Fresno State Athletics
Football Hosts Utah State on Homecoming
10/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 10, 2011
Game No. 7 - WAC Game No. 2
Fresno State Game Notes | Coach Hill Press Conference Quotes
Utah State (2-3, 0-0 WAC) at Fresno State (2-4, 1-0 WAC)
Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 • Bulldog Stadium (41,031) • Fresno, Calif. • 7 p.m. PT
Game Day Quick Facts
TELEVISION:
ESPN3.com | Play-by-Play: Trey Bender; Analyst: Jay Taylor
RADIO:
KMJ (AM 580); Bulldog Live (4:30 p.m.) Countdown to Kickoff (6:30p.m.) | Play-by-Play: Paul Loeffler; Analyst: Jordan Christensen; Sideline: Ralph Wood
ESPN Deportes (1600 AM) in Spanish | Play-by-Play: Erwin Higueros; Analyst: Jesse Beltran; Sideline: Jose Salas
INTERNET AUDIO & LIVE STATS: gobulldogs.com
The Bulldogs host Utah State this Saturday at Bulldog Stadium on Homecoming weekend at Fresno State ... Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game can been seen on ESPN3.com. For this weekend, Time Warner has selected the Utah State at Fresno State game to air in the East Regions (Carolinas/Northeast) to their sports tier subscribers. The game will continue to be widely available on ESPN3 in its 70 million home footprint. ... Fans can also listen to the Bulldog action on KMJ-AM 580 ... Fresno State is 11-2-1 all-time at home against Utah State and has not lost to the Aggies in Bulldog stadium since 1980. Overall, Fresno State is 63-20 (.759) at home under head coach Pat Hill ... The combined record from the teams Fresno State has played out of conference is 22-9, giving the Bulldogs the toughest non-conference schedule in the WAC ... It gets no easier for the Fresno State defense this weekend. After facing the Boise State offense that averaged 36.5 points last weekend, the `Dogs now go up against the Utah State offense that ranks 11th in the FBS in scoring (42.6 points per game) and 16th in total offense (480.4) ... Senior wide receiver Devon Wylie was named the National Punt Returner of the Week after returning a punt 79-yards for a touchdown against No. 5 Boise State last weekend. It's the second time this year he has won the award ... Saturday's game is the last of what has been three-consecutive home games for the Bulldogs and it is the first WAC game at Bulldog Stadium this year ... Saturday's game features two of the top rushers in the nation in Bulldog Robbie Rouse (112.0 ypg - 18th in FBS) and Aggie Robert Turbin (119.8 ypg - 10th nationally).
Bulldog Headlines
• Fresno State has a 47-11 (.810) record at home in WAC games since 1997.
• Devon Wylie is tied for the national lead with two punt returns for a touchdown this season.
For Starters
Fresno State undoubtably has played the toughest schedule of any team in the Western Athletic Conference. The combined record of the teams the Bulldogs are playing out of conference is 22-9 for a .709 winning percentage. That is by far the best opposing team winning percentage out of all the schools in the WAC. The Bulldogs have faced two top 10 teams in Nebraska (No. 10) and Boise State (No. 5). Nevada is the only other school that can say that. Louisiana Tech's non-conference schedule is the second toughest, as their opponents out of league play have a 19-10 record (.655). Fresno State has already played three teams from BCS conference and no other team in the conference can say that. The Bulldogs, who play a 13-game schedule this year, now play six-straight WAC games before ending the season with their final non-conference game of the year at San Diego State, Dec. 3.
The Utah State Aggies
Utah State stands at 2-3 this year and is coming off a 63-19 victory over Wyoming last weekend. Its three losses this year were to No. 19 Auburn, Colorado State and BYU and they were by a combined total of eight points. The Aggies lead the WAC in rushing (309.6), total offense (480.4) and scoring (42.6) and rank sixth nationally in rushing, 11th in scoring and 16th in total offense. Running back Robert Turbin leads the Aggie rushing attack, as he is averaging 119.8 yards per game. That ranks No. 10 in the FBS and he is third in the nation in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game. Turbin has 12 total touchdowns (10 rushing, two receiving), which is five more than any other player in the WAC. Defensively, USU is second in the WAC in total defense (330.8) and scoring defense (28.0). The Aggies are the only team in the nation that has not thrown an interception, but they have lost seven fumbles and are minus-2 in the turnover department this year. Utah State averages 23.2 yards on kickoff returns and 10.6 on punt returns. Punter Tyler Bennett ranks seventh in the FBS with a 47.0 punting average and the Aggies net 42.7 yards off his punts.
