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| BYU defenders sack the Fresno State quarterback in the two schools' last meeting in 2015 (Spenser Heaps, Daily Herald) |
As the BYU Cougars prepare to face the Fresno State Bulldogs this Saturday, their attention is on stopping the Bulldogs' signal caller Marcus McMaryion.
"The quarterback has great skills and is a great young man," BYU Head Coach Kalani Sitake said Monday.
Linebacker Adam Pulsipher added, "The quarterback is a good player, so we'll have to prepare well and come to play."
Fresno State has a pretty balanced offensive attack this season. The Bullldogs average 168.1 yards rushing per game and 237.4 yards passing, but McMaryion is the one that makes the offense go.
He is a redshirt junior who transferred from Oregon State. He didn't arrive until the summer, so he needed time to learn the offense. Subsequently, he wasn't named the Bulldogs starting quarterback until game four. In the five games he has started, the Bulldogs are 4-1. While he is mobile, he doesn't tuck and run that much (33 rush, 174 yards).
In three of his five starts, McMaryion has had a pass efficiency over 150. Fresno State has won those games by an average of 27.3 points. The two other games, his pass efficiency has been less than 110. Those games had much different results.
Fresno State still won the first game because it was San Jose State, but the score was just 27-10. The 17-point margin was much lower than the 30-point season average for the Spartans. The second game, Fresno State lost, 26-16, to UNLV.
The Bulldogs had 212 yards rushing against San Jose State, and 140 yards against UNLV. That is further evidence the real difference in those games was quarterback play.
BYU pass defense has struggled much of this season. Hopefully, Fred Warner will be back near 100 percent, and Sione Takitaki can have another disruptive game. Another interception or two by Dayan Ghanwoloku will help as well. It will take leadership from these three and another game of inspired play by the supporting cast for the Cougars to successfully stop the Fresno State quarterback.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
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