No. 20 Oregon (1-0) @ Fresno State (1-0)
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by user Deuelio
The Oregon Ducks face their first real test of the season as they travel down to Fresno to take on the Fresno State Bulldogs. As any game with Fresno State can be described as intense, the Bulldogs will undoubtedly bring an extra fire to the contest as the Ducks are ranked and on the cusp of the top-15. Fresno and coach Pat Hill have adopted an “anybody, any place, any time” approach to scheduling and it has meant the Bulldogs have faced 17 teams in the top-25, going 7-10 in those games.
Series History – Although not as interesting nationally, to the teams involved, Fresno State vs. Oregon has become an intense rivalry. Oregon leads the series 4-2 but has only visited Bulldog Stadium twice with each team winning once. Oregon coach Mike Bellotti is 4-0 vs. Fresno after last years 37-34 win at Autzen. All the games have been close however, including a double overtime affair in 1997 won by Oregon, 43-40 and an overtime game in 1996 also won by Oregon.
Oregon – The Ducks cruised over Stanford in their opener, winning 48-10. Jonathan Stewart burst onto the scene with a terrific game running the ball before leaving with an injury and the defense held Stanford scoreless in the second half. Oregon’s offense looked potent with Stewart and backup Jeremiah Johnson. Quarterback Dennis Dixon was efficient, completing 21-30 and 236 yards and a score. The defense was led by newcomer Jeremy Gibbs who had a sensational Oregon debut with a quarterback sack, forced fumble and blocked FG.
Fresno State – The Bulldogs could never be accused of loading up their schedule with patsies as year after year they take on some of the best teams in the nation. Last year the ‘Dogs lost by eight at #1 USC and by three to then #20 Oregon and this year is no different. FSU will travel to LSU and Washington in addition to hosting Oregon. Coach Pat Hill has two dynamite receivers in Paul Williams (6-2, 210) and Joe Fernandez (5-11, 175) to rely on and welcomes running back Dwayne Wright back from injury that forced him to miss all of last season. Fresno also loses three year starting QB Paul Pinegar and will rely on sophomore Tom Brandstater who started his first collegiate game last Saturday.
Key Players
Oregon
Jeremiah Johnson – With first string running back Jonathan Stewart hobbled by an ankle injury, Johnson will likely see more touches in the running game. The sophomore had a career high 10 rushes for 79 yards against Stanford and will be counted on to keep the running game strong. Running behind a veteran offensive line, Johnson’s ability to keep the defense honest will allow Oregon’s deep wideout corps to run wild in one on one coverage. If Johnson is able to move the ball effectively, Oregon may be able to keep Stewart from aggravating the ankle injury suffered last week.
Jeremy Gibbs – Making Duck fans forget Haloti Ngata is not easy, but if Gibbs turns in more performances like he did against Stanford, the 6-2 junior from Stillwater, OK will easily become the next Haloti Ngata. Gibbs was stellar in Oregon’s win over Stanford, forcing a fumble late in the first half that led to a FG and blocking a FG attempt that was recovered for a touchdown. A juco all-American last year, Gibbs will be called upon to stop FSU’ Wright from gaining the 158 yards he worked for against Nevada. Gibbs will also be called upon to pressure Brandstater so he can’t look for his stellar wideouts.
Jackie Bates – Oregon’s most experienced corner goes up against another pair of talented receivers in Williams and Fernandez. Bates and fellow corner Walter Thurmond III were whistled for several pass interference calls early against the physical play of Stanford WR’s Evan Moore and Mark Bradford. Both Bates and Thurmond grew more confident as the game wore on and Bradford became a non-factor for the last two and half quarters. Moore couldn’t shake free at all, finishing with four receptions and 62 yards. Bradford had a little more success with nine catches for 108 yards and a TD. Bates and Thurmond will once again be under the gun against a high powered offense.
Fresno State
Tom Brandstater – The sophomore QB makes just his second career start tomorrow against the Ducks. Brandstater completed 16-24 passes for 124 yards and TD against WAC foe Nevada but Hill protected his young signal caller by calling 38 runs. Against Oregon, who is historically good against the run, Brandstater will have to take more shots down the field to move the offense. Luckily for Brandstater, he has Williams and Fernandez at his disposal and an offensive line that returns four starters. Hill will set Brandstater up to succeed by calling short passes, relying heavily on Wright and then burning the Ducks with play-action on run downs.
Wright – The junior running back returns from a horrific knee injury that cost him most of the 2004 season and all of the 2005 campaign. Rehab was a success as in his first game back he carried the ball 26 times for a career high 156 yards three touchdowns. As a freshman, Wright rushed 190 times for 1,038 yards and three TD’s. Hill will be counting on Wright to once again shoulder the load as Fresno, with a high scoring offense of its own, may not want to get into a scoring battle with the Ducks. It was a grind in out win over Nevada in the opener, with Fresno rushing the ball 38 times and against the Ducks that experienced offensive line could be a huge advantage. The Ducks lost Ngata and DE Devan Long off the defensive line and injuries have left them thin at that spot. Look for Hill to try to establish Wright and the running attack early, getting Bradstater comfortable in the speed of the game.
Williams – A big receiver, Williams has the capability to punish Oregon’s small but feisty corners. He had a nice day against the Ducks last year with five receptions for 122 yards and a TD. As a junior, had 43 receptions for 729 yards and seven touchdowns en-route to a first team All-WAC season. Williams will need to be more active than he was against Nevada when he only caught one ball for 22 yards. Should the Bulldogs need offensive balance, the physical Williams could provide it in the passing game. He has big play ability and plays well in big spots, as his performance against Boise last year would indicate. He had six receptions for 149 yards and a pair of scores including a 98 yard TD. Look for Brandstater to look for Williams early and often against Thurmond and Bates.
Thoughts and Notes: Oregon coach Mike Bellotti needs just one more win to become Oregon’s all-time winningest coach…nine of Jonathan Stewarts 22 carries went for first downs and two others were touchdowns…Fresno State has the ninth most wins in the nation since 2001…15 different players recorded quarterback sacks for Fresno State last year…Fresno State’s Trent Dilfer is the only quarterback drafted in the top-10 since 1990 to win a Super Bowl…Oregon’s last loss to a non-conference opponent on the road was a 31-7 loss at then-No. 2 Oklahoma…Coach Bellotti is 14-0 against current WAC schools in his Oregon head coaching tenure
Date
Fri 09/08/06, 4:21 pm EST
