Fresno State will make its 10th bowl appearance in the last 11 years when it faces Wyoming in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 19, at Albuquerque, N.M. The 1:30 p.m. PST game, which will be telecast by ESPN, will mark the beginning of the 2009-2010 bowl season.
Wyoming (6-6) will be playing in a bowl for the first time since defeating UCLA 24-21 in the 2004 Las Vegas Bowl. The Cowboys have been to the postseason 11 times overall, and just twice since 1993. Their all-time bowl record is 5-6.
Fresno State (8-4) has been to 18 bowl games, going 10-8. The Bulldogs will be in the New Mexico Bowl playing a Mountain West Conference team for the second consecutive season. They fell to Colorado State 40-35 in 2008.
The Bulldogs and Cowboys have played six times with the series being tied 3-3. The last meeting ended in a 24-7 Fresno State victory in 1997.
So who's going to take the series lead? It depends on how well Wyoming stops Fresno State's vaunted running game.
Bulldogs Rushing Attack 7th in Nation
Fresno State, a member of the defense-starved Western Athletic Conference, averages 231.6 rushing yards per game, ranking seventh in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. Spearheading the attack is Ryan Mathews, who leads the FBS with an average of 151.3 yards per game.
Despite missing a game because of a concussion, Mathews has rushed for 1,664 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. His yardage total ranks second in the FBS only to Stanford's Toby Gerhart, who's gained 1,736 yards while playing on more game.
The Bulldogs also have talented runners in Robbie Rouse (47 yards, 4 TDs) and Lonyae Miller (342 yards, 4 TDs). And they'll be facing a Wyoming defense that ranks only 91st nationally against the run (170.5 yards allowed per game). The Cowboys have already faced two of the nation's top five rushing attacks in Air Force and TCU, as well as the high-powered offense of No. 2 Texas.
Fresno State Passing Atttack Efficient
Coach Pat Hill's Bulldogs are averaging 435.9 yards of total offense, with the explosive ground game being complemented by a solid aerial onslaught.
Junior Ryan Colburn has completed 60.2 percent of his passes for 2,333 yards and 18 touchdowns, with 11 interceptions. His most effective receiver is Seyi Ajirotutu, who has 48 catches for 671 yards and seven TDs.
The Bulldogs also have threats in Jamel Hamler (30 catches, 418 yards, 3 TDs) and Chastin West (28 catches, 428 yards, 2 TDs). Devon Wylie (15 receptions, 242 yards, 4 TDs) is also dangerous, but he's been troubled by a hamstring injury that kept him out of three games.
Ball control could be crucial vs. Wyoming. Fresno State is 11th in the FBS with an average time of possession of 32 minutes, 29 seconds. The Cowboys are 102nd, at 28:22.
Bulldogs Defense Vulnerable
Time of possession won't matter if the Bulldogs can't stop their opponents. They're allowing 27.8 points and 411.7 yards per game; and their run defense (212 yards per game) is worse than Wyoming's, ranking 111th. In its last game, Fresno beat Illinois 53-52 when 350-pound offensive lineman Devan Cunningham caught a deflected pass and lunged into the end zone for a decisive 2-point conversion with two seconds left.
The defensive struggles have come largely because of a dismal pass rush. The Bulldogs are 120th and last in the FBS with nine sacks. And they're tied for 113th in turnovers gained with only 14.
Middle linebacker Ben Jacobs has tried to hold the Bulldogs together, posting a team-leading 92 tackles. The junior has made 7.5 tackles for loss, forced three fumbles, recovered three of them, blocked two kicks and come up with an interception.
End Chris Carter has 44 tackles in addition to team highs of 12 tackles for loss and four sacks. Other leaders include defensive backs Lorne Bell (60 tackles in 10 games), Moses Harris (58 tackles) and Desia Dunn (47 tackles).
Receiver Leonard Leads Limp Wyoming Offense
The Cowboys haven't shown much offense in Dave Christensen's first season as head coach. They're 111th nationally in scoring offense (16.7 points per game) and 112th in total offense (298.67 yards). But Wyoming managed to scrap its way to bowl eligibility, attaining it with a 17-16 win over Colorado State in its regular-season finale.
The most consistent weapon has been junior wide receiver David Leonard, who has 70 catches for 645 yards, but only one touchdown. Freshman quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels has connected on 59 percent of his passes for 1,752 yards and seven TDs, with four interceptions. He's also run for a trio of TDs.
Another freshman, Alvester Alexander, is Wyoming's top rusher with 503 yards and six touchdowns. Other weapons include running back Brandon Stewart (487 yards, 2 TDs) and receiver Zach Bolger (24 catches, 259 yards, 1 TD). Stewart, a former wide receiver who was moved to running back , has two touchdown receptions, as does wideout Travis Burkhalter.
Fresno State's impotent pass rush might find some success vs. the Cowboys, who've allowed 35 sacks. Only 11 teams in the FBS have allowed more.
Three Cowboys Rank Among FBS Tackling Leaders
The Cowboys are giving up 27.2 points per game, and are only 83rd in total defense at 395.6 yards allowed. And they have to be one of the busiest defensive units in the nation. Four Wyoming players have made over 100 tackles, and three rank among the top 20 in the FBS.
Safety Chris Prosinski has made 130 stops, and is ninth with a 10.83 average. Linebacker Brian Hendricks, who has 110 in 10 games, is sixth at 11 per game. Middle linebacker Gabe Knapton (117 tackles) is 18th at 9.75 per game, and linebacker Weston Johnson (101 tackles) paces the team with 13.5 tackles for loss.
Safety Shamiel Gary has 95 tackles, and his three interceptions tie him for the team lead with cornerback Tasaun Gipson. Gipson's brother Marcell, the other starter at cornerback, has contributed 67 tackles and forced three fumbles. Tackle John Fletcher is the top sack man with seven and linebacker Josh Beizuns has 3.5.
Jon Matsune - Jon Matsune is a free-lance writer based in Northern California. He has 25 years of experience in newspaper journalism, mostly as a sports ...
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