Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Rutgers
Bulldogs Down Rutgers, 24-7
9/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 1, 2008
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Ryan Mathews ran for 163 yards and three touchdowns, Seyi Ajirotutu set up two scores with long receptions and No. 25 Fresno State made its first trip to the East Coast a successful one with a 24-7 victory over Rutgers on Monday night.
Fresno State got rolling in the second half and went on to its 13th victory over teams in BCS conferences, tied with Utah for the most in the nation for teams from non-BCS leagues.
Tom Brandstater, after a 5-for-15 first half, finished with 216 yards passing for the Bulldogs. Ajirotutu came up with the two big grabs. The first was a 77-yarder in the third quarter that led to Mathews' first score, a 4-yarder.
The second was a 31-yard reception on third-and-23 in the fourth quarter, which put the ball at the 1. Mathews scored two plays later to make it 17-7 with 6:46 left in the game.
The Bulldogs from the Western Athletic Conference will be logging big miles this season, over 18,000 before it's over, as coach Pat Hill stays true to his motto of: "Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime." For this trip - a late add to the schedule in April - the Bulldogs couldn't afford the nonstop commercial flight but the layover in Wichita, Kan., was well worth it considering the result.
The first game without Ray Rice wasn't encouraging for Rutgers. While the Scarlet Knights' career rushing leader was preparing for his first NFL game with the Baltimore Ravens, his old school was having a hard time putting points on the board.
Rice's replacement in the backfield, Kordell Young, ran well, picking up 94 yards on 26 carries and a 1-yard touchdown with 11:20 left to cut the lead to 10-7.
Fresno State responded with touchdowns on its next two drives, with Mathews' third short TD run of the day, a 1-yarder with 3:15 left to make it 24-7, ensuring a happy trip back to California's Central Valley.
The Scarlet Knights can lament myriad mistakes, including two missed field goals, a failed fourth-and-goal play from the 3, an interception in the end zone and an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown wiped out by a block-in-the-back penalty.
Mike Teel was 20-for-39 for 263 yards for Rutgers, which moved the ball well but couldn't finish off drives and got no help from its new kicker.
San San Te, a redshirt freshman replacing Jeremy Ito, missed a 74-yard line drive on his first college field goal attempt.
The Scarlet Knights drove to the Fresno State 3 on their next possession, but passed on a 20-yard field goal attempt. Rutgers tried to catch the Bulldogs off guard with a quick snap on fourth down, but Mason Robinson's run off tackle gained only a yard.
In the second quarter, Rutgers again drove the Fresno State 3. Coach Greg Schiano sent out Te to attempt to get some points on the board, but this time his long snapper let him down. A one-hop snap to holder Andrew DePaola threw Te's timing off and he drilled another liner wide left.
After a scoreless first half, Fresno State broke through on the opening drive with Kevin Goessling's 31-yard field goal.
The Bulldogs got the ball back quickly and got into the end zone even faster. Brandstater found Ajirotutu running free down the right sideline for a long gainer to the Rutgers 4. Mathews swept around left end on the next play to make it 10-0 with 6:59 left in the third.
Fresno State vs. Rutgers
Rutgers Stadium
Postgame Notes and Quotes
Sept. 1, 2008
Haynes Gets His Picks
Junior safety Marvin Haynes earned his first career interception late in the first half as Rutgers attempted a flea-flicker in Fresno State territory. Haynes read the play perfectly and easily caught the ball in the end zone for a touchback. He got his second interception in the second half, the only two turnovers in the game. He's the first Bulldog with two interceptions in a game since Damon Jenkins had two against Louisiana Tech in the 2006 season.
Fresno State's Lucky 13
Fresno State now has 13 wins over schools from BCS conferences since the 2000 season, more than any other school. With a 24-7 win over Rutgers, the Dogs earned its first win over a team from the Big East. The Dogs have wins over ACC, Pac-10, Big Ten and Big 12 conference opponents. Fresno State has three wins over BCS opponents in the last four games dating back to last season (Kansas State, Georgia Tech and Rutgers). Fresno State's next game is also against a BCS opponent, at home Sept. 13 vs. No. 12 Wisconsin.
Dogs on ESPN
Fresno State made its 55th national television appearance Monday. The Dogs are among the nation's most watched teams this decade. Fresno State has six national TV games this season, including two of the next three games. Fresno State's home opener against No. 12 Wisconsin is on ESPN2.
Mr. Touchdown Goes for Three
Chalk up three more touchdowns for sophomore running back Ryan Mathews. Mathews led all NCAA freshmen last season with 14 and runs his career total to 17. Mathews led the Dogs with 163 rushing yards. He also made his first career reception early in the game. He caught a 20-yard pass from Tom Brandstater on Fresno State's second offensive play.
Tough Bulldog Defense
Not only did Fresno State hold Rutgers to seven points on their home field in front of a sold-out crowd, it held Rutgers to 263 total yards in the game. The Dogs held Rutgers to just 52 total yards in the second half.
Catch Me If you Can
Seyi Ajirotutu had two long catches to set up Bulldog touchdowns. His first grab was a 77-yard reception from Tom Bradstater on the first play of a drive in the third quarter to set up a Ryan Matthews 4-yard touchdown run. He later caught a 31-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter that set up another Matthews touchdown to put the Dogs up 17-7.
Noteworthy
Fresno State traveled nearly 3,000 miles for the game at Rutgers, the furthest east the Dogs have ever played a game ... Rutgers is the birthplace of college football, having played Princeton in the first college football game in 1869 ... a crowd of 42,508 watched the game as Rutgers had a sellout for the 11th consecutive game ... several former Dogs attended the game including football players David Carr and Derrick Ward, both members of the New York Giants, and PGA Tour golfer Nick Watney ... two true freshmen saw their first action for the Dogs, including defensive tackles Chase McEntee and Logan Harrell. A year ago, they were playing high school football ... Kyle Knox got his first career sack...
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Pat Hill
"First of all, Rutgers is a very good defensive team. They are physical and it was a tough game. I was not pleased with our level of effort and intensity in the first half and we had a chat about that at halftime. We were not playing Bulldog football. We played much more physical and aggressive in the second half."
"I'm happy for the win. That's all I care about is getting the "W". I'm not into stats or any of that stuff. We just needed to come here and win and now we can get on that plane and head home."
"We have a lot to work on, needless to say. We weren't has effective on third downs as we needed to be. We didn't turn the ball over, so that was good. We got a couple interceptions and that's always a good thing. We were able to take control of the line of scrimmage in the second half."
"Rutgers is a good, physical team. This was a tough game and a good win for the Bulldogs."
Quarterback Tom Brandstater
"We were not in sync in the first half but played better in the second half. The line made some real good adjustments and really took over the game. Ryan Mathews had a great game. It's nice to be able to hand the ball with someone like him and watch him go."
"We need to get better, no doubt. We have some stuff we want to work on. You can say we won ugly but it was a win. It will get better."
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - The first Big Ten team will travel to the Valley on September 13 as the No. 25 `Dogs take on Wisconsin in the home opener at 7:30 p.m. The game can be seen nationally on ESPN2. All tickets are on sale now. Get your official Wisconsin game day t-shirt at the Bulldog Shop for only $10 with any purchase. To purchase tickets, click on the tickets icon at the top of this page, call the Bulldog Ticket Office at (559) 278-DOGS, or stop by the Bulldog Ticket Office.
