Almost every time Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick has a good game, it's a blow to Fresno State's recruiting efforts.

How did a player who was just 90 miles from Fresno, not become a Bulldog and instead join Western Athletic Conference rival, Nevada?

I received an e-mail message today to fill out my ballot for the Doak Walker award, which goes to the top running back in the nation.

Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews made the list of 10.

Mathews originally was not on the Doak Walker Watch List during the preseason and for about four weeks into the season.

But at some point last month, his name was added and he now has made the final top 10.

Here's a video found on youtube.com of Mathew's best game this season, against Boise State.

So Fresno State faces a mobile quarterback this week in Nevada's Colin Kaepernick and that's immediately bad news.

The Bulldogs almost always struggle against quarterbacks who can run. Just think back late last month against Utah State's Diondre Borel. Or go back to Oregon's Dennis Dixon, Washington's Isaiah Stanback or Colorado State's Bradlee Van Pelt.

But should the Bulldogs lose, could a loss spiral into a length losing streak?

This clip was taken from the Associated Press ...

Associated Press

MOSCOW, Idaho -- The Boise State vs. Idaho rivalry has taken to some not-so-friendly skies.

Idaho athletic director Rob Spear says he declined to board a Horizon Air flight after learning the airplane was painted in Boise State's blue and orange colors.

Two years ago, Fresno State once had this dynamic, game-changing, All-American kick returner.

But ever since A.J. Jefferson got suspended a couple of nights before Fresno State played Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl to conclude the 2007 season, he hardly has been the same explosive returner.

Fresno State isn't relying on too many true freshmen this year. Running back Robbie Rouse, linebacker Travis Brown and quarterback Derek Carr immediately come to mind as newbie contributors in reserve roles.

But just think about the position Fresno State would be in and the talent pool it'd have if the Bulldogs had the luxury of redshirting all of their players during their first year.

While Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews continues to get all the praise and the quarterback play receives any remaining attention, a few Fresno State players have enjoyed surprising success at a low-key level.

The Fresno State football team got back on the winning track and in quite a fashion, dominating Hawaii for a 42-17 on the road Saturday that ended the Bulldogs' three-game slide.

It was a big win for Fresno State (2-3 overall, 1-1 Western Athletic Conference), which was powered by an impressive running game and took advantage of Hawaii's mistakes to force four turnovers to lead by as much as 38 points with 3:58 left in the third quarter. But it also might have been a concerning one for one Fresno State player in particular.

Coach Pat Hill inserted the majority of his reserves midway through the third quarter and all of the fourth. Even backup quarterback Derek Carr received playing time.

But left on the sideline the entire time was special packages quarterback Ebahn Feathers.

After Fresno State lost yet again to Boise State on Friday, this time a 51-34 defeat at Bulldog Stadium, Bulldogs coach Pat Hill conducted his post-game news conference in a melancholic tone.

Hill and his Bulldogs have now lost eight of the past nine, including four straight to Broncos coach Chris Petersen, in this one-sided Western Athletic Conference series.

Hill said he believes the Bulldogs have narrowed the gap with the Broncos, which is true considering when the teams last met in 2008, Boise State won 61-10.

But Fresno State still has plenty of work to do to reach Boise State's level. And it's unclear if or when Fresno State will get the best of Boise.

What's not working
Unlike last week against Wisconsin, Fresno State's short passes aren't working this time.
Boise State has picked off two passes and limited the Bulldogs to 10 yards on 4-of-9 passing.

Boise State's defense is sitting in a zone and simply reading the short routes that Fresno State is running, according to KMJ color commentator and former Bulldogs quarterback Jordan Christensen.

Fresno State would be wise to try to start stretching the field and throwing a few long balls to get the Broncos defense at least concerned about the deep ball.

What's working
Fresno State's running game has amassed 196 yards at the half, with 146 gained by Ryan Mathews alone. Mathews had scored on runs of 69 and 60 yards to average 16.2 yards on nine carries.

The Bulldogs' pressure toward the end of the second half also has been effective, stopping the Broncos on their final three possessions, including a turnover on downs just before halftime when Boise State went for it on fourth-and-long.

Fresno State's defense also has stepped up when it has mattered most, limiting Boise State to 2 of 7 third-down conversions.
Boise State has 166 total yards at the half, 100 on the ground on 14 carries.