on the road. There shouldn’t be any problems over the next three weeks against San Jose state, New Mexico State, and Utah State if the Bulldogs are focused.

Sept. 26
at Cincinnati 28 … Fresno State 20
Cincinnati only had the ball for 16 minutes, but it made the most of the time with three touchdown passes from Tony Pike including a 23-yarder and an 11-yarder to Mardy Gilyard. Fresno State stayed alive on the running of Ryan Mathews, who carried it 38 times for 145 yards with a one-yard run, but a late interception thrown by Ryan Colburn ended the threat. Fresno State outgained Cincinnati 290 yards to 57.
Player of the Game: Cincinnati QB Tony Pike completed 18-of-26 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran for 15 yards.
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 16-27, 153 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ryan Mathews, 38-145, 1 TD, Receiving: Jamel Hamler, 4-57, 1 TD
Cincinnati: Passing: Tony Pike, 18-26, 300 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Isaiah Pead, 4-27, 1 TD, Receiving: Mardy Gilyard, 9-177, 2 TD 
What It All Means: The Bulldogs aren’t playing poorly, and the running game is rocking and rolling with Ryan Mathews going ballistic, but there isn’t a lot to show for it. Ryan Colburn, who has been so great at times and did a nice job of moving the chains, keeps throwing bad picks. He killed the offense in overtime against Wisconsin, and his late interception against the Bearcats was a major problem. This has been a frustrating start, but the team can’t lose focus over the week off before facing Hawaii.

Sept. 18
Boise State 51 ... at Fresno State 34
Boise State overcame three 60+ yard touchdown runs from Ryan Mathews with several big plays of its own to come up with the big win. D.J. Harper ran for a 60-yard score in the second half and Titus Young recovered a fumble off a 74-yard Jeremy Avery run as part of the Broncos' big plays. Avery answered a Mathews 68-yard touchdown with a 67-yard touchdown catch 26 seconds to play to put the game away. Fresno State outgained Boise State 507 yards to 480.
Player of the Game: In a losing cause, Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews ran 19 times for 234 yards and three touchdowns.
Boise State: Passing: Kellen Moore, 18-36, 181 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Jeremy Avery, 11-186, Receiving: Jeremy Avery, 5-83, 1 TD
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 14-29, 187 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Ryan Mathews, 19-234, 3 TD, Receiving: Devon Wylie, 4-37, 1 TD
What It All Means: The Bulldogs got the big plays needed from Ryan Mathews and the running game, but Ryan Colburn's two interceptions and the inability to come up with a big stop defensively meant yet another loss to the Broncos. Every time Fresno State got close, Boise State had an answer and now the question might be answered: Pat Hill's program can't get past Boise State. Things could get worse before they get better with Cincinnati up next and the next home game not until October 17.

Sept. 12
at Wisconsin 37 ... Fresno State 34 2OT
Fresno State QB Ryan Colburn threw three interceptions, but played a great game with three touchdown passes including a seven-yarder to Seyi Ajirotutu in the first overtime, but in the second, he hung up a pass in the end zone that got picked off by Chris Marargos. Wisconsin's Phillip Welch, who nailed a 57-yard bomb to end the first half, connected on the 22-yarder in the second OT to win the game. Chastin West caught a 13-yard touchdown pass and Devon Wylie took a Colburn throw 70 yards for a 14-0 Fresno State lead, but the Badgers battled back with short scoring runs from Zach Brown and David Gilreath. John Clay appeared to put the game away on a 72-yard scoring dash to give Wisconsin a three point lead, but the Bulldogs got a 41-yard Kevin Goessling field goal to force overtime. Fresno State outgained Wisconsin 468 yards to 413.
Player of the Game: Wisconsin DE O'Brien Schofield made 11 tackles, a sack, and four tackles for loss.
Wisconsin: Passing: Scott Tolzien, 17-28, 225 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: John Clay, 21-143, 1 TD, Receiving: Isaac Anderson, 4-70
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 22-36, 289 yds, 4 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Ryan Mathews, 19-107, Receiving: Seyi Ajirotutu, 6-83, 2 TD
What It All Means: Fresno State will be hanging its head after coming so achingly close to stuffing the Badgers and coming away with the win, but after stopping the run all game long, it couldn't handle John Clay on one big touchdown run and then in overtime when the Bulldog D was gassed. Outside of the three interceptions, QB Ryan Colburn was magnificent, especially on third downs, picking apart the Badger corners, while RB Ryan Mathews ran well when he got the space to move. The defensive line did a great job all game long, and LB Ben Jacobs was a brick wall, but it wasn't enough. This week, however, everything can change around with a win over Boise State.

Sept. 5
at Fresno State 51 ... UC Davis 0
Fresno State scored in just about every way possible with a 60-yard touchdown dash from Ryan Mathews in the first quarter, a 94-yard interception return for a score from Nico Herron in the second, and a 92-yard touchdown pass play to Marlon Moore just over three minutes later. In all, seven different Bulldogs scored touchdowns while the defense held UCD to 231 yards, 12 first downs and 43 rushing yards.
Player of the Game: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews ran 11 times for 106 yards and a touchdown.
UC Davis: Passing: Greg Denham, 18-41, 188 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Joe Trombetta, 12-27, Receiving: Chris Carter, 4-41
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 5-9, 161 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ryan Mathews, 11-106, 1 TD, Receiving: Seyi Ajirotutu, 3-57
What It All Means: Talk about coming in focused and ready to roar and ready to try to make some big noise at Wisconsin, Fresno State was focused, sharp, and explosive on both sides of the ball in the blowout win. Of course, it was UC Davis, but past Fresno State teams would've gone through the motions and play down to the competition. The backups got in some needed work, the stars were able to show what they can do when put in the right position, and the team pitched a near-perfect game.