The Fresno State Bulldogs may come into Autzen Stadium on Saturday battered, down a few starting players, and fatigued after a triple-overtime loss last week to Texas A&M, but don’t expect these dogs to roll over for the No. 19 Ducks.
That’s just not what the program is about.
Coach Pat Hill has hung his hat on the “Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere” motto the team lives by – always ready to steal a win from BCS conference opponents, even in their own stadiums. It took a fake field goal touchdown run by kicker Paul Martinez late in the 4th quarter last year for the Ducks to survive their most recent trip to Bulldog Stadium, and it took three overtimes for the then-No. 23 Aggies to survive a second-half comeback at home last week.
Much of this rests on the Bulldogs’ rushing attack. Four backs – sophomores Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding, true freshman Ryan Mathews and senior Clifton Smith – have combined for 360 rushing yards so far this season and five of the Bulldog’s nine total touchdowns. Miller, the sophomore starter, was knocked out of the Texas A&M game with bruised ribs but will return to play at Autzen Stadium. Mathews, who had a shoulder injury, will also be ready.
Injured or not, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti has focused on preparing for what he calls “a talented group of running backs that come in and provide different ways to attack.”
“For us, this will probably be the biggest test because they’re not one or the other, they combine elements of both (Michigan and Houston offenses),” Bellotti said. “They do traditional two-back power running game and yet they also do four wide receivers. They present problems to you, make you think.
“But the fact that we’ve seen two different teams in the vast extremes, in terms of what they do, has been good for us because we’ve proven we can adapt.”
If the running game suffers on Saturday, it won’t be from the backs – it could be from missing two starters on the offensive line. Junior left guard Cole Popovich and junior right guard Adam McDowell will both not play on Saturday, Coach Hill confirmed this week.
“Whenever you lose two starters it’s tough but Andrew Jackson did a good job against A&M and Pierce Masse came in and did a good job,” Hill said in the Fresno Bee on Thursday. “They just have to play. It’s football.”
While the focus is on the running game, the Fresno State offense has also found success through the air so far this season. Junior starting quarterback Tom Brandstater has thrown four touchdowns, all to junior tight end Bear Pascoe. Brandstater had a career-high three touchdown passes and 260 yards against Texas A&M, but he’s still working on reaching the level of his predecessor, Paul Pinegar.
“He’s approaching that (level),” Bellotti said of Brandstater. “We all thought he could be as good. He was bigger, a little bit faster and probably a little bit stronger arm.”