Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Louisiana Tech
Rouse Runs Through La Tech
11/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 6, 2010
RUSTON, La. (AP)-- Sophomore running back Robbie Rouse rushed for 286 yards, just nine short of the all-time Bulldog record as Fresno State beat WAC rival La Tech 40-34 on Saturday afternoon.
Quarterback Ryan Colburn passed for 229 yards and three touchdowns to Jamel Hamler.
Robbie Rouse rushed for 286 yards and a touchdown on 43 carries as Fresno State (6-2, 4-1 Western Athletic Conference) gained 529 yards total offense, 229 passing and 300 rushing.
Louisiana Tech (3-6, 2-3) led 14-0 less than four minutes into the game, but Fresno State came back to take a 17-14 lead as Colburn threw 6- and 10-yard touchdown passes to Hamler, who finished with eight catches for 118 yards, and Kevin Goessling kicked a 49-yard field goal.
Louisiana Tech retook the lead on Ross Jenkins' 20-yard pass to Taulib Ikharo, but Fresno State scored three times in an 8:53 span of the fourth quarter to lead 33-21 as Colburn scored on a 1-yard run and threw a 33-yard pass to Hamler, and Goessling kicked a 27-yard field goal.
Fresno State's special teams blocked two kicks in the game, a punt by Austin Raphael and an extra point by Ben Jacobs. Fresno State has 90 blocks in the Pat Hill era and since 2002 lead the NCAA with 54.
Fresno State returns home next Saturday to take on No. 23 Nevada at Bulldog Stadium.
BULLDOG QUOTES:
Pat Hill
"We also threw it for well over 200 yards so I thought it was very balanced. Where we didn't do good was we've had zero administrative penalties all year, we had delays of games and we have to clean some things up. We got all of our receivers back but I think we're trying to do a little to much to do with them some were lined up in the wrong positions. I'm very happy we got a win on the road this is a tough place to play, but we're going to have to improve a lot before Nevada.
"Our defense played really well and special teams had one real big mistake on the kickoff .We have a lot of work to do but we're looking forward to getting home and going to work but its better to have a win under your belt instead of anything else. We just have to win in November."
"That was set up pretty nice. Sometimes we have too much time to work on things. That might have been our problem. We just have to get back and make sure were solid. We just have to take care of ourselves and our formations and we have over 500 yards off so w just weren't in sync at times."
Robbie Rouse
"Well we knew there was a change of time and this was an earlier time then we've played all year so we came out with not as much energy, but coach talked to us and said you've got to get ready to go so this is our game and we came back out the second half ready to play."
BULLDOG NOTES
- Robbie Rouse rushed for 286 on 43 carries, both career highs. It was the second-most by a Bulldog to Dwayne Wright's 295 yards also at La Tech in 2006. Rouse had a 60-yard run early in the third quarter, the longest of his career and had a 51-yard touchdown late in the game. His previous long rush was 46 yards against Boise State on Sept 18, 2009. Rouse also posted his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game Ryan Mathews was the last Bulldog to get 200 yards rushing in a game. He did it last year at San Jose State.
- Fresno State's 300 team rushing yards were the most since putting up 309 yards vs. San Jose State last season.
- Fresno State is now bowl eligible. The Dogs have play in bowl games in 10 of the last 11 seasons.
- Junior receiver Jamel Hamler had the best night of his career with eight receptions for 118 yards and three touchdowns (6, 10, 33 yards) . It was the first time a Dog caught three touchdowns in a game since 2007 when Bear Pascoe caught three against Texas A&M.
- After giving up two touchdowns and 91 total yards in the first 3:33 seconds of the game, the Bulldog defense shut down La Tech for the remainder of the half, allowing just 60 total yards, forced three punts and held on 4-of-5 third down conversions.
- When Kenny Wiggins left the game with an injury, redshirt freshman Austin Wentworth picked up significant playing time at right tackle. Wiggins later returned to the game. Guard Leslie Cooper and center Joe Bernardi suffered first half injuries and were replaced in the second half by Matt Hunt and Richard Helepiko, respectively.
- Junior Kevin Goessling made a 49-yard field goal in the second quarter to extend his streak to nine in a row. He later missed on a 40-yarder ending the streak. Goessling set a Bulldog record with 18 straight field goals earlier this season. He also had his school record 118 straight PATs snapped in the fourth quarter, also a school record.
- Austin Raphael blocked a punt late in the third quarter, the 89th block in the Pat Hill era. This is the fifth block of the season and fourth blocked punt. This is the most blocked punts Fresno State has had in a year since 2005. The Dogs scored a touchdown after the block to take a 24-21 lead. Ben Jacobs blocked an extra point attempt late in the fourth quarter, the sixth of his career.
- In the fourth quarter, junior Logan Harrell made his ninth quarterback sack to match his teammate Chris Carter's number as current leader of the Bulldog team. Harrell and Carter are among the top six players in the nation in quarterback sacks.
- The Dogs topped the 40-point total for the second time this season and have scored 30 or more points in six of the last seven games.
"We Are Your Team!" Fresno State will bring the action back to Bulldog Stadium Saturday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m. PT against No. 23 Nevada. Tickets for that game are available by clicking the tickets icon at the top of this page.
