Matt Weir / The Collegian

Fresno State Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1 WAC) at Hawaii Warriors (2-2, 0-1 WAC)

Breakdown: Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have played a brutal and unforgiving September schedule, earning them respect for their courage and effort, but ultimately gaining them three losses and last place in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

Fresno State now enters October in search of some solace and its first win against a Football Bowl Subdivision team. The ’Dogs can get both tomorrow.

If the Bulldogs are going to get their season back on track and avoid hitting the panic button, it all starts with tailback Ryan Mathews.

The junior has been the team’s workhorse in 2009, single-handedly keeping the team in games against Boise State and at Cincinnati. Mathews is second in the nation with 148 rushing yards per game and will hope to continue his production.

In Hawaii’s 27-6 loss in Ruston, Louisiana Tech rushed for 352 yards and exposed a porous Warrior defense. Coach Pat Hill said that the Bulldogs’ pro-styled rushing attack is very similar to Louisiana Tech’s. Surely, the ’Dogs will again rely on Mathews.

On the defensive side of the ball, the real wild card will be Hawaii’s quarterback Bryant Moniz, who hasn’t started a game since 2007 at Fresno City College. Hill said that he and his staff have been watching 2007 game film, but have found it difficult to get an accurate look.

“So many times in football, you don’t really know what you’re gonna get until you get there,” Hill said.

The ’Dogs do know one thing: this is their last chance to save the season.

Breakdown: Warriors

For the first time in 35 long days, the Warriors are back.

After opening the season at Aloha Stadium against Central Arkansas on Sept. 5, Hawaii went to the mainland to play three straight games.

The Warriors spent 19 days in hotels out on the road, traveling from Washington to Nevada and ending the trip in Louisiana. Now they are back on the island and playing with one of the best home-field advantages in college football.

In his previous six trips to Honolulu, Fresno State coach Pat Hill is only 1-5, with the lone win coming in 2005. Hill acknowledged that the Warriors do have a real home-field advantage, but also said “A lot of it has to do with them.”

As usual, the Warriors have been putting up outstanding numbers offensively. Slot receiver Greg Salas leads the nation with 150.3 receiving yards per game, but the Warriors won’t have quarterback Greg Alexander.

Alexander, a senior, suffered a career-ending knee injury last Wednesday in Hawaii’s 27-6 loss to Louisiana Tech. Taking Alexander’s spot will be sophomore transfer Bryant Moniz (Fresno City College).

Moniz is a dual-threat quarterback and has the ability to run the option. In 2007 at Fresno City, Moniz threw for 2,268 yards and 18 touchdowns. If Moniz can get up to speed with the spread offense, the Warriors have a good chance to give the Bulldogs’ defense fits and give the fans an exciting game after 35 days without football.