Bulldog Report: Fresno State's Report Card Through Week Six

After losing three straight and racking up just as many turnovers and penalties as they did touchdowns, the Fresno State Bulldogs seem to have turned things around in their last two games. Question is, can they keep this level of play going?

Quarterback Ryan Colburn looked shaky at best in losses to Wisconsin, Boise State, and Cincinnati, throwing as many touchdowns (seven) as he did interceptions (seven). But, against Hawaii and San Jose State, Colburn didn't turn the ball over once.

So how far has this Bulldog team come? Have they gotten better or are they just now starting to hit their stride? Where they're headed is yet to be determined, but we can give their report card for where they've been.

Offense  

Through the first four games, there were a lot of questions whether or not quarterback Ryan Colburn was the right guy for the job. After ill-timed interceptions against Wisconsin and Boise State, fans started to wonder if they wouldn't see freshman Derek Carr earlier than planned.

But Colburn has come back to have very efficient games against conference foes Hawaii and San Jose State. Connecting on two touchdown passes in each of the two games and showing the kind of leadership Pat Hill and company knew was inside him.

And then there's running back Ryan Mathews. There's not much you can say about this 5'11" junior out of Bakersfield West High School that hasn't already been said. Mathews currently leads the nation in not only total rushing yards (974) but also yards per game average (162.3). On top of that, he has four touchdown runs of 55-yards or more.

Lastly, their offensive line has been doing a great job not only opening up holes for Mathews but they've only given up eight sacks all year.

Grade: B-

Defense

This team on defense is a completely different story from their offense. While the Fresno State offense is putting up 36.5 points per game, their defense is giving up 25.2.

Where they're getting hurt is in their secondary. Quarterbacks like Boise State's Kellen Moore and Cincinnati's Tony Pike have taken advantage to the tune of six combined touchdown passes between the two.

That's the biggest hole in this team thus far and it needs to be fixed soon if they're going to survive Utah State and Idaho who have two of the top passing offenses in the conference.

Grade: C-

MVP : Ryan Mathews

Is there really a question here? Junior running back Ryan Mathews has been nothing short of amazing this season. After his 233 rushing yard performance against San Jose State last weekend, it marked the sixth straight game of 100 or more rushing yards and the second time this season that he's reached 200 or more rushing yards in a single game. 

He leads the nation in total rushing yards (974) and rushing yards per game average (162.3).

Grade: A

Team Overall

I've been more impressed with this team over the last two games than I was through their first four. The one thing they need to alleviate is the number of penalties. Their seven penalties against San Jose State last weekend marked the fourth time this season they've been penalized five or more times in a game.

Offensively, the passing game needs to get better and that needs to start with quarterback Ryan Colburn. Fresno State has the second worst passing offense in the conference (181.5) ahead of New Mexico State (112.3). They're also dead last in pass attempts per game (23.7).

They can't expect running backs Ryan Mathews and Robbie Rouse to carry this team all season long. Yes, they have so far but the more you ride these guys the less effective they'll be towards the end of the season.

Grade: C+