Fresno State has cleanup to do before heading to Ole Miss

Fresno State spent Friday going over the film of a 34-13 season-opening victory over Abilene Christian where there was plenty to digest, some good and some not so good.

“When we play like we’re capable of playing, we look like we have a chance to be pretty darn good, but we also do some dumb things at times that will get you beat by a better opponent,” coach Tim DeRuyter said.

And on Saturday, while the players were taking a mandatory day off, the coaches delved deeper into a game plan against Ole Miss, which is next up on the schedule and definitely qualifies as “a better opponent.”

The Rebels – ranked No. 17 in the opening Associated Press national poll – opened their season by decimating Tennessee-Martin, rolling up 662 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns in a 76-3 victory Saturday, the most points they have scored and their largest margin of victory since 1935 and a 92-0 victory over West Tennessee Teachers (now Union College).

Mississippi led 27-0 in the first quarter and 41-0 at halftime, churning out 338 yards on the ground and 324 through the air.

The Rebels had four players average more than 10 yards per rush, led by Jaylen Walton, who carried only three times but gained 65 yards and scored two touchdowns. They had five players catch a touchdown pass, the longest a 57-yard strike to Cody Core.

The 27-point opening quarter was the most points scored for the Rebels in modern history, going back through 1962, and the most in any quarter since scoring 28 in the fourth quarter of their opener last season against a team the Bulldogs are quite familiar – Boise State.

And the Rebels did all of that without 6-foot-5, 305-pound left tackle Laremy Tunsil, held out of the game because of an ongoing NCAA investigation into potential violations regarding improper benefits and contact with agents. It is unknown whether Tunsil will play against the Bulldogs.

That can’t do much for the Bulldogs, who have not fared well in recent meetings against ranked teams or Power Five Conference opponents. Fresno State has not beaten a ranked team since 2004 when taking out No. 18 Virginia in the MPC Computers Bowl.

Last season, Fresno State was thumped by USC 52-13, Utah 59-27 and Nebraska 55-19 to open the season.

But, coming out of the victory over Abilene Christian, there is plenty to work and build on without worrying about Ole Miss, which opened No. 15 in the coaches’ poll.

Fresno State’s passing game was inconsistent with Zack Greenlee and Chason Virgil completing 22 of 45 passes for 217 yards, only 4.8 per play. But the defense was physical and played well, despite a couple of busts in coverage.

“I thought we did some good things,” DeRuyter said. “I was really pleased with our effort and I thought our coaches did a great job preparing our guys. Our guys played with energy. I though the crowd was great – I think our kids thrived off that. And I was pleased with the leadership of (senior linebacker Ejiro Ederaine).

“I liked the way our guys tackled and attacked. I thought we physically took the game to the offense and dictated that they had to throw the ball – they weren’t going to be able to run it – and when they did throw it, it was contested and that quarterback threw under duress a bunch.”

This story was originally published September 5, 2015 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Fresno State has cleanup to do before heading to Ole Miss."