After four straight wins, the Fresno State football team is feeling good -- and rightfully so.
The Bulldogs have taken their season record from 1-3 to 5-3 after narrowly beating an underrated Utah State team Saturday in a come-from-behind win that in other seasons might have ended badly.
Still, the Bulldogs aren't the talk of the Western Athletic Conference.
These days the teams in Idaho are getting the most attention: No. 5 Boise State and the 7-2 Idaho Vandals, who pulled out another stunner over the weekend by battling from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Louisiana Tech 35-34 inside their 16,000-seat Kibbie Dome.
The Bulldogs (4-1 WAC) will get their opportunity to knock the Vandals (4-1) from the WAC title conversation Saturday in Moscow, Idaho.
"We'll have to execute well at all phases to win," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said Monday.
Vandals quarterback Nathan Enderle might be the biggest threat to the Bulldogs' winning streak.
Enderle leads the league in passing yards per game with 267 and has impressed opposing coaches this season.
Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley said Enderle's play has been the main reason the Vandals have improved from their 2-10 record in 2008.
"He's got a big arm, he can make throws downfield and they got a big offensive line that protects him," Dooley said. "Generally, when the quarterback's playing real well and finding guys down the field, you can score some points, and that's what they're doing."
While Enderle is tops in yards per game, he has nine interceptions to go with 15 touchdowns and a 62% completion rate.
Helping Enderle is an improved offensive line featuring NFL prospect Mike Iupati at left guard and a better receiving unit.
Senior Max Komar has risen from the walk-on ranks to nab more than just a scholarship. Komar leads the Vandals from the slot position; he is the WAC's third-leading receiver in yards per game (89.7) and is fourth in catches per game (5.6).
Vandals coach Robb Akey described Komar (5-foot-10, 202 pounds) as an elusive receiver with enough speed to be dangerous and the hands of a possession receiver.
"He's kind of a go-to type guy, certainly a clutch player" Akey said. "He's been a very good investment I would say."
Hill compared the Vandals' offense to Wisconsin, as Idaho mixes three running backs into the rotation: the veteran, Deonte' Jackson; the shifty back, Princeton McCarty; and the load, De'Maundray Woolridge.
McCarty averages 52 yards per game with two scores and has a little "shake and bake," Akey said. Jackson (36 yards per game, two scores) has some shiftiness to him and can drop a shoulder on a defender. Woolridge, who is listed at 241 pounds, leads the team with a 61.6-yard average and has 14 touchdowns with "more power than the others and still very good speed," Akey said.
Akey also said the backs complement one another, and their differing styles can affect defenders' tackling. Their effectiveness also helps set up the pass.
Said Hill: "They do a really good job of getting the ball vertical with their play-action pass game."
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