Fresno State-Cal Poly: Bulldogs Try To Get Back on Track Despite Key Injuries

Fresno State left Oxford, Mississippi licking its wounds as it boarded a plane to return to the comfortable confines of Bulldog Stadium.

Injuries have hampered the Bulldogs, and they're wishing that their bye week hadn't come so early on in the season.

The Bulldogs will be home once again this weekend to face Cal Poly, the first of what will be three straight weekends at home with the other two games coming against Hawaii and New Mexico State.

They have a lot to work on in practice this week, especially after Ole Miss was able to run the ball as many times as they wanted without being stopped. If they can't fix that, they could be in trouble against teams like Nevada and Boise State later in the year.

But before we talk about those games, here are some observations going into this weekend's non-conference game against Cal Poly.

When All-American Ryan Mathews left for the NFL, the Fresno State coaching staff had the task of replacing one of their best rushers in school history. It's proved harder than they imagined.

Sophomore Robbie Rouse is averaging just 31 yards per game while A.J. Ellis is averaging 57.3 yards per game. Though it has to be said that both have missed one complete game with an injury and it looks as if Ellis could be out for six-to-eight weeks with a sprained toe, leaving Rouse as the main guy.

The run game was Fresno State's bread and butter over the years and it was something that allowed head coach Pat Hill to wear down the defense to allow the quarterback to go up top or pick apart the secondary.

Without it, the Bulldogs could put the pressure square on the shoulders of senior quarterback Ryan Colburn.

Defensive back Desia Dunn is the leading tackler for Fresno State with 23, and it's only good for 17th in the WAC.

Am I the only one that sees a problem with that?

Next guy on the list is Lorne Bell with 21, good for 23rd in the WAC. 

Defensive lineman Logan Harrell, according to cfbstats.com, is 10th in the nation in sacks with four, just two behind Marshall's Vinny Curry.

Harrell, along with another defensive lineman Chris Carter, have been a thorn in the side of quarterbacks by combining for seven sacks this season.

While they're getting to the quarterback, they didn't have much effect on Ole Miss' run game last Saturday.

Something you normally wouldn't expect to see out of a quarterback from a small conference school out west is something you might just spy if you look hard enough.

Senior quarterback Ryan Colburn is ninth in the nation in quarterback rating (176.09). He's in front of guys like Arkansas' Ryan Mallett, Stanford's Andrew Luck, Boise State's Kellen Moore, Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor, and USC's Matt Barkley.

Colburn has completed 65-of-89 passes for 786 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 262 yards per game, and has only been intercepted twice.

Every time something like this happens, I put my head in my hands and wonder why players even open their mouth.

Here we go again.

Cal Poly quarterback Andre Broadous apparently told the media up there that the only difference between them and Fresno State was 85 scholarships.

I know the Mustangs upset then-FCS No. 1 Montana already this season, but I wouldn't use that to allow myself to spout off before going to someone else's house. Especially not a team that's looking to take out their frustration from a disappointing performance the week before.

As mentioned before, Fresno State will be without running back A.J. Ellis for up to six-to-eigh weeks due to a sprained toe suffered against Ole Miss.

Robbie Rouse could get the start but has been hampered by a high ankle sprain which Rouse says is "still tender." If Rouse can't go, head coach Pat Hill could turn to Michael Harris or Tracy Slocum.

Wide receivers Devon Wylie and Rashad Evans did not play against Ole Miss and could both miss the game on Saturday against Cal Poly. They could also lose Jamel Hamler, the Bulldogs' leading receiver, who missed Fresno State's light practice on Sunday.

He told Bryant-Jon Anteola of the Fresno Bee, "There's a big sense of urgency to play through the pain. I want to be out there. I want to help the team."

The Bulldogs will also be without starting offensive lineman Andrew Jackson.

Fresno State is going to want to come away with a solid performance after getting run over by Ole Miss this past weekend.

The Bulldogs want to prove that last weekend was just a fluke and that they can get themselves back on track before they continue their conference schedule the following weekend.

They'll need their run game to get going and not rely only on Ryan Colburn. His arm can't carry them the entire season, but they'll get enough to pick up a win on Saturday.

Prediction: Fresno State 35, Cal Poly 17