Fresno State of Affairs: Running Backs

It's never too soon to look ahead to next year -- especially when us Bulldog Bouncers are always thinking years in advance when it comes to Fresno State football. So we'll examine each position, whether fans can expect an improvement or a drop off next year and touch on the up and comers. As always, we encourage your opinions as well.

Key Losses: Ryan Mathews, Lonyae Miller, Anthony Hardng, Jamaal Rashad

Fresno State of Affairs 2010: Large drop off

Not to say there will be a lack of talent in the 2010 Fresno State backfield -- that's almost never the case with the Bulldogs running attack -- but any time a team loses a player of Ryan Mathews, there's going to be a drop off. Mathews declared a year early for the NFL Draft after rushing for a school single-season record 1,808 yards (6.6 per carry) and 19 touchdowns (nation-best 150.7 yards per game). Couple that with the departure of Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding and the Bulldogs lose 6,766 career yards and 70 touchdowns.

The most experienced back attempting to replace that prolific trio will be sophomore Robbie Rouse (5-7, 185), a strong, quick, elusive back who used his lack of height as a leverage advantage on his way to 479 yards and 4 touchdowns as a true freshman (5.8 yards per carry). Though he's by far the most seasoned returnee, some still question whether Rouse can carry the workload, or if he's better suited to be a change-of-pace guy. Rouse will be pushed for starting duties by sophomores Mike Harris (5-11, 200) and A.J. Ellis (5-11, 180).

Harris is likely to give the biggest push, as he fits the featured back mold more than the slimmer, shifty Ellis, who was recruited two years ago with thoughts of replacing Clifton Smith (Buccaneers). Both redshirted their first year in the program, but Harris shined in last year's Spring Game, breaking off the day's biggest run. Harris had 12 carries for 26 yards this season, while Ellis had 2 carries for 7 yards. Both are sure to see a big increase in workload this year. Harris appeared to have jumped past Ellis on the depth chart this past fall, but Ellis will get plenty of chances to prove himself.

If you're looking for excuses to go out to spring practice and fall camp in the coming months, watching the competition between those three will be fascinating. During the fall, look out for two incoming freshmen who have already given verbal commitments to join the Bulldogs next year, in Leslie Rogers (6-1, 180) out of Point Loma Senior High-San Diego (video) and Emery Schexnayder (5-11, 210) of North High-Riverside. Both look to have a high ceiling on high school film, with Rogers displaying a running style similar to Mathews' hit-the-hole-and-go mentality and Schexnayder showing an even more physical style with size similar to Miller's.

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Grading the 'Dogs (6-4, 5-2) at Nevada (7-3, 6-0)

Nevada 52, Fresno State 14

Short version:

Long version:
Quarterbacks: D+
Who cares if Ryan Colburn throws for a career-high 362 yards if he turns the ball over three times in critical game situations? Colburn again threw a pick at a crucial moment, trying to throw out of bounds near Darren Newborn but failing. The result was a 10-point halftime deficit, when the Bulldogs could have had a field goal and made it a one-score game at the half. Then Colburn fumbled near the 5-yard line on a keeper, and later again fumbled in the red zone under pressure. His turnovers made for as much as a 17-point swing in the outcome.

Running Backs: C
With national star Ryan Mathews leaving the game on a cart after a concussion in the second quarter, the running game was just average. Lonyae Miller had 5.5 yards per carry and 79 all-purpose yards, but Mathews finished with 8 carries for 32 yards, Robbie Rouse 5 for 19 yards and Anthony Harding 2 for 3 yards.

Receivers: B-
The Bulldogs' biggest advantage on the field was the wideouts vs. Nevada's secondary. But even with a prolific day on the stat line, Seyi Ajirotutu fumbled in the open field on a crucial possession -- a dagger in the team's collective heart. Jamel Hamler had the early 57-yard TD, Marlon Moore had a 61-yard grab and 103 yards on the day and Chastin West had 7 catches for 77 yards.

Offensive Line: F
What in the world? Who knew the 'Dogs o-line, which has been flatout dominant all year, was even capable of playing this poorly? Colburn was sacked 6 times and the running backs averaged a season-low 3.2 yards per carry. Losing star Andrew Jackson was obviously going to make an impact, but shouldn't be the difference in the unit falling from dominant to dominated. Might make sense to start Joey Bernardi at center and Matt Hunt at right guard this week.

