The Fresno State Bulldogs are now 6-3 overall and 5-1 in the Western Athletic Conference. The football game looked like it was going to be a blow out as the Bulldogs came out on top the first half 24-0.

However, Idaho’s quarterback Brian Reader threw for 239 yards, 2 touchdowns, and scored a touchdown himself.

Right before the half ended, Ryan Mathews scored a 1 yard touchdown run which put Fresno up 24-0.

Highlights:

• Ryan Colburn went 14 for 14 with a total of 159 yards, 1 touchdown
• Ryan Mathews had 26 carries for 143 yards, 3 touchdowns
• Ryan Mathews 77 yard run in the first quarter

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Fresno state hasn’t been this close to having a Heisman candidate since David Carr, however, Ryan Mathews isn’t getting any love / media attention.

You see it everywhere. Smaller teams in littler conference don’t get the attention they deserve. Such as Fresno State who plays in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). We see fans only giving respect to teams that rank in the BCS standings, and in the ACC, SEC, and Big Ten conferences. And in reality WAC doesn’t get any of this respect because “they have no competition” or “they don’t play anyone”

The way Bowl Championship games are set up do not favor teams teams Boise State or Utah. These teams will never get the chance to play in a national championship game even if they do have a perfect undefeated season. They’ll still rank lower in the polls below teams that have loses.

This is shown even when Boise State went undefeated in 2006 and was still ranked behind USC and Michigan who had two loses a piece. Boise State proved critics wrong when they were told they don’t belong in the standings when they defeat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

If critics and the BCS say that teams in the WAC and MWC don’t deserve to play in the National Championship game, does that also include excluding certain players to be recognized by their outstanding performance and be considered for the Heisman Trophy? I think not.

So does Ryan Mathews qualify for the Heisman Trophy even though he is in the Western Athletic Conference and not the Big Ten, or ACC, or SEC? Mathews has proven himself against worthy teams such as Boise State and Cincinnati, and is also the top rusher in the nation.

In 8 games this season, Ryan Mathews has rushed over 106 yards or more per game. Mathews has a total of 1316 rushing yards, with an average of 7.4 yards per carry. He also has 11 touchdowns on the season. Not to mention he has also had 7 receptions for 94 yards. If he keeps this up it is projected that he’ll have 1974 rushing yards at the end of the season. He also had 3 touchdown runs against Boise State for 60 yards or more.

Lets take a simple comparison between another Running Back Jahvid Best from Cal. Mathews leads him in total yards, yards per game, carries, and is tied for 11 touch downs a piece. Not to take the spot light away from Jahvid Best, but why isn’t Ryan Mathews getting the same media attention? Hmm is it because Mathews is in the WAC? Possibly.

Now lets compare Ryan Mathews against previous Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush (USC).

If Mathews keeps averaging 164.5 yards a game he’ll end the season with 1974 yards compared to Reggie Bush who only ran 1,741 yards in 2005 (when he won the Heisman trophy).

Now, don’t get mad, I’m not comparing Ryan Mathews to Reggie Bush because their will never be another Reggie Bush. What I’m sayings is that Ryan Mathews deserves some respect for the number he has put up this season, and should be considered as one of the best if not the best.

Ryan Mathews shouldn’t be shunned because of the team he plays for or the division he is in. Will the people get the hint? Or will the only trophy the WAC and MWC be eligible for is the Sears National Championship Trophy?

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You can find a recap of the Ryan Mathews and the Bulldogs game versus Utah State here.

Ryan Mathews is still the leader in the nation for rushing yards, and has ran over 100 yards per contest this season, while averaging 164.5 yards per game.

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Ryan Mathews is still the leading rusher in the nation and has rushed over 100 yards in every game this season. If Mathews can keep this up for the rest of the season he might be able to break school history and hit the 2,000 yard mark for the first time ever.

Ryan Colburn also threw for 256 yards and a touchdown to help win over Utah State, 31-27

Highlights:

• Ryan Mathews first quarter 9 yard run for a touchdown
• Ryan Mathews 10 yard run for a fourth quarter touchdown
• Diondre Borel throwing for 240 yards, rushing for 105 yards for Utah State

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Ryan Mathews currently leads the NCAA Football League with an average of 161.57 rushing yards each game. Every game that Ryan Mathews has played in he has hit over 100 yards. This includes teams such as #6 Boise State, #5 Cincinnati, and Wisconsin. Ryan Mathews also had a career high against #6 Boise State with 234 yards.

However, the last three defenses Mathews had to run against were all ranked above 100 – New Mexico State #103, San Jose State #118, and Hawaii #110. And there is nothing special about Utah State’s rushing defense either standing at #109 respectively.

Utah on average gives up 216.1 yards a game. But don’t let all this defense talk put you down. Utah’s offense is comparative to Fresno’s. Unlike Ryan Mathews, Utah also has a running back who stands out from the rest. That is, Robert Turbin who averages 104.86 yards a game. He may not be the number 1 rusher in the nation, however, he is 18th and that deserves some respect.

Ryan Mathews Perfect Season – 2,000 Yards?
So Far Ryan Mathews has carried the ball 156 times with a total of 1,131 yards. To add onto those statistics he has also scored 9 touchdowns, and averages 7.2 yards a carry!

No Pressure
Ryan Mathews only nees to run an average of 174 yards for his last 5 games to break the 2,000 yard mark. This will be the first time anyone has done this in Fresno States football program. Ryan Mathews chances will improve if Fresno State makes it into a bowl game.

