Fresno State Wrap Up

The game was closer than the score. Odd as we have had the opposite feeling coming off of the Stanford win. But a win is a win. FSU lost two key players, but we play the games with so many in reserve. It's a physically demanding sport. All teams eventually have to face the difficult decisions of post-injury to key personnel. Last night's win was interesting as I saw a potential explosive running game that Coach Riley seemed more interested in. Two 100-yard performances are a great way to build up the run game. The offensive line was looking good and consistent for the season. The mental side of the game is lights out for the most part, as penalties on the offensive side are not a topic of discussion.

The defense of bend and don't break was at it again. They stopped the bulldogs when needed, and they had key plays when things needed just that. Coach Grinch was clearly coaching 100% of the time, as even when things looked good, he was very visibly animated and letting his opinion be known. Games like the Rice game and last night are where our reserves will get the most real-time development, and the rotations looked like that was happening.

Play selection seemed vastly improved in the 4th quarter vs. Stanford. We shifted to the ground attack, and my only concern was how long we left Caleb in vs. bringing in Miller. That was just too risky and unnecessary, in my opinion.

Special teams have a lot of work to do on the Kickoff coverage. The field goal unit was stellar and looks solid. The kick return unit still has room for improvement as the middle tier is not holding their blocks well, creating those seams for our returners to see.