Fresno State Bulldogs vs. Oregon State Beavers: First look, TV info and Boise State butchery

Fresno State takes on Oregon State on Saturday in the first of two oversized opportunities against Pac-12 opponents, and here are three things worth noting.

Bulldogs defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle has been in this game for a long time. He has coached in the NFL, and in college. And he probably has a few ways to prep for the play-action passing game, which played a big part in the Beavers’ opening victory over Boise State.

The Broncos, for whatever reasons, appeared woefully unprepared even though Oregon State has leaned toward the run and quarterback Chance Nolan used play-action on a healthy number of his non-screen drop backs last season. That is at least part of the reason why the Beavers, while 10th in the Pac-12 in passing attempts per game, led the conference in chunk passing plays that went for 20 or more yards.

In a 34-17 victory over Boise State, Nolan was 6 of 9 when using a play-action fake, throwing for 173 yards (that’s 28.8 yards per completion and 19.2 yards per attempt) with two touchdowns and one interception.

One of those incomplete passes came on a third-and-2 play on the Beavers’ first series and should have ended in a touchdown — wideout Tre’Shaun Harrison dropped a pass at the Broncos 7-yard line that hit him in the hands when he was well clear of any Boise State defender.

But the Beavers’ first touchdown, a 27-yard strike to tight end Luke Musgrave, came off a play-action fake on a first-and-10. Their second touchdown, 47 yards to Tyjon Lindsey, came off a play-action fake on a first-and-10. Their third touchdown came on a rushing play, but it was set up with a 74-yard pass play to wideout Anthony Gould that came off a play-action fake on second-and-7 from the Beavers 5-yard line.

Oregon State also set up a field goal not with a traditional play-action fake, but with a trick play on a first-and-10 with Nolan lateraling the ball to wideout John Dunmore, who fired it down field to Trey Lowe for 41 yards.

And, that interception came when Nolan was trying to throw the ball away and just didn’t throw it far enough.

Boise State has a lot to point to in that season-opening loss, including a ghastly start by senior quarterback Hank Bachmeier. But the Beavers scored two touchdowns and one field goal off the five turnovers gained and they had to go 98 yards for one of those TDs. The big plays off play-action were in fact very big.

It’s a tough ask given the way the Beavers rush the football, but expect that by kickoff Fresno State very likely will have covered the Beavers’ play-action game in the meeting room and on the practice field a time or 10, or 20.

THE GAME

OREGON STATE vs. FRESNO STATE

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Valley Children’s Stadium

TV: CBS Sports Network (Alex Del Barrio, Donte Whitner)

• Find it fast: Channels 643 and 1643 on AT&T Uverse, 418 and 732 on Comcast, 221 on DirecTV, 158 on Dish Network

Radio: Bulldog Sports Network (Paul Loeffler, Pat Hill, Cameron Worrell)

• Find it fast: 1400 AM in Visalia/Tulare; 1340 AM in Fresno; 1280 AM in Stockton; 970 AM in Bakersfield; 92.9 FM in Modesto; 96.7 FM in Fresno.

The records: Bulldogs 1-0, Beavers 1-0

The series: Bulldogs lead 8-5

Last meeting: Bulldogs won 16-14 at home in 2003

The line: Fresno State minus-1

Tickets: 559-278-DOGS or gobulldogs.com

QUICK HITTERS

▪ Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith was the Beavers’ quarterback in 2001 when the Bulldogs knocked off the No. 10 team in the nation and fans tore down the goal posts at Bulldog Stadium. He was 20 of 34 for 284 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the Bulldogs’ 44-24 victory. Smith was also the offensive coordinator at Washington when the Huskies recruited Bulldogs quarterback Jake Haener.

“He has been in my living room,” Haener said. “He was at my last high school game with coach (Chris) Petersen in December of 2016 watching me play against Najee Harris and Antioch. We got after them a little bit, so that was fun. It’s kind of crazy how life comes full circle. Him recruiting me to U-Dub, taking the job, (coach Jeff Tedford) over there, and how it all happened and now he’s coming to our place to play the ’Dogs. I remember the last time he was here what happened so we’ll see what happens on Saturday.”

▪ The Bulldogs played a number of different offensive line combinations in their opener against Cal Poly, a 35-7 victory. Tedford said to expect more of the same. “I think we’re pretty balanced there with our depth and so to keep the guys fresh we can see some of the the same thing going on with them,” he said.

Center Bula Schmidt and right guard Mose Vavao played the most snaps against the Mustangs with 72 and 62 of 75.

▪ The Beavers are 0-6 in games in Fresno.

▪ With the Thursday opener, the Bulldogs got in an extra practice on Sunday. “We are a little bit ahead, for sure,” Tedford said. “Now it will turn into a normal week. We practiced yesterday, which we normally don’t, a little bit longer. We normally don’t do that on a Sunday. But (Monday) is their normal day off for the week and then we’ll get into normal game plan stuff Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.”

▪ Tedford on the Beavers: “They’re a great football team, all the way around. Offensively, they’re very balanced. They can run it really well. I think they had close to 500 yards and 250 passing and almost 200 yards rushing, and then some other things in there. But, very balanced very physical, very well coached. Defensively, to come up with five turnovers, they really fly around. They play hard. Their schemes are very solid. They play fast and it’s just a great-coached football team with a lot of ability on it.”

▪ Freshman defensive tackle Gavriel Lightfoot is one of 15 players to make Fresno State debuts against Cal Poly. “I think Gavriel Lightfoot in there at defensive tackle to play for his first game as a true freshman, he can improve a lot, but I think to get his feet wet in game situations and the speed of the game ... any time you play like that you’re going to learn a lot,” Tedford said. “You’re going to learn the speed of the game. Each week I just think he’s going to improve, but for him to play his very first game I thought he did an admirable job. Like I said, there’s a lot he can improve on, but to be in there under the lights in the first game of your college career I thought was pretty impressive.”