The offense was clearly ahead of the defense. But not to be overlooked is how the defense has addressed its shortcomings and found those who will step up.
1. Who takes over for Marcus Riley?
This was a burning question that was complicated by the turmoil surrounding Quaadir Brown. As he falls back off the lineup, others have stepped up. Chris Carter was moved from defensive end to linebacker, and so far, has had a very short learning curve. He’s not as polished as he could be, but his upside at weakside linebacker is limitless. His familiarity with the position out of high school allows him to play well in coverage, and his skills at the line of scrimmage allow him to blitz and play well against the run from the second stage of the defense. As Carter was still undersized for a rush end, he is now larger than the typical weakside linebacker Fresno State is accustomed to. The starting lineup at LB goes 250lbs-245lbs-235lbs. The first unit linebacking group is absolutely solid, with Nico Herron as a monster at the strongside. And while starter Ben Jacobs and major contributor Nick Bates sat out, Austin Raphael filled in well at middle. The surprise of the scrimmage is strongside support Kyle Knox, who came in and had an interception and a batted ball that should’ve been his second one. He was very active, and he should help shore up the depth. Walk-on Sean Plummer also played well, coming in on blitzes and attacking the open gaps. As bodies heal within the next two weeks, you should see the unit become more complete and Riley’s position see a solid starter and quality backups emerge.
Grade: B-
2. Who takes over for Clifton Smith?
Rashad Evans, AJ Ellis, Devon Wylie and Ebahn Feathers all took part in variations of formations that Clifton Smith ran out of. There weren’t many passes to the backfield runners, but the slots saw quite a bit of action. And while there was no immediate solidity of the spot from any of these players, all of them combine to make one very fluid and versatile group of playmakers. In the scrimmage, Wylie showed a lot of promise with his increased speed and strength, taking a pass in and outracing the D for a touchdown. Evans showed very soft hands, hauling in a couple great catches. Ebahn Feathers is absolutely exciting as a changeup QB at the very least, with the ability to do much more than Smith, and may be a threat to score on every possession. He has struggled some in practice, but in the scrimmage, showed why opposing defense will fear him. The key concern at this slash position still remains the versatility of the running backs, specifically receiving out of the backfield among the group. Once that is shored up and we see the versatility from the runners, FS can do anything it wants on offense.
Grade: B-
3. How will practice go with a new offensive coordinator?
This question was answered the moment fall practices opened. While Coach Doug Nussmeier isn’t as vocal as former OC Jim McElwain, he’s every bit the technician and the teacher. The main concern was the continued development of QB Tom Brandstater, and that concern has all but vanished. In the scrimmage, there was plenty of look-offs coupled with patience and trust with his receivers, improvements that clearly indicate that as long as Brandstater is the QB, the team will continue to hum along. As far as the play calling goes, there is complete continuity from Coach McElwain to Coach Nussmeier, with the same terminology, continued experiment and expansion of variations of a spread offense, and the continued reduction of a dedicated fullback involved with the offense, in favor of more halfbacks. Practice has so far been very smooth for the offense, with returning receivers improving every session. Bulldog fans who have not seen the practices or the scrimmage will be pleasantly surprised by how well oiled this offense is.
Grade: A
4. How will the DL address its run stopping needs?
The DL still has a bit to go in shoring up the running game. Part of that problem may be attributed to the fact that they were facing an offense in midseason form in the scrimmage, not to mention an OL that looks absolutely dominant right now. They were also missing a few bodies, including Banks on the DL. The LB missing its own share of bodies did not help. Nonetheless, the DL did show some good burst and discipline, especially coming from the freshmen. Jon Monga, Cornell Banks and Mark Roberts will be fine when they play; they’ll get good pressure in, both in line penetration against the QB and holding the line up against the run. Anthony Williams is a huge body on the DL, and along with Matt Akers, Logan Harrell and Chase McEntee, Bulldog fans should not be surprised to see all four of those guys rotating in heavily into the DL. They are as impressive as any true freshmen defensive line players Fresno State has seen. The line overall still needs to collapse the pocket better, and minimize enough gaps to allow the linebackers to identify key gaps and finish the job. Most of the problems of the DL in the scrimmage can be attributed to the excellent play of the OL. Our defense may not face another OL as effective as the one we already have all year. And lining up against them will only help the DL get better. There shouldn’t be much read into how the DL is behind the OL at this time of the season. It’s more a reflection of the OL.
Grade: C
5. How will the DBs address its inability to create turnovers?
This was a concern for 2 years straight; we’re one of the worst at forcing, and usually the last team, to get an interception. The play with the DBs last night is showing a completely different story. This defense is the best at route attacking since the 2005 season. There’s now anticipation in jumping routes. There’s pressure coming up and jamming the receivers. We’re also sitting back in zone and attacking it once the ball is in the air. Our LBs are getting more involved in undercutting routes underneath. And overall, the DBs are just playing more opportunistic. Damien Owens and AJ Jefferson are gloves in coverage. If a pass comes in, it has to be in perfect, or it’ll be batted away. Brandstater was on the money last night, but the passes were made well within play-making space with the corners and safeties. Depth wise, the Bulldogs still need to work on the newcomers becoming comfortable. However, players like Jermaine Thomas and Zak Hill are learning quickly, and the return of Lorne Bell will only make the unit that much better. The Bulldogs did zone coverage and even provided safety and corner blitzes that yielded great pressure last night. If the unit continues to read well with coverage and take chances, they are going to at least double their interception production for this year.
