Fresno, California

Two weeks after a humiliating 59-14 loss, the Fresno State Bulldogs look to get back on track as they take on future Pac-12 rival, Washington State. With both teams coming off a bye week, they will be fresh heading into a matchup with major implications. A Cougars win could get them ranked, while a Fresno win would give them a much-needed confidence boost for the rest of the season.

How to Watch Fresno State vs. Washington State on TV

• Kickoff:  Saturday at 4:00 PT

• Channel: FS1

Bulldog Notes 

The Bulldogs enter week 7 highly motivated, after getting dismantled two weeks ago by the UNLV Rebels. They face another big test as they take on the 4-1 Washington State Cougars. Last time Fresno State were out on the field, the defense gave up 252 rushing yards, 119 of which were by UNLV Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams. Washington State also has a Quarterback, John Mateer, who likes to run the ball, having 453 yards on the ground thus far. If Fresno State would like to win this game, their biggest key to victory is to stop what they couldn’t two weeks ago and limit Mateer’s mobility. They need to make the Cougars offense move away from their game plan and pass the ball more. Luckily for the Bulldogs, Safety Camryn Bracha is set to play after suffering an injury in the shoulder area three weeks ago vs. New Mexico. He is a key piece of this Fresno defense as they take on a highly-explosive Cougars offense.

For the Bulldogs offense however, they had no problems moving the ball downfield against UNLV. The main issue was sustaining drives. Having thrown four interceptions last week, (two by Mikey Keene, one by Joshua Wood, and one by Jayden Mandal), protecting the ball will be a key emphasis in this game. Look for the Bulldogs to try to run the ball more with Running Back Malik Sherrod, taking pressure off Keene, especially as the WSU defense has given up an average of 192 rushing yards per game in back to back games. Matt Smith, Fresno’s offensive line coach, has been under fire ever since the UNLV loss, due to the Bulldogs inability to stop the Rebels defensive lineman. If he wants to silence the critics, the offensive line will need to have a good day, keeping Keene upright and in run-blocking as the run game as only averages 3.3 yards per carry so far this season.

Star Watch: RB Malik Sherrod

Malik Sherrod did not have a heavy work load against UNLV, only having 9 carries for 5 yards. We know what he’s capable of, as the last time he was fully healthy against New Mexico State, he ran all over the Aggies, averaging 7.5 yards per carry and ending the day with 113 yards and one touchdown. Of course, in that UNLV game, you could tell he wasn’t 100%, but after the Bulldogs are coming off of a bye, he will run circles around a Washington State defense that has shown a clear inability to stop the run. Sherrod will be the clear player to watch for the Fresno State Bulldogs.

Washington State Notes

Just like the Bulldogs, the Cougars are coming off of a bye. The last time they played was against Group of 5 powerhouse, Boise State. In that game, Heisman favorite Ashton Jeanty ran all over them, averaging 10 yards per carry, having 259 rushing yards and capping off his remarkable performance with four touchdowns. The Cougars defense faces a softer running game, as Fresno State has only averaged 3.3 yards per carry. But stopping the run hasn’t been the only issue for the WSU defense, having given up 307 passing yards per game so far this year. This is a Fresno State offense whose identity is thru the air. Washington State’s Secondary will need to step up and limit the Fresno offense’s big plays. This WSU defense however has a knack to creating turnovers, picking off opposing Quarterbacks six times in five games played this season. With Mikey Keene’s turnover issues this year, (6 interceptions thrown through 5 games played) it’s safe to assume that creating havoc by forcing Keene to make mistakes will be the Cougars defensive game plan.

This Washington State offense has been firing on all cylinders so far this season, between putting up 70 points in week 1 on Portland State, to beating San Jose State 54-52 in week 4. It’s not an understatement to say that John Mateer has filled in the shoes of Cam Ward thus far this season. Mateer has been a dynamic runner rushing for 453 yards. He has however, similar to Keene, has turned the ball over a lot, throwing five interceptions this year. His offense hasn’t had to rely on him passing the ball much as they have achieved great success in the run game. When they have thrown the ball, the guy you should watch out for is Kyle Williams. He has proven himself as the Cougars WR1, averaging 140 receiving yards per game in the past 2 games. Fresno’s defense will likely load the box due to Mateer’s running ability, with Williams potentially having another great game.

Star Watch: WR Kyle Williams

Williams has been electric for Washington State’s offense the past two weeks. As stated earlier, due to Fresno State likely loading the box, Williams is set for another fantastic performance. Last time the Bulldogs defense was out on the field UNLV Wide Receiver Ricky White III had ten catches for 127 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Most of his catches came off of the RPO and slants in the middle of the field. Williams is a similar player to White, with both players sharing a similar build and with their identical strengths with route-running.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, due to both teams defensive issues we can expect a high scoring affair. This game will be won and lost through the trenches and the biggest factor will be which defense can make the big stop and which Quarterback can play a clean game, without making the mistake of turning the ball over. Because of the Bulldogs defensive track record, it’s hard to see a game where they can make the big stop.