Fresno State Athletics
Defense Scores Twice in Final Fall Scrimmage
8/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 22, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - The mood after Saturday night's final practice, a 70-play scrimmage at Bulldog Stadium, was one of joy and relief.
For the student-athletes, it signaled the end of camp and the grueling mental and physical beating they have put themselves through over the last 18 days.
The coaches were relieved to get in a lot of quality work without suffering any serious injuries.
There were offensive and defensive highlights in the scrimmage, as each unit scored two touchdowns apiece.
The scrimmage was not designed for scoring touchdowns or producing big statistical numbers, with the majority of the session focused on the offense working to convert on various third-down situations. Conversely, the Bulldog defense worked on stopping the offense.
In addition, the Dogs worked on "coming out" with the ball of the goal line and the offense worked to get a first down.
"We had some big plays on both sides of the ball," said head coach Pat Hill. "The defense had a couple scores, which was great to see. We got a lot of work in tonight and some good stuff on film for the coaches to evaluate and the guys to learn from. Our defense played well throughout camp and I think we made some real progress. We are a faster defense and that showed all camp."
Hill was most pleased with the lack of injuries in camp. No serious injuries were suffered and only some minor ailments kept a handful of players off the practice field. No key players missed Saturday's scrimmage.
"What we did in the weight room in the off-season put armor on our bodies and that really helped," said Hill. "Plus we were able to spread our contact sessions out pretty well, which cut down on injuries, too. This is the healthiest we have ever come out of a fall camp in my 13 years."
Scrimmage Offensive Highlights:
- Junior quarterback Ryan Colburn completed 8-of-10 passes for 81 yards and a 13-yard touchdown to Devon Wylie.
- Freshman running back Michael Harris scored on a 10-yard run and led all rushers with 19 yards.
- Junior running back Ryan Mathews had three carries for 9 yards and two receptions for 20 yards.
- Senior receiver Seyi Ajirotutu had three receptions for 27 yards.
Scrimmage Defensive Highlights:
- Freshman safety Phillip Thomas intercepted a pass and returned it 58-yards untouched for a touchdown.
- Junior tackle Mark Roberts forced a fumble on the goal line and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown.
- Junior linebacker Ben Jacobs made four tackles, one for a loss.
- The defense forced four quarterback sacks.
Sophomore kicker Kevin Goessling drilled a 41-yard field goal in his only attempt of the night. In Friday's practice, Goessling made back-to-back field goals of 61-yards each. He holds the Bulldog record for longest field goal in history of 58 yards.
The scrimmage was the final practice of fall camp for the Bulldogs, who now get two days rest, before returning to the field on Tuesday.
Classes start Monday on the Fresno State campus and the Bulldog coaches are giving the team the day off to get acclimated to the first day of school.
"We Are Your Team" - The `Dogs will be starting their 2009 Football season off right with Football Fiesta Night on Saturday, September 5th at 7pm when the UC Davis Aggies come to town. Football Fiesta Family Pack tickets are available now. To inquire about the Football Fiesta Family Pack, contact the Bulldog Ticket Office at 559-278-DOGS.
