FRESNO STATE VS. COLORADO, 5 p.m. Saturday at Bulldog Stadium

KEYS TO SUCCESS

FOR FRESNO STATE

Move the sticks. The Bulldogs are averaging 31 points per game, despite misfiring quite a bit. They are 119th in the bowl subdivision in third-down conversion percentage and only two teams (Iowa and Ball State) have had to settle for field goals more often when in the red zone.

FOR COLORADO

The Buffaloes' best chance to win is 3.4 yards at a time, with two backs and two tight ends pounding the ball at Fresno State and using play-action passes. Quarterback Jordan Webb, when at Kansas, already has shown he has trouble deciphering the aggressive 3-4 the Bulldogs deploy.

PROJECTED STARTERS

FRESNO STATE

Quarterback: Derek Carr

Backfield: Robbie Rouse, RB

Wide receivers: Josh Harper, Isaiah Burse, Davante Adams, Victor Dean

Tight end: Marcel Jensen

Offensive line: Austin Wentworth, LT; Matt Hunt, LG; Lars Bramer, C; Richard Helepiko, RG; Cody Wichmann, RT

Defensive line: Anthony Williams, DE; Tyeler Davison, NG; Andy Jennings, DE

Linebackers: Shawn Plummer, OLB; Travis Brown, MLB; Jeremiah Toma or Patrick Su'a or Kyrie Wilson, MLB; Donavon Lewis, OLB

Secondary: L.J. Jones, CB; Phillip Thomas, SS; Derron Smith, FS; Sean Alston, CB

Special teams: Quentin Breshears, PK; Garrett Swanson, KO; Andrew Shapiro, P; Chad Preacher, LS; Andrew Shapiro, PH; Isaiah Burse or Milton Knox, KR; Isaiah Burse, PR

COLORADO

Quarterback: Jordan Webb

Backfield: Christian Powell, RB; Alex Wood, FB

Wide receivers: Tyler McCulloch, Nelson Spruce

Tight end: Nick Kasa

Offensive line: David Bakhtiari, LT; Alexander Lewis, LG; Gus Handler, C; Daniel Munyer, RG; Jack Harris, RT

Defensive line: Kirk Poston, DE; Will Pericak, DT; Nate Bonsu, NT; Chidera Uzo-Diribe, DE

Linebackers: Brady Daigh, ILB; Derrick Webb, ILB; Jon Major, OLB

Secondary: Kenneth Crawley, CB; Parker Orms, FS; Terrel Smith, SS; Greg Henderson, CB

Special teams: Darragh O'Neill, P; Will Oliver, PK; Justin Castor, KO; Kenneth Crawley, PR; Marques Mosley, Zach Gorssnickle, PH; Ryan Iverson, SS; Ryan Iverson, LS

Tailgating

Rouse on the loose: That record might fall today. Fresno State running back Robbie Rouse needs just 79 yards to pass Ron Rivers to become the Bulldogs' all-time leading rusher, and he will be looking to dart his way through a Colorado defense that has given up 139.5 rushing yards a game and 3.5 yards per play against opponents that have not exactly been churning out the yards on the ground.

If this were the NFL, Rouse might be thinking about doing a little shopping for the linemen who have opened the holes for him the past three-plus seasons -- a watch, something.

It's not, of course. But the 5-foot-7 senior said he hopes all of them will take something from the record when it falls because they all deserve it -- Bryce Harris, Austin Wentworth, Richard Helepiko, Kenny Wiggins, Joe Bernardi, Andrew Jackson, Leslie Cooper, Cody Wichmann.

"This record, I wouldn't be able to do this without family, the coaches and definitely my teammates and the big boys that block for me up front," Rouse said. "I couldn't do this by myself."

He added: "I just want to tell them thank you because it was a battle, especially in the offense we came from. We ran power, we ran downhill, we ran right at them, and they did great things for me. I'm happy to have them -- Bryce, Joe, Wiggins, they helped me out with this record, when it happens. Anybody who played, guys on the perimeter, the quarterbacks, I wouldn't be able to do it without them."