Bulldogs Blowout Begins Bowls

The headline is a bit presumptuous. The first bowl in the college football playoff season has yet to kickoff, but it’s almost a sure thing which team will prevail in today’s New Mexico Bowl. The Fresno State Bulldogs claw their way back to Albuquerque for the second consecutive appearance in the New Mexico Bowl Saturday. Last year didn’t go so well for Fresno State, who begin the 2009-10 bowl season against Wyoming in New Mexico’s fourth annual game. The Bulldogs fell to Colorado State in a heartbreaking 40-35 final a year ago. Fresno State head coach, Pat Hill, is in his 13th season with the Bulldogs. Hill has guided his team to ten post-season appearances in the past eleven seasons, and just signed an extension to remain at Fresno State next year. Hill’s 8-8 squad features the nation’s leading rusher per game in stellar sophomore, Ryan Matthews. Matthews will bring his near 152 yards per game to Albuquerque in a quest to defeat the Cowboys and enact revenge on last year’s loss. Colorado State surged back in the fourth quarter with 20 straight points of the 2008 New Mexico Bowl. Matthews and the Bulldogs anticipate continuing their two game winning streak with a blowout win over 6-6 Wyoming. The Bulldogs are one of the highest scoring teams in the country. FSU is favored by just three points, but most expect a Bulldog basking in the desert.
Fresno State’s lone loss in their last eight games came to an electrifying Nevada team. Nevada obliterated the Bulldogs 52-14. It’s not a stretch to assume Wyoming will be on the losing side of a similar score when all is said and done in New Mexico. College football’s first game is a mismatch of sorts. The Cowboys were picked to finish last in the Mountain West. Look how far they have come. First year head coach, Dave Christensen, directed his team to the playoffs in the Mountain West Conference. Wyoming exceeded expectations with their youthful roster this season. Under Christensen’s tutelage, the Cowboys gained bowl eligibility for the first time in three years. Wyoming didn’t play in a bowl game in 2006, however. This is the Cowboy’s first trip back to a bowl since 1987. The bowl berth means a lot to the fans, but the Cowboys may struggle to put up a respectable fight against their WAC opponents this afternoon. The Wyoming defense will have their hands full with rushing machine Matthews. The tailback averaged more yards than Heisman trophy candidate from Stanford, Toby Gerhart. The New Mexico Bowl would be a spectacular sendoff should Matthews bolt to the NFL following the game. The Bulldogs have relied heavily on the running game and Matthew’s mighty legs to carry them this year. Matthews cranked out nine straight 100 yard rushing games and set a new school record in yards. The overall rushing unit ranked seventh in the nation in the category this year. Matthews and kicker, Kevin Goessling were named All-Americans. Goessling set a Fresno State record with 15 consecutive field goals, and will carry the honor into the post-season. Junior signal caller, Ryan Colburn, has flown under the radar. Colburn’s numbers don’t jump out as awesome, but the sophomore quarterback has only been picked off eleven times in 279 attempts. Colburn’s 14th ranked offense averages 34 points per game. His 18 touchdown passes and Matthew’s 17 should make it a tough battle for the Cowboys. Colburn’s favorite target is wideout, Seyi Ajirotutu. The receiver caught for 671 yards and seven touchdowns for the Bulldogs.
Defensively, Fresno State is flirting on the edge of mere mediocrity. They ranked dead last in sacks with a total of nine all season. The Bulldogs aren’t great in rushing the passer or tackling for a loss. Wyoming will pin their hopes on a poor defensive exertion from Fresno State. The Cowboys are led by a dual threat, true freshman quarterback. Austyn Carta-Samuels passed for 1,752 yards and ran for near 300 more. The freshman has propelled the Cowboys to four fourth quarter comebacks and tossed 10 total touchdowns. The offense was held scoreless three times this season and has staggered through their schedule. The quarterback’s unique ability to keep the Cowboys in games and garner beneficial field position may be an important factor today. Carta-Samuels keeps the ball moving at a steady pace and can use his feet to gain extra yards. The receiver choice for Wyoming is clearly their all-conference standout, David Leonard. Leonard carried the Cowboys with 70 receptions for 645 yards. The Fresno State defense will likely be focusing their energies on Leonard. The Cowboys ranked second in their conference in turnover margin, and that success could prove valuable against the Bulldogs. The Wyoming backfield has one running back to watch in six touchdown scrambler, Alvester Alexander. Alexander will try to plow through a somewhat soft Fresno State defense, but don’t count on him being a big factor in the game. To their credit, Hill’s team is well-equipped at stopping the run. The Cowboys have not lost when scoring more than 11 points this year. They need to generate some offense in order to rise above the gnawing Bulldogs. It’s up to the frisky Fresno State defense to ensure Wyoming keeps their points in the single digits.

Parting Points: It’s a pretty eventful Saturday for sports. Saints and Cowboys tonight, college basketball in Texas, and another bowl game tonight (Rutgers-USF).