Fresno State vs. Utah State - The Series
Saturday's game marks the 27th meeting between Fresno State and Utah State and the Bulldogs lead the all-time series 15-10-1. The `Dogs are 11-2-1 all-time at home against the Aggies and have won seven of the past eight overall meetings between the schools. The two teams met on Sept. 18 last year, which was the earliest in the year they have ever played each other. Fresno State came away with a 41-24 victory in Logan in 2010, as A.J. Ellis ran for 165 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the `Dogs past the Aggies. In 2009 at home, Fresno State overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to win 31-27. Ryan Mathews ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns and his 10-yard touchdown run with 4:53 left in the game lifted the Bulldogs to victory.
Wylie Breaks Another Punt Return
Senior wide receiver Devon Wylie was named the National Punt Returner of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards for the second time this year. The award comes after he returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown against No. 5 Boise State, which accounted for the only points scored by the Bulldogs in the game. His TD kept Fresno State from being shutout at home for the first time since 1980. Coming into the game, Boise State had allowed just four total yards on punt returns all season. It was Wylie's second punt return for a touchdown this season, which is tied for the national lead and he ranks seventh in the FBS with a 17.6 average on 21 punt returns. The senior wide receiver has returned a punt for at least 30 yards in each of the past five games. The last Bulldog to return two punts for touchdowns in a season was Clifton Smith in 2007. Wylie needs on more TD on a punt return to tie Phil Borjas' school record that was set in 1972 for the most punt returns for a touchdown in a season. His 79-yard return is the longest by a Bulldog since Chastin West returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown at New Mexico State on Oct. 24, 2009 and it is the ninth-longest in the NCAA this year.
Another National Leader
Defensive tackle Logan Harrell has had a big first half of the season. The senior is tied for ninth nationally with 1.67 tackles for a loss per game and his 10 stops behind the line of scrimmage are tied for the sixth most in the FBS. Going back to last season when Harrell had 14.0 tackles for a loss, he has now made a stop in the backfield in 13 of his last 19 games. He is on pace for 22 tackles for a loss this season, which would break Alan Harper's school record of 21 that was set in 2001. Harrell ranks second on the team this season with 41 tackles and he has a team-high 3.5 sacks and seven quarterback hurries. Last week against No. 5 Boise State, Harrell led the `Dogs with eight tackles and he had 1.5 tackles for a loss.
Rebounding From A Tough Loss
Fresno State needs to rebound quickly from a tough 57-7 defeat to No. 5 Boise State last weekend. In head coach Pat Hill's 15-year tenure, Fresno State has suffered 24 losses of 14 points or more. In the game following one of those defeats by at least two touchdowns, Fresno State has 14-10 record and has won five of the past six when coming off a tough loss. Hill has a 110-75 (.595) record in his career and is the fourth-winningest coach in WAC history.
WAC Race
After opening the season with non-conference games in five out of its first six contests, Fresno State can now shift its attention to league play. The Bulldogs, already 1-0 in the WAC after winning 48-24 at Idaho on Sept. 24, play six-straight conference games before ending the year with one final non-conference game at San Diego State. With this being their final season in the conference, the Bulldogs are looking to capture the WAC title as they move onto the Mountain West Conference next season. Fresno State's last WAC Championship was in 1999. Of the six remaining league games on the schedule, three of them are at home. Fresno State will have to defend its home turf if it wants to win the WAC. The Bulldogs are 47-11 (.810) in conference games played at home under head coach Pat Hill and are 76-36 overall in WAC play under Hill.
Harper Having Impressive Freshman Season
Redshirt freshman Josh Harper is continuing on with his impressive rookie season. The Stockton, Calif. native is second on the team in catches (21), receiving yards (259) and touchdowns (three). Harper needs just one more touchdown reception in the remaining seven games to tie with Jermaine Jamison (four TDs in 2002) for the most touchdown catches by a freshman in the last 10 seasons. Last week against No. 5 Boise State, Harper had a game-high eight catches for 75 yards, including a long catch of 41 yards. It was his second reception this season of over 40 yards, the first being a 49-yard catch in the first quarter at Idaho on Sept. 24. He is averaging 12.3 yards per catch this year and has started in three of the six games.
