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Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009

Fresno State hopes to sniff out Hawaii's quarterback

FRESNO -- Seven was Louisiana Tech's lucky number last week, as the Bulldogs blew past Hawaii's line for seven sacks.

Those sacks in Tech's

27-6 win over Hawaii have inspired Fresno State defensive players, who hope they can have the same success today against Hawaii.

"Watching that game was pretty exciting because La. Tech really exposed a lot of things," defensive end Kenny Borg said. "It's very exciting for us to see that they're very vulnerable to that kind of stuff, and we're going to take advantage of it."

With the Bulldogs facing a Hawaii spread passing offense that has thrown the ball 40 times a game, an effective pass rush will be critical.

Tech applied pressure through speed and power, Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. He added that Tech's bull rush worked very well and that the Hawaii quarterback was forced to hold the ball longer than usual because of coverage in the secondary.

Fresno State has applied steady pressure through its four games, but only defensive end Chris Carter has the statistics to prove it: all three of the team's sacks.

Defensive line coach Will Plemons said the pass rush has improved each game and that it's his job to make sure the Bulldogs get pressure with just their four down linemen. That is to say, without the help of a blitzing linebacker or safety, which limits pass coverage.

"We're going to have to demonstrate that we can cause a little havoc bringing four guys," Plemons said. "That's the sign of a good front and the best way we can help our defense."

With a third of the season over, opponents are adjusting to the Bulldogs' pressure schemes, so they're altering how they rush the quarterback.

The Bulldogs were repeatedly on the tail of Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien back in the second week of September. Boise State saw the aggressive pass rush and, a week later, used it against Fresno State by utilizing quick passes to the outside and running back screens. Running back Jeremy Avery caught five balls for 83 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that helped seal the game.

Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike also threw a couple of quick slants and screens to outside receivers to minimize Fresno State's pass rush.

Defensive tackle

Chase McEntee said he likes the fact that offenses are switching things up.

"We take it as a new challenge," he said, "because if they're going to change it up, we have to find another way to get back there now."