Nov. 9, 2015
| Fresno State (2-7, 1-5 MW) at Hawai`i (2-8, 0-6 MW) |
|---|
| Date | Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015 |
| Time | 8 p.m. PT |
| Location | Hawaiian Airelines Field at Aloha Stadium (41,031) - Honolulu, Hawai`i |
| TV | KSEE-24-NBC Fresno | Play-by-Play: Robert Kekaula; Analyst:: Rich Miano; Sideline: Scott Robbs |
| Radio | ESPN Radio (940 AM) | Gameday Live (5 p.m.), Pregame Show (7 p.m.)
Play-by-Play:Paul Loeffler; Analyst: Pat Hill; Sideline:Cameron Worrell
ESPN Deportes (1600 AM) in Spanish | Play-by-Play: Jesse Beltran; Analyst:Octavio Duarte |
| Game Notes | Fresno State Notes | Hawai`i Game Notes | Mountain West Game Notes |
| Live Stats | Stat Broadcast |
| 2015 Stats | Fresno State | Hawai`i | Mountain West |
| Social Media | @FresnoStateFB Twitter | Facebook | Fresno_State_Football Instagram | Snap Chat: FSAthletics |
Fresno State is set to travel for its final Mountain West road game of the season, playing at Hawai`i on Saturday ... KSEE-24 is televising the game locally in Fresno with Robert Kekaula (play-by-play), Rich Miano (analyst) and Scott Robbs (sideline) calling the action for Valley viewers ... fans can also listen to the game on the official home of the Fresno State Bulldogs, 940 AM ESPN radio, with ‘Voice of the Bulldogs’ Paul Loeffler on the play-by-play, Fresno State coaching legend Pat Hill delivering game analysis and former Bulldog and NFL safety Cameron Worrell as the sideline reporter ... having been eliminated from bowl contention, Fresno State now looks to send its 18-member senior class out with three-straight wins to end the regular season, a feat that the Bulldogs have accomplished in two of the first three seasons under head coach Tim DeRuyter ... Fresno State is seeking its fifth-straight win overall against the Rainbow Warriors and fourth in-a-row against Hawai`i when playing UH on the road ... senior running back Marteze Wallerneeds 78 yards rushing to become the fifth Bulldog in program history to go over 3,000 yards rushing for a career and in three career games against Hawai`i he has rushed 62 times for 274 yards and four touchdowns ... Fresno State has outscored Hawai`i 91-6 in the first half in the last three meetings against the Rainbow Warriors and outgained them 898 yards to 282.
The Last Meeting
| Hawai'i (Oceanic/MWN) | 21 |
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| Fresno State | 28 |
November 29, 2014
Fresno, Calif.
Bulldog Headlines• Senior outside linebacker Ejiro Ederaine, with 41.5 career tackles for a loss, needs 5.5 more stops behind the line of scrimmage to set a new Mountain West career record for most TFLs. Ederaine is also on pace to record the first 100-tackle season since Ben Jacobs posted 109 tackles in 2009.• Wide receiver Josiah Blandin caught his fourth touchdown pass of the season last week to tie with Jamire Jordan for the team lead in TD receptions.
Series History vs. Hawai`i
Fresno State leads the all-time series with Hawai`i 25-21-1 entering Saturday’s contest that will be the 48th meeting between the two schools. The Bulldogs will be going after their fifth straight win in the series with three of the past four games being decided by one score. Both programs have been in the same conference since 1992 when Fresno State joined the WAC and in conference matchups the `Dogs own a 12-11 advantage, thanks to its 3-0 record against UH since both schools joined the Mountain West. After losing 11-of-12 when playing at Hawai`i from 1967-2003, Fresno State has won four of its last five against the Rainbow Warriors on the Islands, including three-straight. The last time the Bulldogs won four consecutive games at Hawai`i was from 1955-65. Fresno State is 11-14 all-time when playing at Hawai`i.
→ Fresno State is making a trip Honolulu for the fifth year in a row. The `Dogs played at Hawai`i in 2011 and 2013 while also traveling there for a bowl game in 2012 and 2014.
