Fresno State Athletics
Senior Day for the Dogs
11/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 17, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State (6-4, 5-2 WAC) vs Louisiana Tech (3-7, 2-4 WAC)
Senior Day/20th Anniversary of `89 Cal Bowl Champions/Toys for Tots Collection
Date: Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009
Kickoff: 2 p.m. PT
Site: Bulldog Stadium (41,031); Fresno, Calif.
Radio: KMJ (AM 580); Bulldog Live (11 a.m.) Countdown to Kickoff (Noon)
Play-by-Play: Paul Loeffler; Analyst: Jordan Christensen; Sideline: Steve Gonzalez
ESPN Deportes (1600 AM) in Spanish
Play-by-Play: Erwin Higueros; Analysts: Raul Rios and Jesse Beltran
Television: None
Dogs Return Home to Honor Seniors and 1989 Bulldog Team
Fresno State closes out the home schedule with its final WAC game of the season. The Bulldogs will honor their 2009 seniors and the 20th Anniversary of the 1989 Cal Bowl Championship squad that finished the season with record of 11-1. Prior to the game, the Toys for Tots program will be collecting toys at Bulldog Boulevard and the main entry points to Bulldog Stadium.
Fresno State vs. Louisiana Tech 
About La Tech
Louisiana Tech enters the week with a 3-7 overall record and a 2-4 WAC mark. The Bulldogs are coming off a 24-16 loss at No. 9 LSU last Saturday night. La Tech has lost four straight games but the last two were hard-fought losses to Top 10-ranked teams, No. 5 Boise State 45-24 and LSU. In addition to LSU, the Bulldogs played non-conference games at Auburn and Navy. The three wins have come over Nicholls State, Hawaii and New Mexico State. Among the losses in the four-game losing streak were games at Utah State (23-21) and Idaho (35-34). Phillip Livas is one of the nation's top return specialists and they rank second in the nation in punt return average (17.3).
Against La Tech
Fresno State has won seven of the 10 meetings this series which began in 1986, but La Tech has won three of the last five, including a 38-35 win last season in Ruston. Fresno State is 5-1 against La Tech in Bulldog Stadium, with the lone loss coming in 2005.
Mathews Dominates NCAA in Rushing, Record Books Assault On
Ten games into the 2009 season, Bulldog running back Ryan Mathews continues to prove he's the nation's most exciting and explosive running back. For the seventh straight week he leads the nation in rushing at 149.1 yards per game. He leads No. 2 Donald Buckham of UTEP (142.22) by nearly seven yards per game. He has two of the NCAA's top 15 rushing performances this season. He's powering a Fresno State ground game that ranks seventh in the NCAA in rushing yards. He moved into third place on the Bulldog career rushing yardage list (see page three for updated list). The most impressive part is that he's done it against good competition. His career-high 234 rushing yards against No. 5 Boise State was amazing considering he alone has accounted for 21% of the entire rushing yards the Broncos have allowed this season (1,128) through 10 games. He set a school-record streak of consecutive 100-yard games with nine. He's put up these numbers despite not many fourth quarter carries. In the last six games combined, he's only had 21 carries in the final quarter, and didn't play in the fourth in either the Hawaii, New Mexico State or Nevada games. He had two carries in the fourth against San Jose State. He's the only back in the nation with 100-yard rushing performances against No. 5 Cincinnati, No. 6 Boise State and No. 14 Wisconsin. He's combined for 484 yards against those three teams, and averaged 6.4 yards per carry.
Senior Day, `89 Team Honored
Saturday will be a special day for the Bulldog football program as it honors 18 seniors and the return one of the greatest teams in school history, the 1989 Cal Bowl Championship team. That team went 11-1, tying the record for most wins in program history. The Bulldog seniors to be honored in pregame ceremonies are: Seyi Ajirotutu, Reynard Camp, Anthony Harding, Moses Harris, Marvin Haynes, A.J. Jefferson, Isaac Kinter, Ryan Machado, Robert Malone, Frank Manquero, Lonyae Miller, Marlon Moore, Darren Newborn, Damion Owens, Richard Pacheco, Wilson Ramos, Jamaal Rashad and Chastin West.
"We Are Your Team" - The Bulldogs are wrapping up their final home football game on Saturday, November 21, when the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs come to town. Kick-off is set for 2 p.m. Don't forget to bring a new, unwrapped toy to help the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve "Toys for Tots" Program. Fresno State will honor the 20th Anniversary of the 1989 Cal Bowl Champion team at halftime of the game. Tickets can be purchased at the Bulldog Ticket Office, by calling 278-DOGS or online at GoBulldogs.com.
