Fresno State vs. San Jose State: Can the Bulldogs reverse their dreaded second-half trend?

By Robert Kuwada

October 13, 2022 12:57 PM

Fresno State has lost four games in a row, but has been right there entering the fourth quarter in three of them, up or down by no more than one touchdown. The Bulldogs were up 23-21 against Oregon State, up 14-12 at UConn and down 27-20 at Boise State, and coach Jeff Tedford addressed that this week at his weekly press conference.

“Battled hard, but got to find a way to finish it,” he said.

That obviously is more easily said than done, and it really just deflects from the bigger issue because it is not just the fourth quarter but the entire second half, at least with an offense that without injured quarterback Jake Haener has been unable to change that losing dynamic in the past two games.

Boise State edge George Tarlas and defensive tackle Divine Obichere crunch Fresno State quarterback Logan Fife after he gets a pass off, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, at Albertsons Stadium in Boise. Darin Oswald doswald@idahostatesman.com

Fresno State in its four-game losing streak against FBS opponents has been outscored in the second half by a 78-36 margin and in losses at UConn and at Boise State the past two games by a 33-10 margin.

The 9.0 points scored in the second half ranks in a tie for 107th in the nation, and the 19.5 points allowed ranks 123rd.

The Bulldogs on Saturday will match up against what might be the best defense in the Mountain West Conference in San Jose State, and, if in the game at that point, the thing to watch is whether they can execute more consistently in the second half. Whether they try to use tempo or diversify the offense, maybe even up the numbers in the run game with more direct snaps to running back Jordan Mims or to wideout Jalen Moreno-Cropper, it still will come back to the Bulldogs’ execution.

The last two games, it hasn’t been there. Here are the Bulldogs’ second-half drives …

UConn

62 yards in 5 plays, TD
14 yards in 3 plays, interception
Minus-3 yards in 3 plays, punt
7 yards in 3 plays, punt
23 yards in 6 plays, punt
Minus-3 yards in 4 plays, downs

Boise State

40 yards in 8 plays, FG
5 yards in 3 plays, punt
Minus-11 yards in 3 plays, punt
0 yards in 1 play, interception
6 yards in 3 plays, punt
5 yards in 3 plays, end of game

In 11 drives that did not end with the game clock at 0:00, the Bulldogs have gone three-and-out five times with one turnover, managed to gain 25 or more yards just twice and scored a total of 10 points.

San Jose State in a three-game winning streak has allowed only 19 second-half points, and none in the fourth quarter in victories over Western Michigan, Wyoming and UNLV.

SOMETIMES, IT’S NOT THE MISSES, IT’S THE HITS

Fresno State had another 10 missed tackles in its loss at Boise State, this after 12 at UConn, 13 at USC and 15 against Oregon State. But against the Broncos, it wasn’t so much the whiffs. The tackling itself was an issue. With its bigger or more physical backs in George Holani and Ashton Jeanty, Boise State powered through the Bulldogs defense.

Holani rushed for 157 yards on 17 plays including one 59-yard burst in the second quarter that set up a Broncos touchdown. Of those 157 yards, 101 came after contact by a defender, according to Pro Football Focus.

Holani averaged 5.9 yards … after he was hit.

This week the Bulldogs defense will try to get Kairee Robinson on the ground and while the San Jose State back is only 5-foot-8 he does have 200 pounds behind his pads and has been difficult to bring down.

In a win over UNLV last week, Robinson averaged 5.0 yards after contact.

“No. 32, he never goes down it seems with the first guy,” Tedford said.

PLAYING THE EDGES

If the Bulldogs are to get anything done offensively, they are going to have to find ways to deal with Spartans defensive ends Cade Hall and Viliami Fehoko, who are two of the four highest-graded edge players in the Mountain West, according to Pro Football Focus.

Hall is graded third overall among edge players in the conference and as a pass rusher. Fehoko is fourth overall and first against the run. Hall and Fehoko are first and second on the Spartans defense in tackles for loss with 5.5 and 4.5 and in sacks with 2.5 and 2.0.

Fresno State right tackle Dontae Bull, the Bulldogs’ highest-graded offensive lineman, has been banged up with a groin injury suffered at USC. He did not play at UConn, but was able to get in 58 snaps at Boise State and is expected to play against the Spartans.

Jacob Spomer, the junior college transfer, has started every game at left tackle.

Interestingly, Hall and Fehoko have had limited impact in previous games against Fresno State. Hall has played three career games against the Bulldogs and had 2.0 tackles for loss in 2019, but went without a tackle last season and in 2018. Fehoko has played two career games against Fresno State and has not recorded a tackle for loss.

THE GAME