The Fresno State Bulldogs received a much needed reprieve on their daunting non-conference schedule with 56-16 win over Southern Utah on Saturday night at Bulldog Stadium. With former head coach Pat Hill visiting with fans before the game and then in the broadcast booth during the game perhaps served as an inspiration to take to the ground for a Fresno State offense in desperate need in finding its first win of the year.
The Bulldogs put up 389 yards on the ground, over double their season high for a team average of 7.2 yards per carry. Marteze Waller and Josh Quezada led the ground attack with 118 and 84 yards respectively with each getting into the end zone once for an average of over seven yards a carry, but the most exciting run of the night came from T.J. Thomas, who broke eight tackles and carried three would be defenders with him along an 17 yard run to the end zone during the fourth quarter when the game was in hand.
Fresno State was not without issues on all sides of the ball and though the score may not indicate it, there were still signs of the Bulldogs shaky play we had become accustomed to over the past three weeks. Blown coverages, dropped passes, overthrown balls and costly penalties that took points off the board, but in spite of the miscues, Fresno State rallied from a 9-7 deficit in the 2nd Quarter to score 35 unanswered points which quickly turned this game into a blowout. With Southern Utah up 3-0, Brandon Connette replaced Burrell with 4:37 left in the 1st Quarter after Burrell threw an interception on Fresno State's third possession of the game.
On Connette's third possession with the offense he led Fresno State on a 9-play, 74-yard drive that finished with Josh Harper's first touchdown reception of the season on a 10-yard pass from Connette. Southern Utah responded on the next drive with a 5-play 70-yard drive that made the score 9-7 in favor of the Thunderbirds after they missed the extra point. The next time Southern Utah's offense was on the field resulted in a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown by LB Kyrie Wilson to put the Bulldogs up 14-9 and they never looked back.
Fresno State scored on their next drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Burrell to freshman Chad Olsen to make the score 21-9 at the half. Fresno State scored three times in the 3rd quarter with touchdown runs by Waller and Quezada followed by Burrell's second TD pass of the night to RS Frosh Delvon Hardaway making his second TD reception in past two weeks.
Two of the best highlights of the night came in the 4th quarter, TJ Thomas' touchdown run and a perfectly thrown ball, the likes of which we haven't seen all season from Fresno State, from RS Frosh Zack Greenlee to Sophomore Da'Mari Scott for an 81-yard TD. Greenlee threw a perfectly placed ball 40-yards in the air which landed right in Scott's arms as the Southern Utah defender trailed close behind. Scott didn't even break stride as he caught the ball, shook off the defender and sprinted the rest of the way to the end zone. The pass and Greenlee's poise in the pocket along with another strike over the middle on a 3rd and 12 to Scott for a 21-yard game left a memorable impression.
Regardless of what's in store next for this Fresno State team it had to feel good to finally get that first win under their belts four games into the season. They finished their non-conference play on a positive note as they head into conference play next week as they take on New Mexico in Albuquerque.