Scouting The Hawai`i Rainbow Warriors
Hawai`i enters its second game this season under interim head coach Chris Naeole and sits at 2-8 overall on the year and 0-6 in Mountain West play. After rushing for just 32 total yards in its two previous games combined, Hawai`i came out last week and ran for 191 yards in a loss to UNLV. It was the Rainbow Warriors’ third-highest rushing total of the season and their 378 total yards was also the third-most it has gained on the year. Hawai`i is averaging 290.4 yards per game while giving up 449.8. Opponents are putting up 35.3 points on Hawai`i this year while UH has averaged just 16.4 points per game. At minus-17 in the turnover department, Hawai`i is tied for last in the nation in turnover margin.
Ederaine Has Mountain West Record In Arms ReachWith three games to go, junior outside linebacker
Ejiro Ederaine needs 5.5 tackles for a loss to tie Miles Burris from San Diego State for the most stops behind the line of scrimmage in a career in Mountain West history. Burris had 47.0 tackles for a loss for the Aztecs from 2008-11 and Ederaine, who currently sits in a tie for fourth on the league record list, has recorded 41.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. Ederaine also ranks No. 3 among all active FBS players in career tackles for a loss, behind Ohio State’s Joey Bosa (46.5) and Baylor’s Shawn Oakman (43.0). Ederaine has posted a tackle for a loss in 8-of-9 games this season and has recorded multiple tackles for a loss 12 times in his career, so with three games remaining he stands a chance to hit the league-best mark. Ederaine’s career-high for tackles for a loss in a game is 4.5 and he also has four career games posting three stops behind the line of scrimmage.
→ His 19.0 career sacks ranks No. 9 in school history. There has only been six Bulldogs in program history with 20 sacks in a career, the last being
Tyler Clutts (2004-07 - 23.5).
→ Ederaine ranks No. 10 among active FBS defenders in career sacks.
→ With 10 tackles last week against Nevada, Ederaine has posted 10 or more tackles in 4-of-9 games this season. The last Bulldog to have five games in a season with 10 or more tackles was 2009 when
Ben Jacobs did so. He finished that season with 106 tackles, which was the last time a Bulldog had over 100 tackles in a season. Ederaine, who ranks No. 6 in the Mountain West in tackles with 76, is on pace for a 101 tackle season.
Glass Steps Up For Bulldogs Junior college transfer and first-year Bulldog
Tyquwan Glass entered the starting lineup five games ago against San Diego State and in his time starting at corner he has recorded 27 tackles in the last five games. That ranks as the fourth most from any Bulldog in that time frame and he also has a half tackle for a loss, two pass breakups and one interception that he had in the last outing against Nevada. It was Glass’ second interception on the season, which leads the team and was Fresno State’s first pick since his first one of the season on Sept. 19 against Utah. It ended a five-game streak for the Bulldogs without an interception - the longest team streak since going seven games without a pick in 2011.
Glass recorded a season-high 12 tackles in his last outing against Nevada. His previous season-high was the eight tackles he posted in his first career start at San Diego State. Glass is the fifth different Bulldog to record 10 or more tackles in a game this year and the second cornerback, joining
Jamal Ellis who had 10 tackles at Ole Miss in the second week of the season. The last time prior to this season that a Bulldog corner posted double-digit tackles was on Sept. 20, 2013 when
L.J. Jones had 11 tackles against Boise State.
→ With Hawai`i ranking No. 124 out of 127 FBS teams in interceptions thrown with 17 on the season, the Bulldogs look for more plays out of its secondary. It has been two seasons since a Bulldog recorded more than two interceptions in a season, as the 2014 high was two picks done by
Karl Mickelsen,
Charles Washington and
Kyrie Wilson. In 2013,
Derron Smith led the team with seven interceptions, which tied for the second-most in the FBS.
→ In the five previous seasons before
Tim DeRuyter became Fresno State’s head coach, the Bulldogs averaged 6.0 interceptions per year. In the first three seasons under DeRuyter, the `Dogs averaged 15.0 picks per season, but this season in year four the `Dogs have just five interceptions through nine games.
Waller Closes In On 3,000 Senior running back
Marteze Waller needs 78 yards to become the fifth Bulldog in program history to rush for over 3,000 yards in a career. If his past history against Hawai`i suggest so, Waller stands a good chance at hitting that milestone this weekend.
