Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Nevada
Dogs Lose Heartbreaker To Neveda, 35-34
11/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 13, 2010
Final Stats | Photo Gallery 1 
| Photo Gallery 2
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - In one of the most entertaining games in recent memory at Bulldog Stadium, No. 21 Nevada earned a come from behind 35-34 win over Fresno State on Saturday night.
Fresno State's defense played well for the majority of the game, holding the nation's No.2 offensive unit to 140 yards under its season average and nine points under its scoring average, but the Dogs came up 1 point short on the scoreboard.
Fresno State jumped to an early 14-7 lead in the first quarter on a pair of Robbie Rouse touchdowns. Rouse, who finished with three scores on the night rushed for 217 yards, the 12th-best game in school history. It was the second straight game of more than 200 rushing yards, becoming the first Bulldog to ever accomplish that feat. Rouse scored on runs of 2 and 44 yards and had a 12-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Ryan Colburn.
Nevada scored a late second quarter touchdown to take a 21-17 lead at halftime. Frsno State opened the scoring in the second half on an Isaiah Burse touchdown catch from Colbrun and extended the lead to 34-28 on a Kevin Goessling 34-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
Vai Taua's 24-yard scamper up the middle with 4:51 remaining gave the Wolf Pack (9-1, 4-1 WAC) its first lead since midway through the third quarter.
Robbie Rouse rushed for 217 yards and scored three touchdowns for Fresno State (6-3, 4-2) in a game with six lead changes.
The Bulldogs drove to midfield before turning the ball over on downs with 1:26 left.
Fresno State scored 10 straight points to go ahead 34-28. The touchdown came on a spectacular 44-yard touchdown run by Rouse.
The Bulldogs got excellent field position on their opening drive of the second half when Nevada punter Brad Langley booted the ball off the back of a teammate's helmet.
Fresno State took over at midfield and found the end zone four plays later when the left-handed Colburn scrambled to his right and found Isaiah Burse down the middle for a 26-yard touchdown.
Kaepernick answered with a 19-yard touchdown run, faking the handoff before taking off up the middle, as the Wolf Pack regained a 28-24 lead with 9:28 left in the third quarter.
Trailing 34-28 following Fresno State's 10-point surge, Nevada marched downfield for the potential go-ahead touchdown. But on 4th-and-1 from the Bulldogs 8, Kyle Knox and Desia Dunn smothered Taua for no gain.
Fresno State failed to move the ball, and the Wolf Pack took over on its 46 to set up Taua's go-ahead score.
Rouse was coming off a career-high 286-yard effort in Fresno State's 40-34 victory over Louisiana Tech.
Nevada scored two touchdowns in a 27-second span late in the second quarter to take a 21-17 halftime lead.
The Wolf Pack trailed by 10 before two TDs by Taua swung the momentum. One was set up by Colburn fumbling.
Kaepernick shook off a sluggish start by leading Nevada on a 10-play, 73-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard Taua touchdown run with 1:01 left before halftime. The senior converted two third downs on pass completions during the march to trim Fresno State's lead to 17-14.
On the ensuing possession, Colburn dropped back and the ball slipped from his hand without being touched. Ryan Coulson made the recovery for Nevada on the Bulldogs 20.
Following a 19-yard pass to Brandon Wimberly, the Wolf Pack was in the end zone again when Taua plunged in from 1 yard with 34 seconds left.
Nevada even got the ball back on a squib kick but could not move the football in the final 27 seconds.
Fresno State led 17-7 with 4:18 remaining in the second quarter on a 42-yard field goal by Kevin Goessling.
Rouse scored the Bulldogs' first two touchdowns on a 12-yard catch and a 2-yard run on Fresno State's opening drive.
Kaepernick passed for 114 yards and ran for 95 in the first half. His only mistake was an interception by safety Lorne Bell for a touchback that went right through the hands receiver Malcolm Shepherd.
After Fresno State scored on its opening drive, Kaepernick pulled the Wolf Pack even by faking the handoff and running around the right end 47 yards for a touchdown.
Quotes and Notes:
Fresno State Head Coach Pat Hill
"We gave a great effort tonight. This was the best team in the history of the Nevada football program and we came up a point short. It wasn't for a lack of effort. It was a great college football game. The crowd and atmosphere were great. We had our chances and when you lose a game like this by one point, you will also look back and say what could have been, or if this would have happened. We don't have a lot of time to think about this game. We need to bury it and get ready for Boise State. We have a short week ahead of us and will be in for a tough challenge against one of the best teams in the country."
"I can't say enough about Robbie Rouse. He's really coming into his own and becoming the back we thought he could be. He played great. Our offensive line did great. We had three new guys in there. We started the season with four seniors and one junior on the offensive line and tonight we started three underclassmen who were not figuring in our two deep this season. They played very well under the circumstances."
"We still have a lot to play for. We have prideful seniors and three very tough games before a bowl game. I know they will battle back and play Bulldog football."
BULLDOG NOTES
- Sophomore Robbie Rouse became the first Bulldog in history with more than 200 rushing yards in back-to-back to games. Rouse had 286 last week against La Tech, the second-highest total ever by a Bulldog, and he rushed for 217 against Nevada, the 12th best game in school history. He scored three touchdowns in the game. It was his fourth straight game with more than 100 yards. He's rushed for 769 yards over the last four games. Ryan Mathew's (2009 NCAA rushing leader) four best games stretch last season accounted for 725 yards.
- Colburn threw his 37th career touchdown pass, moving him past Jeff Tedford for eighth on the all-time Fresno State list. Colburn connected with Robbie Rouse for a 12-yard play in the second quarter and added a third quarter TD to Isaiah Burse. It was the second touchdown receptions for Rouse and Burse on the season.
- Lorne Bell's second quarter interception was his first of the season and the second of his career.
- Senior Chris Lewis dropped Colin Kaepernick on the final play of the second quarter for his second sack of the season.
- For the second straight game the Dogs blocked a punt. Fresno State earned a team block when they pushed the shield into Nevada punter Brad Langley. It was the 91st block of the Pat Hill era and Fresno State's 55th since 2002, the most in the nation by eight blocks in that time.
- More than 1,500 band members covered the field to play at halftime as nearly two dozen local schools joined the Bulldog Marching Band to entertain the Bulldog fans.
"We Are Your Team!" Fresno State returns home on Nov. 27 to host WAC rival Idaho. The game will be at 7 p.m. Look for many special deals during the Black Friday Turns Red specials Thanksgiving week.