Defensive Line: F
Another day at the park for Nevada rushing the ball down Fresno State's collective throat. 461 yards. Most of it up the middle. The d-line sure wasn't overpursuing, as the 'Dogs were more concerned with containing Colin Kaepernick than applying pass rush. So what gives? Why weren't more tackles made around the line of scrimmage? It's either a scheme problem or a personnel problem. Besides Chris Carter, no one seems to play with the all-out motor and tenacity needed at this position.

Linebackers: F
LBs racked up many more tackles than the front four, but were still caught not stuffing gaps throughout the day, and not making tackles on initial contact. Ben Jacobs led the team with 11 tackles, and Shawn Plummer had the team's only tackle for loss. Losing Kyle Knox to injury hurt bad, and this team needs Travis Brown and/or Daniel Salinas to step up and rip away a starting job quickly.

Defensive Backs: D
It's not that this unit played poorly in pass coverage. The Wolf Pack was held to 45 yards through the air. But despite Moses Harris and Lorne Bell getting 7 tackles apiece, even this unit wasn't there enough to support the tackling and assignment woes of the front seven. Credit Bell for bringing the physicality, but Harris had a subpar performance.

Special Teams: D
Not wanting to be left out, special teams also had to contribute to the woes. First, a block in the back negated a good A.J. Jefferson kick return and led to the Bulldogs' first punt, a wobbler by Robert Malone. Malone's only two bad punts of the year came in this game, as he averaged just 31 yards. Then, Jefferson fumbled away a later punt return.

Coaching: F
The coaching staff has done some great things this year with new wrinkles on offense and a more open, less predictable style of playcalling. Unfortunately, the defense is same ol', same ol' with a 4-3 scheme that is eaten up by Nevada and Boise State annually. Would it hurt to try something else? At least try it! Boise State was successful playing six guys near scrimmage against Nevada last year. Pat Hill said after last season's beatdown by the Wolf Pack, the 'Dogs needed to find a way to stop the pistol read-option. Umm...? And, then, to top it all off, the 'Dogs are being blown out in the third quarter and the starting quarterback turns the ball over three times and freshman phenom Derek Carr still doesn't come in to get some experience in a perfect passing situation? My head hurts from being scratched so much.

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Heisman Vote - Fan Rankings

Let's try to get Ryan Mathews (college football's leading rusher) out from the bottom rank of this 14 player fan vote on espn.com

------------------------- VOTE HERE -------------------------
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/rank?versionId=9&listId=363

It's obvious that Mathews has not been watched by the voters.

It also doesn't help that he missed significant playing time in his first 2 years.

Maybe these clips will open their eyes:








(Video above also includes Lonyae Miller and Robbie Rouse rushing plays)

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RUNNING BACKS

Returning lettermen: 5

Incoming: 2

Lost: 1 (Kyle Duffy)

Even last season this group of Fresno State running backs was thought of as possibly the best in school history. Now, all the key ones are back for another year, with more depth and experience. The only thing stopping this unit from being a perfect 10 is the injuries that have struck the past two years. Still, junior Ryan Mathews (5-11, 220), Lonyae Miller (5-11, 220) and Anthony Harding (6-0, 220) are the best Bulldogs trio since Ron Rivers, Anthony Daigle and Lorenzo Neal in the early 1992.

Though the three will all get significant touches in a running back by committee approach, Mathews is the most physically gifted, and possibly the best the school has ever had at the position – if he can stay healthy. He was knocked off track last season by a freak injury late in the game at UCLA that caused nerve damage in his foot. Still, he finished the season with 606 yards (5.4 per carry) and six touchdowns in eight games. Mathews also missed two games with injury as a true freshman in 2007, but wrapped up the year with 866 yards (6 per carry) and 14 touchdowns. With 20 career rushing scores, Mathews is just five touchdowns from breaking into the school’s top 10 career list. In an attempt to combat injury, he hit the weight room hard this offseason, boosting his “body armor” as Pat Hill has referred to it. And he remains one of the fastest, quickest players on the team, with hands down the most vicious stiff arm. Even in a conference as loaded at running back as the WAC, Mathews is far and away the best if he plays a full season. If there’s any knock at all on Mathews ability, it’s his pass blocking skills, something he showed inconsistency with last season.

He should be able to stay fresh, with the help the Bulldogs will get from Miller and Harding. Miller led WAC running backs with 6.8 yards per carry in 2008, and totaled 812 yards and seven touchdowns, including a 90-yarder against Nevada (two 80-plus-yard runs on the year). His breakaway speed is special, as is his lightning-fast burst out of the backfield – rivaled only by Mathews. Miller, too, needs to improve his pass blocking, but even more so his hanging on to the football. With 1,706 career rushing yards and 16 scores, Miller has put together one of the best backfield resumes this decade, and can jump into the top five all-time if he duplicates last season’s numbers.

