Nov. 3, 2009
Fresno State (5-3, 4-1 WAC) vs Idaho (7-2, 4-1 WAC)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. PT
Site: Kibbie Dome (16,000); Moscow, Idaho
Radio: KMJ (AM 580); Bulldog Live (5 p.m.) Countdown to Kickoff (6:30 p.m.)
Play-by-Play: Paul Loeffler; Analyst: Ralph Wood; Sideline: Steve Gonzalez
ESPN Deportes (1600 AM) in Spanish
Play-by-Play: Erwin Higueros; Analysts: Raul Rios and Jesse Beltran
Television: ESPNU (Comcast 420; Direct TV - 614; DISH Network - 141)
Play-by-Play: Justin Kutcher; Analyst: J.C. Pearson
Fresno State vs. Idaho Release in PDF Format 
Dogs Heading Back to the Road, Idaho Bound
Fresno State returns to the road to begin a two-game WAC road trip at Idaho. The game has been moved to 7:30 p.m. PT to accommodate a national television broadcast on ESPNU. The Dogs are 2-2 on the road this season and have won the last two, at Hawaii and at New Mexico State. Idaho has not lost at home this season (4-0). After a 1-3 start to the season, the Bulldogs have won four straight games and are within one victory of becoming bowl eligible, which would be the 10th time in the last 11 seasons, most in school history.
About Idaho
Third-year head coach Robb Akey has the Vandals playing well and have been the WAC's most improved team and biggest surprise. At 7-2, Idaho is off to its best start since 1994 and they are getting votes in the Top 25 polls. Nathan Enderle is the WAC's top passing quarterback at more than 267 yards per game and he leads a Vandal attack that ranks 17th nationally. He is 10th in the nation in passing efficiency and has thrown 15 touchdowns. Running back DeMaundre Woolridge leads the WAC with 14 touchdowns and he averages 5.3 yards per carry.
Against the Vandals
The Bulldogs have won six straight games and lead the series 7-4, which began in 1946. Fresno State has won three of five games played in Moscow and have not lost there since 1963. The Vandals won four in a row in the series from 1956-67. As members of the WAC, Fresno State has won all four meetings by an average margin score of 39-16.5.
Mathews Dominates NCAA in Rushing, Record Books Assault On
Eight games into the 2009 season, Bulldog running back Ryan Mathews continues to prove he's the nation's most exciting and explosive running back. For the fifth straight week he leads the nation in rushing, and not just barely. Mathews, at 164.5 yards per game, has a commanding lead (nearly 28 more yards per game) over No. 2 Darius Marshall of Marshall (136.0). He has two of the NCAA's top 10 rushing performances this season. He's powering a Fresno State ground game that ranks fifth in the NCAA in rushing yards. He moved into third place on the Bulldog career rushing yardage list (see page three for updated list). The most impressive part is that he's done it against good competition. His career-high 234 rushing yards against No. 5 Boise State was amazing considering he alone has accounted for 30% of the entire rushing yards the Broncos have allowed this season (783) through eight games. He extended his school-record streak of consecutive 100-yard games to eight. He's put up these numbers despite not many fourth quarter carries. In the last four games combined, he's only had 15 carries in the final quarter, and didn't play in the fourth in either the Hawaii or New Mexico State games. He had two carries in the fourth against San Jose State.
Dogs Resume Brutal Road Trip Season
Not many teams in the nation will undertake the travels of the Fresno State football team. Through the first five games, the Dogs completed a journey that saw them play in four different time zones and log close to 15,000 miles. The journey began on Sept. 12 at Wisconsin, followed by a Friday night clash with preseason WAC favorite Boise State in Fresno on Sept. 18. The Dogs them hit the Eastern Time Zone for a game at No. 10 Cincinnati before an even longer road trip to Hawaii. Fresno State has road trips remaining to Moscow, Idaho, Reno and Champaign, Ill. During the 2009 season, Fresno State will play in five of the six United State's time zones and travel over 23,000 miles.
"We are Your Team" The Dogs head to Idaho Saturday night for a nationally televised game from the Kibbie Dome. The game will be at 7:30 p.m. and on ESPNU. Fresno State returns home Nov. 21 against Louisiana Tech. The University will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 1989 Cal Bowl Championship team, one of the greatest in school history. For ticket information, click on the tickets icon at the top of this page or call the Bulldog Ticket Office (559) 278-DOGS.