In last seasons meeting with Hawai`i, Waller got off to a hot start. He had 19 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. With 10 career 100-yard rushing games, Waller looks for this third 100-yard game this year against the Rainbow Warrior defense that is allowing 261.5 yards per game on the ground.
→ Did you know that in Waller’s career he has only lost two fumbles in his 625 total touches (560 rushing attempts, 65 receptions).
→ No Fresno State running back this season has fumbled the ball. The Bulldogs are one of only nine FBS programs in the nation that have not lost a fumble from any running back on its roster. Also on that list from the Mountain West is UNLV.
Swanson Posting Impressive Numbers in the Punting Game Senior punter
Garrett Swanson matched his career-high with three punts of over 50 yards in last week’s game against Nevada. He averaged 48.2 yards on five punts - his third game this season averaging over 48 yards per punt. This season, Swanson is averaging 42.8 yards per punt with 12 of over 50 yards. That has already beat his season high for punts of over 50 yards, as he recorded nine of them in both 2013 and 2014. His 2013 average of 43.1 yards per punt still ranks as his season high. He was an honorable mention All-Mountain West pick that year.
Blandin Catches Another TD Josiah Blandin, the junior college transfer and first-year Bulldog, moved back into a tie for the team lead in touchdown receptions with four on the year. Blandin caught a two-yard TD pass right before halftime last week against Nevada. He recorded four receptions for 37 yards against the Wolf Pack, matching his season-high for receptions and posting his best game since the month of September. Blandin also caught four passes in the Abilene Christian and Utah games, but after catching one touchdown pass in each of the first three games of the season he had just five total receptions for 41 yards in the five games prior to last week. For the season, Blandin is third on the team with 18 receptions that has gone for 192 yards and his four TDs is tied with
Jamire Jordan for the team lead.
Northern and Vazquez Named Academic All-District Offensive linemen
Justin Northern and
Jacob Vazquez were both named to the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 first-team. Northern and Vazquez both now advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month. The duo mark the fifth and sixth selections under head coach
Tim DeRuyter to be named Academic All-District over the last four seasons.
Northern joins
Andrew Jackson (2008-10) and
Vince Pascoe (2008-10) as recent Bulldogs to be named first-team Academic All-District three times in a career. Northern, who was also a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, Wuerffel Trophy and candidate for the Senior CLASS Award, holds a 3.79 GPA in mechanical engineering. He has made 36 consecutive starts for the Bulldogs, which is the most from any player on the team. For Vazquez, a 4.0 agricultural business major from Cottonwood, Calif., this is his first selection to the Academic All-District team. He has started 7-of-9 games this season.
Scott Helping `Dogs Improve in Return Game With a 41-yard kickoff return last week against Nevada, junior wide receiver Da’Mari Scott has become the first Bulldog since
Isaiah Burse in 2011 to have three kickoff returns of over 40 yards in the same season. Burse had returns of 47, 46 and 42 yards that season while averaging 21.4 yards per kickoff return. Scott this year is averaging 22.4 yards per return on 21 chances with a long of 66 yards in the San Jose State game, which is the longest return since
A.J. Jefferson brought back a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown on Nov. 7, 2008 - Fresno State’s last kickoff return for a touchdown.
Looking for Third-Quarter Improvement
The third quarter has been a tough one for the Bulldogs this season. They have been outscored 97-33 in the 15 minutes coming out of halftime and out-gained by opponents 125.7 yards to 66.2 on average. Over the last five games, Fresno State has just three total points in the third quarter while averaging just 37.2 yards. In the last two games alone, where Fresno State has been outscored 20-0 in the third quarter, the Bulldogs have gained just a total of 13 yards on 13 plays.
→ The Bulldogs have scored points on their first drive of a second half just once this year, which came at San Jose State when the `Dogs drove 51 yards and scored on a 29-yard
Ford Childress to
KeeSean Johnson touchdown pass. Opponents have five touchdowns in nine games this year on their first drive of the second half, including TDs in each of the past three games.
→ Fresno State has not scored in the second half in each of its last two games.
Defensive Ends Producing for Bulldogs Senior defensive end
Claudell Louis posted seven tackles last week against Nevada, which was his second-straight game with seven tackles. He also had 1.5 tackles for a loss and a half sack in the game. With five sacks on the year, Louis is tied for sixth in the conference for the most sacks. His 40 total tackles on the season are tied for the fourth most of any defensive linemen in the conference.
