#20 Lorne Bell (Junior)
Career Stats
2007 - 51 total tackles, no interceptions, no sacks
2008 - 41 total tackles, no interceptions, no sacks
Throughout Lorne Bell’s career as a Bulldog he has been forced to deal with injuries nearly every season. Fortunately for Bell he still has two years remaining as a Bulldog meaning that he will have the opportunity to show how truly good he is over that period of time. Bulldog fans know Bell as a hard hitting safety that does not hold anything back when he steps on to the football field. In other words Bell is exactly the type of presence the defense missed last season. Yes, Bell did play last season but not nearly enough to be a playmaker for the defense from the safety position. In 2009 Bell will be starting the season relatively healthy for the first time in two seasons. What will this mean for the Bell? What will this mean for the Bulldogs as a team? For Bell being healthy means he will once again have the ability to roam the field from the safety position. For the Bulldogs it means the return of a player that is desperately needed on a defense that yielded over 200 yards rushing per game last season. No matter how you look at it the return of a healthy Lorne Bell would be a win-win situation for the Bulldogs. Bell is the type of safety that makes receivers think twice about going over the middle of the field. At the same time Bell is the safety you want to be the last line between the defense and a touchdown because when healthy he will make that tackle nearly every single time.
BB.C Player Prediction
As long as he can remain healthy Lorne Bell will be a force on defense. It is impossible to teach a player to hit as hard as Bell does. Fresno State will be in good position throughout the season if Bell is on the field. He provides the type of defensive presence that the Bulldogs sorely lacked in 2008.
#21 Ryan Mathews (Junior)
Career Stats
2007 - 866 yds rushing, 14 touchdowns
2008 - 606 yds rushing, 6 touchdowns, 146 yds receiving, 2 touchdowns
Career Totals - 1,472 yds rushing, 20 touchdowns, 146 yds receiving, 2 td’s
It seems like just yesterday we here in Fresno were talking about an incoming freshman from Bakersfield that had all the talent in the world. Two years later Ryan Mathews has shown us that he truly is one of the most exciting football players on the Bulldogs roster. The only question in 2009 with respect to Mathews is his health. At this point in time Mathews is 100% and ready to go for the season. As long as Mathews can remain healthy he will be the running back who gets the most touches. Mathews has the ability to avoid nearly every defender on the field as he is elusive, strong, and quick once the ball is in his hands. At the same time Mathews does an outstanding job of holding on to the ball once it is put in to his hands. You will not recall many times where Mathews put the ball on the ground when the Bulldogs were counting on him to gain a yard to move the chains. In 2008 Mathews became a receiving threat for the first time and showed how difficult he is to cover in the Bulldogs game against UCLA. Unfortunately in that same game Mathew’s knee was stepped on at the tail end of a play causing nerve damage. This injury would plague Mathews for the remainder of the season.
2009 should not be viewed as a new start for Mathews because in the short amount of time he has been on the field he has shown the explosiveness that makes him one of the best running backs in the conference, if not the nation. Fresno State will need Mathews to remain healthy throughout the season as he is one offensive weapon that is nearly impossible to plan for. Whether he is catching the ball out of the backfield or taking a handoff defenses will have a hard time stopping Mathews when he is 100% which is exactly what Fresno State is hoping for in 2009.
BB.C Player Prediction
Mathew’s season hinges on his health. In 2007 Mathews showed promise in an early game against TAMU only to receive a stinger and miss part of the season. If Mathews can stay away from some of the freak injuries he has endured we will see a 1,000 running back at Fresno State for the first time since Dwayne Wright accomplished the feat in 2006.
#22 Anthony Harding (Senior)
Career Stats
2006 - 141 yards rushing, 1 touchdown
2007 - 177 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns
2008 - 822 yards rushing, 6 touchdowns
Career Totals - 1,140 yards rushing, 9 touchdowns
Injuries have plagued the Fresno State Bulldogs over the past two seasons. It almost seemed that every single week the Bulldogs lost a key player on either offense or defense. With all of the problems the Bulldogs have faced there is one player who has been able to fight through everything to take the field every week. Anthony Harding is the Bulldogs definition of a warrior. Harding has endured many injuries over the past three seasons in a Fresno State uniform but has rarely missed any time on the field. In 2008 Harding emerged as the go to guy in the backfield due to the fact that he could take far more punishment than just about any player on the Bulldogs roster. At the same time Harding made his presence known as Bulldog fans were able to see a player who held on to the football, could lay a hit as well as anyone on the team, and would fight for the extra yard every single time the ball was put in to his hands. 2009 should be a great season for Harding as he will showcase his talents for the NFL one more time before he moves on past Fresno State. As long as Harding remains on the field good things will happen for the Bulldogs. Harding may not be the shiftiest of running backs but he will lower his head and run you over, something that actually did happen against Georgia Tech in the 2007 MPC Bowl. Overall Harding is an asset to this football team and deserves as much playing time as any Bulldog on the roster.
BB.C Player Prediction
Expect to see plenty of Anthony Harding in 2009. A player with his strength and mentality will be hard to keep off of the field. If Mathews is healthy Harding will not receive as many carries as he did in 2008. However, Harding is versatile and can be used as a fullback in blocking schemes as well. Harding is the best blocker of the running backs and because of his many skills will be a football player to watch in 2009.
#23 A.J. Ellis (Freshman)
No Career Stats
One thing is for sure when it comes to the 2009 Fresno State football team: There is absolutely no shortage of running backs. Whether it is Mathews, Miller, Harding, Rashad, Ellis, or Harris Fresno State has the opportunity to hand the ball off to numerous running backs that can get the job done. A.J. Ellis may be one of the most promising red-shirt freshmen on this football team. Although Ellis has not seen any playing time on the field to this point in his career he has shown a great amount of promise in practice. Ellis is a strong running back who has the ability to cut well. BB.C has a feeling that here in the near future we will see much more of A.J. Ellis. In 2009 Ellis will have to pass many running backs on the roster to see a significant amount of playing time. However, that does not mean the Bulldogs will not use Ellis on offense. Since Ellis has already burned his red-shirt season having him sit on the sidelines throughout the season would make no sense, especially considering how talented Ellis truly is. The 2009 season may not be the season where Ellis makes his mark on the field for the Bulldogs. Ellis will show his promise throughout the season in the same way that player such as Mathews and Rashad Evans did during their freshmen seasons. No matter how you look at the situation Bulldog fans should feel very lucky to have such a strong stable of running backs. It is a great thing to have a player with Ellis’s ability on the depth chart. What that means for the 2009 season is that regardless if the Bulldogs have numerous injuries at the running back position there will be another star ready to step in and take the reigns. Ellis is a player who has the ability to be the go to guy in the backfield. If it doesn’t happen this season there is no reason to worry as 2010 may be the season where Ellis becomes a much more important part of the Bulldogs offense.
BB.C Player Prediction
Bulldog fans will be introduced to Ellis on the field this season. Ellis will not take playing time away from the stable of running backs ahead of him but offensive coordinator Jeff Grady will find a way to use Ellis. It is impossible to ignore someone with the amount of talent that Ellis has and that is the last thing Grady will do. Look for Ellis to make the most of his time on the field. Definitely look for Ellis to be a much bigger part of the offense in 2010.