The Mustang football team will continue their search for thefirst win of the season this weekend when they host Fresno State inthis year’s homecoming game. The 0-8 Ponies will try tobounce back from a tough 35-16 loss in Tulsa last Saturday againstthe 4-4 Bulldogs.
“We’re planning to play a good Fresno Stateteam,” head coach Phil Bennett said. “Someone asked me,‘Are they down this year with a 4-4 record?’ AllI’m going to say is Oklahoma, Oregon State, Tennessee andColorado State. I mean that’s a tough schedule.”
Indeed, the Bulldogs’ record fails to illustrate the depthof this team, beginning with sophomore quarterback Paul Pinegar. Injust three games since returning from an injury, Pinegar hascompleted 59 of 93 passes for 558 yards and five touchdowns. He hassurrendered only three interceptions.
Sophomore running back Bryson Sumlin leads the Bulldogs’ground attack, accumulating 314 yards on 65 carries, with sixtouchdowns. Senior Rodney Davis and junior Dwayne Wright posethreats to SMU’s defensive line, as they have chipped in apair of touchdowns on a combined 715 yards. Fresno State can claimone of the best receiving corps in the nation. Senior BernardBerrian leads the team with 43 receptions leading to 324 yards withthree touchdowns. And senior Marque Davis, the older brother ofrunning back Rodney, has held his own, compiling 201 yards on 18catches.
“They’re a hard team to evaluate becausethey’ve played so many teams that are very talented,”Bennett said. “I know their quarterback missed some gamesearly, but he’s back now, and Berrian appears to be a big,good-looking receiver.”
But the Bulldogs know that a victory against the Mustangs willbe no easy task, especially as running back Keylon Kincadecontinues to put up outstanding numbers. The senior had a careergame last weekend against Tulsa, rushing for 185 yards on 36carries while scoring his fourth touchdown of the year.
“The one thing SMU can do with Kincade is they can run thefootball, and the one thing we haven’t done a great job of isstopping it,” Fresno State head coach Pat Hill said.”So the match-up is going to be tough for us.
“SMU… will be very physical. They play hard on defense.We’re going to have to buckle it up tight for thisone.”
Freshman quarterback Chris Phillips will make his home debut forthe Ponies a week after completing two of four passes for 18 yardsin his first collegiate game.
“We’ve got to bounce back from last week,”Phillips said, “and we can’t hold our heads down.We’re playing a good Fresno team, and we have to come out andplay 110 percent.”
Phillips, the third starting quarterback for the Mustangs thisseason, looks to create an even mix between throwing the ball andhanding it off to Kincade.
“We’re a balanced offense,” he said.”I’m looking to throw to whoever is open and whoevercan make plays. I’m not a picky quarterback. I’m outhere trying to make my teammates better.”
Bennett acknowledges that the decision to start Phillips is onlythe beginning of a youth movement that will eventually lead to abrighter future.
“I’m not going to declare [Phillips] our nextcoming,” he said, “but I think he has somepossibilities. Even though it doesn’t appear to be so, Iknow, based on pure talent level, that we will get this programgoing.”
Kickoff against the Bulldogs is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday inFord Stadium.