End of Home Stand
Saturday's game is the last of a three-game home stand for the Bulldogs. Fresno State lost the first two home games - 38-28 to Ole Miss and 57-7 to No. 5 Boise State. Since Bulldog Stadium was built in 1980, there have been 19 previous occasions where Fresno State played three consecutive home games along with one four-game home stand in 1986. The Bulldogs have gone 3-0 in seven of the 19 times where they played three-straight at home and Fresno State won all four home games during that 1986 season, where it also had a separate undefeated three-game home stand (Fresno State was 9-2 in 1986). The Bulldogs have only lost three-straight home games one time in the last 15 seasons, and that came in 2006 when the Bulldogs finished with a 4-8 record, one of just three losing seasons in the last 15 years. In fact, Fresno State has only had a losing home record four times (1981, 1983, 2006 and 2008) since 1980. Under Pat Hill, the `Dogs have only lost more than one home game in a season four times in 15 years.
Happy Returns
Fresno State's special teams have been regarded among the nation's best units. Not only are the Bulldogs exceptional at blocking kicks, but they are also a threat to put points on the board every time they take the field. That is evident this year in the punt return game with Devon Wylie tying for the national lead with two punt returns for a touchdown. In the kickoff return department, Fresno State is only averaging 19.6 yards per return, but things have looked up there in the last two games. Isaiah Burse returned a kickoff 34 yards against Ole Miss and then had a 46-yard return last weekend against No. 5 Boise State. Since Pat Hill took over in 1997, Fresno State has scored 41 touchdowns on special teams and has racked up three safeties. Below is a breakdown of the Bulldogs' special teams scoring history: • 22 punt returns for TDs (last: Oct. 7, 2011, by Devon Wylie, 79 yards vs. Boise State)
• 8 kickoff returns for TDs (last: Nov. 1, 2008, by A.J. Jefferson, 92 yards vs. Nevada)
• 12 blocked punts/FGs returned for TDs (last: Oct. 2, 2010, by Desia Dunn, 1 yard vs. Cal Poly)
• 3 team special teams safeties (last: Oct. 4, 2002, vs. Colorado State)
This-N-That
• After creating four turnovers in the first two games, Fresno State has forced just one turnover in the last four games. That was a fumble recovery at Idaho, which was returned 40 yards for a touchdown by defensive end Nat Harrison.
• Saturday's game is Fresno State's first WAC home game this season. It is the latest WAC home opener for the Bulldogs since 2005, when the `Dogs also played their first WAC home game on Oct. 15.
• A pair of former Bulldogs are set to square off this weekend with Jeff Tedford being the head coach at Cal and Lane Kiffin the head coach at USC. The two were together at Fresno State from 1994-97. Tedford was the offensive coordinator and Lane Kiffin was a backup quarterback and then a student assistant coach.
• Jalen Saunders saw his streak of consecutive games with 100 yards receiving come to an end last weekend. He had three-straight 100-yard games from Sept. 17-Oct. 1, which was the longest since Bernard Berrian also had three-straight 100-yard receiving games in 2001. Saunders only caught one pass for one yard last week, but it did extend his streak to 19-straight games with at least one reception. He has had a catch in every game of his career.
• Junior punter Andrew Shapiro ranks 12th nationally this season with 12 punts being downed inside the opposing 20-yard line. He has punted 35 times this year and 25 of them have either been downed inside the 20 or fair caught. He averages 39.8 yards per punt and the Bulldogs are netting 37.2 yards off his punts. Opposing teams are averaging 7.9 yards on eight punt returns this season.
• Fresno State has five players that have caught 18 or more passes this season and three of them are averaging over 12 yards per catch. Rashad Evans leads the team with 26 catches and two touchdowns. He is followed by Josh Harper with 21 catches and three TDs and Isaiah Burse with 19 receptions. Jalen Saunders and Devon Wylie both have 18 catches and Saunders leads the team with four touchdown receptions.
• Through the first six starts of his career, sophomore quarterback Derek Carr is completing 61 percent of his passes and is averaging 236 passing yards per game. He has thrown for 1,417 yards and has 10 touchdowns against five interceptions.
• Junior running back Robbie Rouse ranks No. 18 in the country and second in the WAC by averaging 112 rushing yards per game. His 143 carries are the fourth-most in the nation, trailing Buffalo's Brandon Oliver 9152), Pittsburgh's Ray Graham (150) and South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore (146).
• For this weekend, Time Warner has selected the Utah State at Fresno State game to air in the East Regions (Carolinas/Northeast) to their sports tier subscribers. The game will continue to be widely available on ESPN3 in its 70 million home footprint.