Even with all the talent of Mathews and Miller, the most dependable guy might be Harding. The workhorse of the group, Harding is the one back who’s never missed a game with injury. And he led the Bulldogs with 822 yards last season (5.6 per carry) and six touchdowns. While Mathews and Miller excel at scooting to the sideline and upfield, Harding is a north-south runner who churns out yards the hard way. He’s also the best blocking back of the group and will see plenty of playing time in shotgun formations.

After the super trifecta, Jamaal Rashad (5-11, 205) offers yet another dose of danger for opponents. Rashad, a former walk-on out of junior college, added 153 yards last season, including a performance at San Jose State when Mathews and Miller were out with injuries that showed he could play a starring role for most other WAC teams. Opportunities for carries might be scarce this year, but Rashad is capable if called upon. He’s also listed second on the depth chart at fullback to open the season.

Listed fourth at tailback is true freshman Robbie Rouse (5-7, 185). It hasn’t been uncommon the past couple years to hear people comparing young backs to former standout Clifton Smith, but Rouse truly fits that comparison. He’s shorter than Smith – even his listed height of 5-7 is generous – but he’s got a similarly stocky build and thrives on being the smallest guy on the field. And his shifty running style is eerily similar, though Rouse actually might have more breakaway speed. He did such a magnificent job of turning heads from Day 1 of fall camp that he’s likely to play right away, despite a scarcity of carries. But he can be used in special teams roles, and will be deadly in option formations. Rouse scored a touchdown in the first fall scrimmage, and was even seen blocking a kick in practice.

The depth doesn’t stop there. A pair of redshirt freshmen wait in the wings with Miller, Harding and Rashad set to graduate after this year. Michael Harris (5-11, 200) accounted for half of the offense’s touchdowns in the two fall scrimmages, including a 40-plus-yard scamper in the first one. If he continues to bulk up, he can be a feature-type back by next season – perfect timing. A.J. Ellis (5-11, 180) is a change-of-pace guy whose athleticism and quickness can cause fits. He impressed as early as last season’s fall camp, but looks to be a tad behind Harris right now. Neither is likely to be relied on to produce this year, but will be thrust into key roles next season.

Starting at fullback is Reynard Camp (5-11, 270), a bowling ball of a blocker who has improved each season since joining the program as a walk-on. He was visibly quicker on his feet in fall camp, and it provided for plenty of violent collisions as he opened holes for the tailbacks. The Bulldogs brought in a new walk-on to mold for the future in freshman Dylan Cruz (5-11, 225), who has a prototypical build for the position. Cruz impressed from the get-go and hopes are high he’ll develop into the next in a long line of pummel-happy fullbacks at Fresno State.

Rating: 9 of 10

***Anthony Harding photo courtesy of Juan Villa/The Collegian

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Friday Rundown

Fresno State practice was all over the fields today -- literally. The first part was at Valley Growers Field, before the whole squad was herded into Bulldog Stadium with a good turnout of fans.

Lots of scrimmage situations today with 7 on 7s, 11 on 11s and live-hitting with piped in crowd noise (though most of it was Bulldog gameday songs, unlike the annoyance of opponents songs they played in years past...I never want to hear "Rocky Top" again). So who stood out? Read on...

While neither quarterback starred today, true freshman Derek Carr continues to outshine junior Ryan Colburn (a trend the past four days). Colburn overthrew several receivers on would-be touchdown routes, even when there was no live rush.

Carr also threw one behind a receiver and later should have been intercepted (Marvin Haynes let the pass bounce off his chest after a nice jumped route in the end zone). But Carr made a nice play on the run to end the day, recognizing that safety Moses Harris had his back turned and zipping a touchdown pass to the sure-handed Jamel Hamler.

That said, both Colburn and Carr led the offense on touchdown drives, while Ebahn Feathers stalled inside the 10-yard line when he took the reins.

The receivers as a whole dropped a ton of balls today. Marlon Moore, Seyi Ajirotutu and Rashad Evans didn't participate in drills, while Chastin West had a case of the dropsies.

Ryan Mathews stood out in the passing game. And Robbie Rouse and Lonyae Miller each broke off long touchdown runs in tag-off drills.

Lots of moving parts throughout the depth chart on defense today, so it'll be interesting to follow how the pecking order unfolds. Can Travis Brown work his way into competition with Nico Herron?

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