Bulldogs Defense
Overall, the defense has steadied out over the season and has improved to only giving up an average of 353.9 yards and 22 points per game.

Some honorable mentions in the Bulldog Lineup include:

• Ben Jacobs (Middle Linebacker): 53 Tackles, 2 blocked kicks
• Moses Harris: 33 tackles
• Desia Dunn: 30 Tackles, 6 pass breakups
• Chris Carter (Defensive End): 6 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks

Utah State
Utah State is putting up decent numbers which aren’t to shabby. They are averaging 427 yards and 27 points a game. And Likewise their quarterback Diondre Borel has completed about 57.3% of his passes totaling 1,671 yards with 10 touchdowns. The amazing part is that Borel has only thrown 1 interception.

Some honorable mentions on Utah State include:

• Stanley Morrison (Receiver): 26 catches, 434 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Omar Sawyer (Receiver): 19 catches, 204 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Bobby Wagner (Linebacker): 70 tackles
• James Brindley (Safety): 59 tackles, 3 interceptions, 6 pass breakups

Ending Thoughts
The Bulldogs are seeking to keep their 3 game win streak alive and improving it to 4 games. After starting the season off a little shaky (1-3), they have shown they have the will to battle through the tough times. They’ve also lost to respectable teams.

Overall Fresno State has won the last 5 of the 6 times over Utah, including last seasons win 30-28.

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On October 27th FSU’s coach Pat Hill announced that he will be seeking NFL evaluations to see whether or not Ryan Mathews return for the 2010 season at Fresno. Pat Hill’s suggestion is that if Mathews is suggested to be picked in the first 30 or 40 spots then he should take the offer and head off to the NFL.

Ryan Mathews told the Fresno Bee,

We talked about it, and Hill is going to get evaluations on me and if I’m not going to go in the top couple rounds, he’s going to tell me to go because it’s good money…But if not, I’ll just play here another year and have fun.

Ryan Mathews has the most rushing yards than any other player in the nation – 1,131 with 9 touchdowns. Mathews proved that he wasn’t a joke when he rushed for 233 yards against Boise State, and 145 yards against Cincinnati.

Without these two games Ryan Mathews probably wouldn’t be getting the recognition he has been. As long as Mathews stays healthy he will no doubt be one of the best College tailbacks, and have a successful NFL career. In 2008 he suffered some nerve damage and was only able to play in 8 of the games.

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Ryan Mathews has a total of 1,131 total rushing yards for the season. Mathews 2 touchdowns consisted of a 1 yard run and a 68 yard run.

FSU’s Chastin West punt returned a 88 yard kick for a touchdown.

Highlights:

• Ryan Mathews third quarter 1 yard touchdown run
• Ryan Mathews fourth quarter 68 yard touchdown run
• Chastin West third quarter 88 yard punt return

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One thing to look out for is Ryan Mathews. Mathews is currently the leading rusher in the nation and will try to pick up 26 yards to hit the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his college career. On top of that, the Bulldogs look to improve their all time record against New Mexico State to 17-0.

Last week against San Jose State, Ryan Mathews carried the ball 20 times for a total of 233 yards to help his team win 41-21. Ryan Mathews has rushed a total of 131 times for a total of 974 yards with 7 touchdowns.

Mathews is averaging 162.6 yards a game. The second best is from Darius Marshall is averaging 136.5 yards per game.

New Mexico’s Offense is Horrible
Right now the biggest problem for New Mexico is that their offense ranks last in the FBS, only averaging about 250.1 yards a game. Their scoring is horrible too, with an average of 14.7 points per game ranking them 117th overall.

Other than that, their receivers have been shut down.

• Todd Lee: 18 Catches, 208 yards in 6 games
• Marcus Anderson: 16 catches, 145 yards
• Marcus Allen: 15 catches, 195 yards

New Mexico State’s game against Louisiana Tech wasn’t something to be too proud of. They allowed 540 yards, giving up an average of 363.7 yards a game.

To make things even worse is that New Mexico ranks 105th against the running game allowing 186.3 yards. Not to good when you’re facing the leading rusher in the nation – Ryan Mathews.

Ryan Mathews Not the Only Weapon the Bulldogs Have
Even though Ryan Mathews came 1 yard short of his record which he recorded against Boise State’s 21 ranked defense, he still ran 233 yards against San Jose State.

Ryan Mathews is gaining national attention, in addition to all this attention Mathews also picked up a vote on the ESPN expert’s Heisman poll. But don’t let Mathews overshadow the whole Bulldogs team.

Freshman running back Robbie Rouse has 4 touchdowns, averaging 8 yards a carry and has rushed for 329 yards.

Quarterback Ryan Colburn is completing almost 60% of all his passes, equating to 1,027 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Seyi Ajirotutu has 21 catches for a total of 292 yards and 2 touchdowns. While Devon Wylie has 15 catches for a total of 242 yards and 4 touchdowns.

[Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images]

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Ryan Mathews had 220 total yards with 20 carries and 1 touchdown which puts him at 6 straight games with 100 yards or more. He also scored a 59 yard touchdown. All this within 3 quarters.

Overall this would prove to be an easy game for the Bulldogs and hopefully the start of a winning streak.

Highlights:

• Ryan Mathews 220 rushing yards
• Ryan Mathews 59 yard touchdown
• Ryan Colburn 2 touchdown passes

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