Fresno State takes a big hit in shutout victory over Wyoming, but defense keeps ticking

The Fresno State Bulldogs took a hit in a 30-0 victory over Wyoming on Friday to close out the regular season, posting their first shutout since they played the Cowboys last season.

Defensive end David Perales, their leader in sacks, tackles for loss and a prime candidate for defensive player of the year in the Mountain West Conference, suffered a left ankle injury and made his final trek up the ramp at Valley Children’s Stadium after the game in a boot and on crutches.

The senior, one of 13 honored before the game, made a strong tackle on the Cowboys’ first play from scrimmage and had played every defensive snap until he was injured coming down the line of scrimmage to help make a play on running back Titus Swen midway through the second quarter.

Perales’ status for the conference championship game on Saturday at Boise State will be evaluated, but also would appear to be highly doubtful.

But DeMarcus Robinson and Andres Fox picked up for Perales and it didn’t slow down a defense that has been attacking much more aggressively in the past three games, dialing up more blitzes.

Fresno State (8-4, 7-1 in the MW) in winning a seventh game in a row showed no respect for the Cowboys’ passing game and chopped down their run game, which had generated 278 yards and two touchdowns on just 32 plays last week in a loss to Boise State.

Swen, who is leading the conference with 29 rushes of 10 or more yards, accounted for 212 of those yards against the Broncos. But against the Bulldogs he had 75 yards on 24 plays, 3.1 per play.

Fresno State allowed 2 yards or less on 12 of those plays including tackles for loss by cornerback Carlton Johnson, tackles Devo Bridges and Johnny Hudson Jr., safety Evan Williams and linebacker Malachi Langley. That last one ended Wyoming’s only real chance to score, a fourth-and-3 play from the Bulldogs 8-yard line.

BULLDOGS DIALING UP THE BLITZES

Those results stem from the confidence of defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle, who has the Bulldogs defense playing at a different level now deeper into the season.

“I think that’s because it took us a while, because we were playing with some different guys,” coach Jeff Tedford said. “We had some young guys that I think had to understand what we were trying to get done. Now, I think they have a much better feel for what we’re trying to do. Morice Norris, for instance. We just had some young guys up front, in the defensive line we were playing a lot of different guys. We had young corners. Look at Cam Lockridge and Carlton. All those corners are young guys. I think the experience over time has really helped them to play a lot more confidently, because I think they understand what we’re trying to get done.

“It’s a process through the year. When people make mistakes, one of the big things in teaching is to get them to understand, productively or constructively I should say, that, ‘OK, this wasn’t right, This is how we need to fix it.’ You have to do it the right way or people close their eyes and ears to you. I think they’ve done a good job that way.”

The proof is in the numbers, before, during and after they scuttled a Wyoming offense that is a legitimate threat with a run game that was ranked second in the conference.

Fresno State blitzed at UNLV on a season-high 46.3% of its dropbacks. The following week at Nevada, it was 50%. The Bulldogs were right after Wyoming quarterback Andrew Peasley and Swen in the run game, blitzing at a season-high for a third game in a row at 51.6%, according to Pro Football Focus.

And, when blitzing they are having much better success with it.

A LONG NIGHT FOR WYOMING OFFENSE

In the past three games, Fresno State has allowed the Rebels, Wolf Pack and Cowboys to complete 40.4% of their passes against a blitz (19 of 47) and average 4.1 yards per attempt with three interceptions. In its first three games against FBS-level opponents, it allowed Oregon State, USC and Connecticut to hit 64% of their passes (16 of 25) while averaging 7.5 yards per attempt with three touchdowns and no picks.

Wyoming (7-5, 5-3) just had no chance.

It generated only 191 yards of offense, a season-low. It had 87 yards rushing, a season-low. It was 4 of 13 converting on third downs (30.8%), which was not a season-low, but still below average. It also was intercepted twice, both when Peasley was blitzed.

On the first interception, the Bulldogs blitzed Norris from the nickel position and Justin Houston from linebacker. Fox dropped into coverage from defensive end as did Langley, the middle linebacker, who at the snap was at the line of scrimmage feigning blitz, and Peasley threw the ball right to him trying to hit wideout Wyatt Wieland.

It was a third-and-7 from the Wyoming 10 and Langley returned the interception to the 4 to set up running back Jordan Mims’ third touchdown run of the night and his 14th this season.

The play before that interception, Fresno State blitzed Lockridge from cornerback on a second-and-10, and he helped blow up a run for a short gain.

On the second interception, by Lockridge, the Bulldogs didn’t show blitz until late when Norris inched to the line.

“We’re just coming out with the mentality that nobody is going to roll us over,” said linebacker Levelle Bailey. “Pressuring the quarterback, it really started the San Jose State game, to contain their good quarterback, (Chevan) Cordeiro, and our confidence has been rising from there.”

That San Jose State game was the start of the Bulldogs’ seven-game winning streak.

BY THE NUMBERS

30: Reception percentage for wideout Jalen Moreno-Cropper, who had three catches on 10 targets. It was 78.9% going into the game.

66: The longest Fresno State touchdown drive. The Bulldogs’ starting field position on four offensive scores was their own 34-yard line and the Wyoming 41, 27 and 4.

11: Consecutive scoreless quarters for Wyoming against Fresno State. The Bulldogs have shut them out in back-to-back games in the series and allowed a field goal in the first quarter of a 27-3 victory in 2018.

6: Penalties on the Bulldogs offensive line including four false starts. It had been called for six penalties total in the first six games of the winning streak.

33.3: The Bulldogs’ third-down conversion rate. Fresno State had been at 50% or better in five games in a row coming in and was leading the Mountain West at 47.8%.

27: Consecutive games with a touchdown pass for Jake Haener, a Mountain West Conference record. He passed the mark set by the Bulldogs’ Derek Carr and later matched by Nevada quarterback Carson Strong.

7: Consecutive games with a rushing touchdown for Fresno State running back Jordan Mims. The school record in one season is 10, set by Wendell Mathis in 2005.

14.3: Red zone touchdown percentage allowed by the Fresno State defense over its past three games; just 1 in 7 tries combined for UNLV (1 of 4), Nevada (0 of 2) and Wyoming (0 of 1).

30.3: Average yards for Wyoming on its nine punts.

26: Quarters in a row that Fresno State scored at least a field goal, a streak that was snapped in a scoreless fourth quarter against the Cowboys.