Fresno State vs. Wisconsin Football 2009
Bulldogs Must Battle Badgers Before Showdown With Boise
That's when the Bulldogs (1-0) play at Wisconsin (1-0) in a Noon EST matchup scheduled for telecast by ESPN.
Taking on a Big Ten Conference school in a nationally televised game is huge for Fresno State, which plays in the Western Athletic Conference.
But strangely enough, it won't even be the most important game of the month for the Bulldogs. That comes Friday, Sept. 19, when they play host to No. 14 Boise State, the defending WAC champion.
Fresno State, in any case, will be trying to follow up on season-opening 51-0 rout of UC Davis on Sept. 5.
Wisconsin also won its opener, 28-20, over Northern Illinois at home. The Badgers were in control most of the way, but the Huskies mounted a fourth-quarter rally to make it a game.
What Makes Fresno State-Wisconsin Game Crucial
Wisconsin is seeking to regain status as a national power, and that's not likely to happen if it does not take an unbeaten record into Big Ten play.
Coach Bret Bielema's Badgers are at home vs. Wofford on Sept. 19, then face Michigan State, Minnesota, Michigan, No. 6 Ohio State and No. 22 Iowa in their next five games.
Fresno State, meanwhile, will begin a grueling three-week stretch. After taking on Wisconsin and Boise State, the Bulldogs play on the road vs. Cincinnati on Sept. 21. The Bearcats were 11-3 last season.
Starting the season 1-3 could be disastrous for the Bulldogs. And it if they don't get past Wisconsin, it's a real possibility for coach Pat Hill's team.
Fresno State Dominant vs. UC Davis
The Bulldogs were expected to handle UC Davis, an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision school; and they did that resoundingly.
Fresno State rushed for 317 yards and five touchdowns. Standout back Ryan Mathews, whose 2008 season was marred by injury, rushed 11 times for 106 yards, including a 60-yard TD. Robbie Rouse added 10 carries for 75 yards and a TD, and Lonyae Miller had eight carries for 50 yards and a touchdown.
The Fresno State defense put up some points as well, in addition to holding the Aggies to 231 yards. Linebacker Nico Herron scored on a 94-yard interception return, and freshman defensive end Tris Okpalaugo made a tackle for a safety.
Three Fresno Quarterbacks See Action
The Bulldogs had an intense three-way battle for the quarterback position heading into the season, and all three got into the act vs. UC Davis.
Starter Ryan Colburn completed five of nine passes for 161 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown hookup with Marlon Moore. Colburn, who was intercepted once, also ran for a score.
Speedy redshirt freshman Ebahn Feathers threw just one pass, but ran three times for 29 yards, including a 20-yard TD. Freshman Derek Carr -- the brother of New York Giants backup QB David Carr -- completed both of his passes, for 37 yards.
Wisconsin Passing Game Effective
The Badgers outgained Northern Illinois 433 to 274 in total yardage. The reason for that was junior quarterback Scott Tolzien, who completed 15 of 20 passes for 257 yards, including an 80-yard TD strike to Isaac Anderson.
The Badgers' Garret Graham had six catches for 82 yards, and Anderson also ran for a 23-yard score. But on the whole, the running game was unspectacular if solid, netting 152 yards while averaging four yards an attempt.
Wisconsin's defense was sparked by safety Chris Maragos, who had a team-high nine tackles, a sack, and a fourth-down pass deflection to stop Northern Illinois' final drive. Linebacker Mike Taylor forced a fumble and recovered it in addition to making seven tackles.
Mistakes Could Have Been Costly for Wisconsin
The Northern Illinois game was only close because Wisconsin made a series of fourth-quarter miscues.
First, the Badgers' Philip Welch missed a 41-yard field goal that would have made it 31-6, and Northern Illinois drove 76 yards for a touchdown.
On the next play from scrimmage, Tolzien threw his second interception and that led to the Huskies' second TD. But that 31-yard drive was kept alive when Wisconsin was whistled for interference on a fourth-down pass that fell incomplete.
Northern Illinois then recovered the ensuing onside kick with 2 minutes, 46 seconds to play, and the Badgers needed a big defensive stand headed by Maragos and lineman O'Brien Schofield to put the game away.
Badgers Won Squeaker at Fresno in 2008
The Bulldogs went 7-6 last season, including a 13-10 decision at home to then-No. 10 Wisconsin during the second week of the season. That was the first of three home losses for Fresno State, which was ranked No. 21 when it met the Badgers.
That ended up being the only win over a five-week period for Wisconsin, which lost to Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa over its next four games. Like Fresno State, the Badgers finished 7-6.
Fresno State and Wisconsin have met three times, all since 2001. The Badgers lead the series 2-1. The first two games took place in Madison, Wis., with Bulldogs winning the first meeting 32-20 in 2001 and Wisconsin prevailing 23-21 the following year.
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