The Bulldogs offense gave fans a preview of what may happen throughout the course of the season. Whether by air or ground the Bulldog offense has weapons at every turn. After watching the scrimmage tonight one thing is certain: Opposing teams have their work cut out for them when defending this offense.
Tom Brandstater took the first team reps as expected and did not disappoint. Brandstater did not throw an interception and was on target throughout the scrimmage. Brandstater was able to make smart decisions and find the open receiver on nearly every passing play. At the same time Brandstater looks to have worked on his play action, as his motion looks much more fluid than it has in the past. Ebahn Feathers succeeded expectations today not only with respect to throwing the football but also running it as well. On one play Feathers rolled left and hit J.J. Stallworth deep downfield for a touchdown. On another possession Feathers faked the handoff and rumbled down the sidelines sixty yards before being forced out of bounds by Philip Thomas on the two-yard line. Feathers may have struggled at times during practice but under the lights he looked amazing tonight. Matt Faulkner also looked very impressive tonight. Faulkner does a great job of going through his progression chart before he lets go of the ball. Faulkner also has very good touch on the deep ball as he dropped one right in Matt Lindsay’s hands that was not caught (it was the only pass BB.C has seen Lindsay drop this fall).
The running game looked amazing once again with Ryan Mathews and Lonyae Miller leading the way. Mathews fumbled his first handoff but from that point on he took over the running game. Mathews was able to knife through the defense gaining at least five yards per carry. Lonyae Miller was able to succeed in the running game much in the same way that Mathews did. Miller and Mathews look to be the Bulldogs one-two punch with Harding covering the short third down runs. Justin Webber, Jamal Rashad, and A.J. Ellis took the reps for the freshmen. While all three did not dazzle yardage wise they showed the speed and fight that Fresno State looks for in its running backs.
The wide receivers were able to hold their own throughout the scrimmage. Devon Wylie made six catches one of which he climbed the ladder and turned into a forty-five yard TD from Colburn. Seyi Ajirotutu made the most of his limited playing time (only because he is first string and did not take the field often) catching everything thrown his way. Marlon Moore did not have many passes thrown his way and Jason Crawley sat out the scrimmage. J.J. Stallworth had a great game catching every pass his way. At Tight End Bear Pascoe, Drew Lubinsky, and Ryan Skidmore all caught passes thrown their way as well. Towards the end of the scrimmage it became apparent that Brandstater would have more weapons on offense than he knows what to do with this season.
Defensively the d-line was not able to create a push against the Bulldogs stellar offensive line. The only sack that would have been registered came courtesy of Matt Akers who came from the outside to catch Feathers before he broke into the open. The LB unit did a very good job containing the run when considering their lack of experience. Kyle Knox intercepted a pass from Colburn and returned it for a TD. Knox in fact should have had two int’s as he let another fall through his hands. Will Harding also dropped a pass thrown by Colburn that hit him in the chest. With the speed the secondary showed tonight turnovers might come in much larger portions than last season. Both Matt Akers and Chase McEntee were impressive from the freshmen line unit. While neither had multiple sacks they were both able to put pressure on the QB and make the tackle when anyone came their way. In the secondary Marvin Haynes and Moses Harris seemed intent on laying the wood to the offense. Both leveled at least one Bulldog offensive player throughout the course of the scrimmage.
Ryan Goessling was able to convert all five of his field goal attempts with his long connecting from fifty-three yards. Goessling seemed to have a problem with height when kicking the ball in the past. Whatever problems he has had before are no longer an issue as Goessling is able to kick the ball with authority and height every single time. Fans may just forget who Clint Stitser was much sooner than they thought.
Overall the scrimmage went well and there are no injuries to report. The crowd seemed pleased with the offensive show that the Bulldogs were able to put on. Hopefully the offensive show BB.C saw tonight is a preview of what is to come once the football season begins for the Fresno State Bulldogs.
Scrimmage Notes
Goessling looked great on every kick. Not only were they long enough but all five kicks split the middle of the uprights.
Feathers performed on a level that he had not shown up to this point in practice.
Kyle Knox stood out as a LB with his quick feet and great vision. Twice Knox had the opportunity to pick off a pass and return it for a TD.
Ryan Mathews and Lonyae Miller will be a tough one-two punch for any team to stop during the course of the season.
Tom Brandstater continues to shine each time he steps on the football field. If Brandstater continues to improve Fresno State will be very hard to contain on offense.