Also tied for fourth in tackles among defensive linemen is fellow Bulldog senior
Todd Hunt. Hunt, like Louis, has been posting strong numbers recently. His eight tackles against UNLV back on Oct. 16 is the most by a defensive linemen this year and he has had five or more tackles in four-straight games and in five of the last six. Hunt has 2.0 sacks this year and 4.0 tackles for a loss.
→ Between the two senior defensive ends, they have combined for 80 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss of 47 yards, 7.0 sacks, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery.
Bailey Sets True Freshman High
True freshman outside linebacker James Bailey has posted 39 tackles through nine games this year and three starts. That tackle figure is already the most tackles by any true freshman to play under head coach Tim DeRuyter. Malcolm Washington last season in his true freshman year posted 37 tackles in 14 games with seven starts. Xavier Ulutu had 20 stops as a true freshman last season, Michael Lazarus had seven stops, Tobenna Okeke had five tackles and Justin Greenhad one as well in 2014 as a true freshman. The only other Bulldogs to play as a true freshman under this coaching staff were Shannon Edwards (11 tackles in 2012), Ejiro Ederaine (three tackles in 2012) and Jeff Camilli (four tackles in 2013).
This-N-That • Sophomore outside linebacker
Tobenna Okeke had six tackles and one tackle for a loss in the Nevada game on Nov. 5. It was a new career-high for Okeke in total tackles and his stop behind the line of scrimmage was his first since posting a half TFL against No. 21 Utah on Sept. 19.
• Fresno State seeks its first road win of the season and with two road games remaining looks to avoid becoming the first Bulldog team since 1976 to not win a game on the road. That 1976 team was 5-6 overall, going 5-1 at home and 0-5 on the road.
• Fresno State has allowed opponents to have two 100-yard rushers in each of the past two games. Hawai`i enters this game with three total 100-yard rushing games on the season, all of which have come at the feet of junior running back Paul Harris who has averaged 5.7 yards per carry this year. Harris is coming off a 190-yard rushing game last week against UNLV.
•
Malique Micenheimer caught four passes for 21 yards against Nevada last week. It matched his career-high for receptions, as he also had four catches against No. 15 USC in 2014 (which went for 38 yards).
• Inside linebacker Jeff Camilli’s 70 tackles this season are already 24 more than he had combining his freshman and sophomore seasons. Camilli ranks in a tie for eighth for the most tackles in the conference and he has four games with 10 or more tackles, including two with 14 that is the single-game high for any Bulldog this season.
•After averaging only 60.7 rushing yards in three-straight games from Sept. 26-Oct. 10, the Bulldogs have come out in their last three games and averaged 159.0 yards on the ground with seven total touchdowns. In the first six games this year, Fresno State only had two rushing touchdowns.
• Fresno State has just nine rushing touchdowns on the season. There has only been one season in the last 20 years that the Bulldogs had under 15 rushing touchdowns on a year and that came in 2000 when the `Dogs only scored 11 touchdowns running the ball.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback
Kilton Anderson has three rushing touchdowns on the season in just five games, which already ties for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in the last six seasons.
Tom Brandstater had four rushing touchdowns in 2008 and the most rushing TDs by a Bulldog quarterback this century was five, done by
David Carr in 2001. The season-high rushing total by a Bulldog QB this century was the 360 yards
Brian Burrell totaled last year. Anderson has 117 net rushing yards this season.
• Opponents have averaged just 20.4 yards per kickoff return and 7.3 yards on punts on the Bulldogs this season. Take out the 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Utah’s Cory Butler-Byrd and the 77-yard punt return for a TD by Utah’s Britain Covey and the Bulldogs would be holding opponents to just 15.3 yards on kickoff returns (229 yards on 15 returns) and just 0.3 yards per punt return (10 returns for a total of three yards).
• Fresno State had a season-high nine penalties for 58 yards last week against Nevada. Prior to that the Bulldogs had been flagged just an average of 4.375 times per game, ranking No. 8 in the FBS. Now after last game the `Dogs dropped down to No. 19 in the FBS for fewest penalties per game at 4.89.
