Fresno, California
Under the lights in Reno, Nevada, Fresno State (3-3) will take on Nevada (3-4). After Fresno State’s heartbreaking loss last week against Washington State they will look to bounce back. Nevada comes off of a 42-37 win over Oregon State where there were five touchdowns scored in the fourth game. This is what the Bulldogs have to do to win in this Mountain West matchup.
Beat the Opponent, Not Yourself
Last week, Fresno State left too many points on the table. Junior kicker, Dylan Lynch missed two field goals one from 36 yards and the other from 52 yards. Both of these kicks came in the second quarter on the second and third drives respectively.
Additionally, the Bulldogs did an excellent drive in the first half turning the Cougars over twice. Both times though, there were no points scored out of these turnovers.
Not only, did Fresno leave points on the board but they also conceded a lot of penalties. 12 for 91 yards to be exact which was significantly more than Washington State’s 5 for 57 yards.
Fresno Quarterback, Mikey Keene showed his shakiness again throwing for two interceptions. Both were pretty bad. The first was on a slant over the middle where Keene overthrew his intended target and the second was a pick-six. Not just any pick-six but a fourth-quarter game-winning play for Washington State, pick six.
Nevada did an excellent job turning the Beavers over last week. They forced Gevani McCoy into throwing four interceptions. This brought their season total to 7 interceptions which now ranks a tied 19th in the nation. In addition, they only forced one Oregon State punt meaning drives will be there for the Bulldogs. It will just be up to the offense to decide whether they want to execute on them or not.
Be All Systems Go Defensively
Props should be Kevin Coyle for how his defense played last week. The Washington State offense was being talked up all week with everyone boasting about John Mateer’s stellar run abilities. Well, the Bulldog’s defense was able to hold him and the rest of the Cougar’s offense to just 3.4 yards per rush. In addition, they kept Washington State off the field winning the time of possession battle by 5 minutes.
They were also able to sack the ultra-shifty, Mateer. With two of them going to defensive lineman, Jacob Holmes, and the other two going to linebacker, Phoenix Jackson.
Nevada’s offense is strange and I’m not sure they even know what their identity is on that side of the ball. Last week, their running back, Savion Red who was a transfer from Texas ran for 4 touchdowns and 137 yards. Their QB, Brendon Lewis is yet to have his shining performance. He is second on the team in terms of rushing yards but is only averaging 162 passing yards per game.
Nevada’s point totals have also been all over. As of late, they have tended to find more success in playing a higher-scoring battle. Judging by the unsureness of this Wolfpack offense, Coyle and his defense should be ready for anything Nevada might throw at them.
Run the Ball
Nevada has recently struggled against the run. Last week they allowed Anthony Hankerson to have his biggest performance of the year where he rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns. Two weeks before that game they allowed FCS running back, Malik Dotson to run for 67 yards and a touchdown. Since then, he has struggled to replicate that production against FCS opponents.
With Malik Sherrod currently week-to-week Elijah Gilliam will lead the backfield. He stepped up into that role nicely against Washington State rushing for 120 yards and a score. With Gilliam averaging six yards per carry last week it should be a point of emphasis to feed him the ball.
Freshman, Bryson Donelson will look to also get an increase in carries. So far this year he has 106 rushing yards and a touchdown but do not be surprised if he can break out a run this game.
Final Thoughts
As we reach the midpoint in the season, Fresno State needs a much-needed confidence boost. This game can provide it if the Bulldogs can play an efficient game. They left a lot on the table last week with many believing they even outplayed the Cougars. This game has a lot lying on it as it will be a big telling point on how the rest of the Bulldogs’ season will go.