Grade: A
6. How is our special teams unit progressing?
This was a mild surprise. There weren’t any returns in the scrimmage, but there were plenty of field goals and extra point tries. Kevin Goessling is money from anything below 50 yards. He’s got a huge leg that’s deadly accurate, and he’ll erase many Bulldogs’ fears of losing Clint Stitser the moment he gets onto the field to kick. Robert Malone has a booming leg. The emphasis this year is on hang time, and not only was his punts high and spiraled, it’s also deep and directional. From previous drills, AJ Jefferson will contend for consensus All America honors at kick returner again. He’s gone the moment he touches the ball, and if he gets behind defenders, they might as well save themselves from further embarrassment and head off field, because no one will catch him. When he’s in full stride, he’s unmatchable by anyone in the nation. The punt return spot is still a battle between Marlin Moore, Devon Wylie, Chastin West and a couple others. The three aforementioned are excellent returners, and all will not disappoint. Moore and Wylie have speed to burn, and vision to cut through. The special teams unit looks very solid right now, even after losing one of the best punt returners in Fresno State history in Clifton Smith.
Grade: A-
7. Who steps up for the other go-to receiver spot?
There are a bunch of candidates, so many, that wFS can go 3 deep at all wide receiver positions and still have talent to spare. There are a few that are stepping up in this class. Seyi Ajirotutu looks to be that receiver that can come in and dominate a game. The Bulldogs’ biggest receiver at 6’3 and 210+lbs, he has the physical play and speed to get behind the defense and go up to get the ball. He’ll remind many of former Bulldog Paul Williams. He has been solid in camp, with superglue hands and the ability to use his body to gain leverage. Devon Wylie in the scrimmage showed his burst of speed that made him so promising with his catch/run against Texas A&M last year, outracing everyone on a play action pass he took in for a touchdown. Wonder Bread is lightening quick, and his position at the slot receiver can turn into a dominant force with the attention that TE Bear Pascoe will receive in the middle. It’s becoming clear that there will be multiple candidates to step into that role of having another threat opposite Marlin Moore at receiving end.
Grade: A-
8. What are the changes to the lineup from Spring?
One emphatic word: DRAMATIC. Bobby Lepori is back. Joe Bernardi is back. Cole Popovich is back. Lorne Bell is back. Carter makes a move to LB. Q Brown may be out. Devan Cunningham and Jamel Hamler may redshirt. Jason Crawley, Ben Jacobs, Nick Bates and a few others sat out of the scrimmage for various reasons. The biggest impact from spring is the return of the veteran linemen to the OL. The offensive line was nearly unstoppable with the seniors on the team. Counter blocks were clean, seal-offs were well executed, and defensive players were driven backwards. Lorne Bell coming back is a huge surprise, as was Joe Bernardi’s. Bell tore his knee up last year late in the season, but his rehab has gone much quicker than anyone ever anticipated. Bernardi has gone through multiple major surgeries on his knees, and was at risk for never playing again. But his return solidifies the center position on the team, along with the improved play of Richard Pacheco. Carter has adjusted quite well to the move to LB, and he was all over the field last night on tackles, even blitzing a couple times and lining up at the LOS. The absence of Q Brown, Jacobs and Bates left the door open to guys like Sean Plummer, Austin Raphael and Kyle Knox to play more, and they did not disappoint.
Grade: B
9. Which true freshmen will make an impact?
Where to start. This is one of the best surprises of the fall camps. FS has a plethora of true freshmen who are physically and mentally ready to play right away, with enough knowledge of the playbook to contribute in heavy rotation. Ebahn Feathers came into the scrimmage and looked cool and calm; nothing like a true freshmen signal caller would react in live play. The throws he made were reminiscent of someone who’s been in the program for 2 or 3 years through redshirt years. His speed is sickening from the QB spot, and he’s built like a running back with a cannon arm. His greatest attribute is his ability to throw on the run, and he made an across-the-body throw running left that was on the money to his receiver. Matt Akers, Logan Harrell, Anthony Williams and Chase McEntee will see playing time this year on the DL. All four have that motor that you want in a defensive player, and all 4 have excellent size. The incoming classes this year on the OL and DL are huge, the largest Coach Pat Hill has had since he’s been here, and they are showing why they should play early. Williams has an amazing push up field, as does Harrell. Both can collapse the pocket. Williams is stronger than hell, and all four will make a name for themselves before they leave. Rashad Evans did very well when he came in, catching a couple passes and taking them downfield. He has very good speed, and he will likely play early in some sets. On the field, he can disappear behind the OL based on his size, but he can create a lot of plays in open space and get open. David Gory is a big body, and he’s able to seal off the end very well on blocks. He has looked very well in camp so far, and he can find himself playing in double TE situations. The team may see the most true freshmen ever contributing in playing minutes this season. However, it doesn’t mean the team is struggling to find fillers, far from it. These true freshmen are just that talented. The previous classes, as they got better in ranking, are starting to see more and more contributors, and impact players. This most recent recruiting class is the best top to bottom since Hill’s been here, and it will show more sooner than later.
Grade: A+
10. Can we get healthy again, and stay healthy?
We came away from fall scrimmage with zero injuries. That’s music to all Bulldog fans’ ears, as we were plagued by injures throughout all of last year. Then we get the majority of the OL back that looks absolutely dominating. And we get Lorne Bell, one of our better safeties and a very promising prospect, back. Then we have guys who, in the offseason, worked on their strength and endurance, and have improved their physical play tremendously. Then we’re resting those who just need to be out for precaution only, and we know they can come in and play right away. This could not have been a more perfect preseason so far in regards to injuries. There are no major injuries to report, and those who are sidelined anew are all slated to come back healthy. Let’s all hope it stays that way; knock on mahogany.
Grade: A+