Sanger product goes from walk-on to key for Fresno State tonight vs. Oregon State

The job description for a nickel linebacker at Fresno State covers just about everything, really. “It’s a guy that can do everything we need to have done,” defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle said, summing it up in an appropriately vague yet clear manner. It does require a skill set at the line of scrimmage, in the box or over a slot receiver or tight end.

The Bulldogs appear to have found a sound fit in redshirt junior Morice Norris, who came to Fresno State as a walk-on cornerback and played 45 snaps at the nickel in the Bulldogs’ 35-7 opening victory over Cal Poly with six tackles including three solo and 1.5 tackles for loss.

“They just blessed me with the opportunity and I ran with it,” Norris said. “I thank them for that, and I thank my mother for giving me these great genes to be able to go out and play like this …”

It all happened very quickly for the Bulldogs and the Sanger High graduate, who joined the program late in fall camp last year just looking for a chance.

Albert Garcia, the Bulldogs’ director of player personnel, credited assistant coach J.D. Williams for the find.

“Morice I think originally signed with New Mexico State and then after that he went to Orange Coast College and COVID hit so he didn’t get to play football,” Garcia said. “That’s when J.D. got word that he wanted to come back home and it ended up working out.”

That process took off in the spring, with coach Jeff Tedford back after he had stepped away from coaching at his alma mater after the 2019 season due to cardiac-related health issues.

Norris had been gluing the pieces together through a season on the scout team, and then the coaching change. But he made a big impression in the spring, earning a scholarship. Norris just kept making plays at corner. He would line up against the best of the Bulldogs’ wideouts, and win.

But the thing that stood out was his physicality and his size at 5-foot-11 and 203 pounds.

WINNING A JOB, AND A SCHOLARSHIP

“He’s not a little guy, not one of those smaller, change-of-direction-type guys,” Coyle said. “The more we watched him in the spring the more explosive and the more versatile we found him to be. He did a good job of coverage on our really fast, quick receivers. He’s extremely naturally strong, strong in the hands, a guy who can get his hands on people and has an uncanny ability to slow them down and then get right in their hip pocket and run with them.

“He makes a lot of plays on the football. He did it throughout the spring. He did it in training camp. He made big interceptions in big scrimmages and in situational practices.”

That ability and versatility had the Bulldogs’ defensive staff looking to do more with Norris, who was moved to safety, then to nickel linebacker.

The transition has been smooth, though Norris at first was skeptical.

“Once I got adjusted and got the feel for it, I feel good now. I feel at home,” he said. “I’m loving it now, for sure.”

On Saturday, when the Bulldogs take on Oregon State, Norris will be a key piece in trying to slow down the Beavers, who opened with a 34-17 victory over Boise State. Oregon State leads with the run, but in its victory over the Broncos it had six chunk passing plays of 20 or more yards. The top two targeted receivers were tight end Luke Musgrave and wideout Tyjon Lindsey, who ran the majority of his snaps from the slot.

Coyle said Norris is still learning. “He’s young. Sometimes, I think he’s been around forever because all these guys are new — we’ve only been together since January. But Saturday was his first game of college football. We have to be careful as we utilize him and bring him along.

“But he does have extremely impressive physical traits — speed, size, his natural strength. We’re going to try to utilize him as the season goes along, to use those talents to the best of our ability to put him in positions where he can really impact the game.”

BULLDOGS NOTES

Fresno State wideout Nikko Remigio, who had nine catches for 100 yards in the Bulldogs’ opening victory over Cal Poly, is the fifth different receiver to post a 100-yard game in quarterback Jake Haener’s 20 career games with the Bulldogs. Jalen Moreno-Cropper has five total 100-yard games with Haener, Josh Kelly has three, Keric Wheatfall had two in his two seasons, Zane Pope has one and running back Jordan Mims has one.

How sharp was Haener in that game? His completion percentage of 85.7 (36 of 42) was the second highest in school history for quarterbacks with 20 or more passing attempts behind only Derek Carr, who hit 87.5% (28 of 32) in a 2012 victory over Air Force. Third on that list now is Kevin Sweeney, who hit 84.1% (22 of 27) in a victory over Wichita State in 1985. Haener had 10 and 15 more attempts than Carr and Sweeney.

Cornerback Michael Whaley, a freshman from Hercules, has left the program.

Bulldogs running back Jordan Mims has carried the football 15 times or more eight times in his career. He has scored multiple touchdowns four times and has one touchdown six times.

Kickoffs were an issue last season for the Bulldogs, but in the opening victory over Cal Poly kicker Abraham Montana had six kickoffs and six touchbacks. The Mustangs were able to sustain a touchdown drive on only one of those series. Fresno State last season had a touchback percentage of 27.9%, ranking 11th of 12 in the Mountain West.

THE GAME

OREGON STATE vs. FRESNO STATE

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Valley Children’s Stadium

TV: CBS Sports Network (Alex Del Barrio, Donte Whitner)

• Find it fast: Channels 643 and 1643 on AT&T Uverse, 418 and 732 on Comcast, 221 on DirecTV, 158 on Dish Network

Radio: Bulldog Sports Network (Paul Loeffler, Pat Hill, Cameron Worrell)

• Find it fast: 1400 AM in Visalia/Tulare; 1340 AM in Fresno; 1280 AM in Stockton; 970 AM in Bakersfield; 92.9 FM in Modesto; 96.7 FM in Fresno.

The records: Bulldogs 1-0, Beavers 1-0

The series: Bulldogs lead 8-5

Last meeting: Bulldogs won 16-14 at home in 2003

The line: Oregon State minus-1

Tickets: 559-278-DOGS or gobulldogs.com

This story was originally published September 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM.