Fresno State preview: Colorado State might run it, but matchup not as daunting as opener
The Fresno State Bulldogs came out of a season-opening football loss to Hawaii with questions about their ability to slow down a running game and on a short week will take on Colorado State and new coach Steve Addazio, who has proven to be quite fond of rushing the football.
At Boston College last season, Addazio and the Eagles led the Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing attempts and ran it 50.7 times per game to only 23.5 pass attempts.
But the matchup for the Bulldogs on Thursday is not quite as chilling as Hawaii, for a couple of reasons. Here is a first look …
FRESNO STATE-COLORADO STATE
Where and when: Bulldog Stadium, 7 p.m. Thursday
TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network/ESPN940AM
Fans: No fans are allowed to attend due to state coronavirus guidelines
Records: Bulldogs 0-1, 0-1 in Mountain West, Rams 0-0, 0-0
Series: Colorado State leads 10-5
Last meeting: The Rams racked up 500 yards of offense and outscored the Bulldogs 17-3 in the final quarter to win 41-31 in 2019
Coaches: Kalen DeBoer (0-1), Steve Addazio (0-0, 57-55 in 9 seasons at two FBS programs)
Line: Colorado State -2
NO EDGE TO RAMS’ O-LINE
Hawaii was a tough matchup for the Bulldogs, not only with the play-making ability of quarterback Chevan Cordeiro in the running game, but with an offensive line that is one of the most experienced in the nation.
Colorado State has some older players up front, but nowhere near the number of starts or the depth of experience that Hawaii had coming into Bulldog Stadium.
The listed offensive starters on the Rams’ depth chart this week …
LT Keith Williams, RsSr., 13 career games, 4 starts
LG Elijah Johnson, RsJr., 15 career games, 10 starts
C Cam Reddy, RsSoph., 1 career game, 0 starts
RG Adam Korutz, Grad., 9 career games, 0 starts
RT Barry Wesley, RsJr., 24 career games, 24 starts
Three of the Rams’ backups have not started a game and two are freshmen including guard Dirk Nelson from Central Valley Christian High in Visalia.
Hawaii had four returning starters and a combined 121 career starts on its offensive line, third-most in the nation.
It also had a center in Taaga Tuulima and a left tackle in Ilm Manning who are on watch lists for the Rimington Trophy and the Outland Trophy.
Colorado State and coronavirus
The Rams’ opener against New Mexico was canceled by the Mountain West Conference due to the coronavirus – the host Lobos were unable to practice or play the game due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in Bernalillo County – so they will be playing their first game of the season.
Colorado State was having issues before that game, as well.
Addazio said that the Rams were practicing without 15 to 20 players a day due to a number of issues including COVID-19 cases and quarantines, and having enough bodies on the offensive line was an issue during fall camp.
“You have to try to contingency plans,” he said, at a news conference. “We’re trying to cross-train as many players as we can. It’s like in the old days – when I say old days, I mean last fall. You kinda had a starting center and you had a backup center. Well, now you better have four of them because you could lose two of them in a blink. It’s a different deal.”
PLAYER TO WATCH
Running back Marcus McElroy Jr., a senior, could be in for a heavy workload against the Bulldogs, and not just because stopping the run will be a recurring theme for Fresno State until it proves it can do it.
Addazio in his career has not been shy about loading up his lead back, producing some extra-large games.
The top five rushing performances under Addazio …
- Montel Harris (Temple) at Army in 2012 – 36 for 351, 7 TDs
- Andre Williams (BC) vs North Carolina St. in 2013 – 42 for 339, 2 TDs
- Andre Williams (BC) at New Mexico St. in 2013 – 30 for 295, 2 TDs
- A.J. Dillon (BC) at Louisville in 2017 – 39 for 272, 4 TDs
- Andre Williams (BC) at Maryland in 2013 – 32 for 263, 2 TDs
- Andre Williams (BC) vs. Army in 2013 – 30 for 263, 5 TDs
McElroy goes into his senior season with a career single-game high of 18 rushing plays – against the Bulldogs last season. He rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, also career-highs.
COLORADO STATE’S RETURNING PRODUCTION
Colorado State has a healthy amount of production returning from a 4-8 season in 2019 …
- Touchdowns 23 of 42, 54.8%
- Passing yards 2,823 of 3,663, 77.1%
- Rushing yards 879 of 1,586, 55.4%
- Receiving yards 2,275 of 60.1%
- Total yards 3,701 of 5,249, 70.5%
- Tackles 534 of 862, of 62%
- Tackles for loss 46 of 68, 69.9%
- Sacks 19.5 of 29.0, 67.2%
- Interceptions 4 of 6, 66.7%
THE TAKEAWAY ON TURNOVERS
The Bulldogs had four turnovers in their opening loss to Hawaii – three interceptions and one fumble lost. That is not an area that Colorado State has excelled, though.
Turnovers gained can be a cyclical thing in college football, with defensive playmakers graduating or moving on every year. But the Rams have not ranked in the top half of the Mountain West Conference in turnovers gained since 2013.
They were ranked 11th in the league last season with only 13 takeaways and were tied for 11th (or, last) in 2018, eighth in 2017 and 2016, ninth in 2015 and tied for seventh in 2014.
REPLACING A PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The Rams, like Fresno State, are replacing a preseason player of the year.
Colorado State wideout Warren Jackson, the offensive player of the year in the Mountain West, opted out of the season to prepare for the NFL Draft. Bulldogs linebacker Justin Rice, the defensive player of the year in the conference, transferred to Arkansas State after the Mountain West had initially postponed its football season due to the coronavirus. (Rice was the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week earlier this month.)
Jackson is difficult to replace, but the pass game focus will shift to sophomore Dante Wright, who started all 13 games last season and was one of nine players in the nation to score a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game at least twice.
Wright did it in his first two college games – against Colorado and Western Illinois.
In his freshman season, Wright caught 57 passes for 805 yards and four touchdowns and ran the ball 17 times for 214 yards and two TDs.
DRESSED TO THE 9s
Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener changed his number this season to 9, receiving permission to wear a number retired in honor of former Bulldogs’ quarterback Kevin Sweeney.
Colorado State safety Logan Stewart also changed his number to 9.
Stewart, who sold popcorn and soda in the stands at Colorado State football games when he was growing up and started his career as a non-scholarship walk-on, changed his number this season to honor his family.
He is one of nine children, and one of six to be adopted by Kari and Jeff Stewart.