The Nevada Wolf Pack mugged the Fresno State Bulldogs Saturday afternoon.
This was domination, plain and simple.
The ‘Dogs were taken out back and whipped, whipped without mercy and within an inch of our football lives.
They were beaten into submission and their noses were rubbed in the mess they made.
It was ugly, and the scary part?
It may get uglier.
1. The defense was exposed.
Fresno State had absolutely no answer, over and over again, for the long, devastating runs, often up the middle, that gutted the defense. They ‘Dogs could not stop them, and they knew it. They looked like a high school team, trying to stop a D1 rushing leader. That was pretty much what we saw.
2. The coaching is suspect.
I, for one, am not ready to say Fresno State simply did not have the player talent to stop a running team.
I think it relates more to how the defensive team approaches the game. How they are coached and taught about tackling, positioning, discipline and being being responsible for individual defensive assignments.
On several occasions, the Bulldogs had nobody in a position to tackle the runner, even if they were fast enough to catch him. More than once, those runners went absolutely untouched for a 25-30 yard gain, usually a touchdown. The first time that happens, it might be understandable, but after the third, or fourth time, it starts to look like a coaching problem.
3. FS failed to compete, offensively.
Yes, Ryan Colburn was productive, especially early on. He threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns. But Nevada soon began to exert defensive pressure that the Bulldog o-line could not resist. Colburn was sacked six (6) times. In addition, there were six other tackles for loss in the Fresno State backfield. There was a collapse of pass protection and blocking just broke down. There were a few good efforts, but, without Ryan Mathews' 32 yards, the ‘Dogs produced less than 100 rushing yards on the day. Colburn's interception and issues compounded the problem.
When you combine the inability to protect their backfield with the defensive collapse, you have a recipe for disaster. That recipe was cooked up and served Saturday afternoon.
4. Do heads need to roll?
I am talking about the defensive coaching staff.
Fresno State now has, quite literally, a horrible defense, ranked near the bottom of the national barrel in several specific and important categories - such as quarterback sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions and passes defended.
The overall defense against the run is pitiful and pathetic. Whose fault is that?
Ultimately, Pat Hill is the responsible party - but his defensive coaches also have a lot of responsibility.
5. Does it get uglier...?
Well, Fresno State now has Louisiana Tech to look forward to. They just played LSU very well, putting a real scare into the Bayou Bengals.
I hope they don't play like that, here, on Saturday.
The final weekend of the season, the ‘Dogs get Illinois.
I’m not excited about how the rest of this year is looking. Yes, it could get uglier.
-- Rooster
Redroadster is highly regarded attorney in the Central Valley, a loyal Bulldog fan, and a regular poster/contributor on BarkBoard.com. Check in time to time for his take on games and other Bulldog athletic events in his View from the Roadster.
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