DeRuyter pushing Fresno State forward after 0-3 start

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The way Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter sees it, his Bulldogs should have been more competitive the last three weeks, instead of being blown out by three Power 5 conference teams.

"I understand the frustration," said Coach DeRuyter. "Nobody's more frustrated than me as the head coach and all of the other coaches and our players. We know we haven't played what we're capable of."

Coach DeRuyter said the lackluster play of his defense was particularly frustrating, explaining that miscommunication caused the breakdowns that allowed Nebraska to pick up big plays on multiple occasions.

"We had practiced changing calls when we saw certain things on an offense," explained DeRuyter. "And we've got 10 guys changing calls and one guy just hyped up and didn't change the call."

"We expected to win," said Senior Wide Receiver Greg Watson. "It didn't fall our way but we aren't down in spirit. We all know we have our goals set out in front of us, so we can focus on Southern Utah so we can go 1-0 this week."

So now it's back to work at practice for DeRuyter and his coaching staff, again trying to instill a winning attitude in 0-3 Bulldogs. Again trying to focus on salvaging the season's main goal.

"What matters is how we come together as a team and lock arms and fight everybody that comes into Bulldog Stadium or that we have to go out on the road and beat," said DeRuyter.

"I know that when it comes to the season start with the Mountain West it doesn't matter what your record is," said Watson. "If you go undefeated in the conference, you win the conference."

Up next for the Bulldogs is Southern Utah, an FCS school also looking for its first win of the year. But Coach DeRuyter has already warned his team to throw the Thunderbirds' record out the window, as both teams will be hungry for their first win.

"They'd love nothing better than to turn their season around by beating us," said DeRuyter. "And we need to get kick started by beating them. So it's going to be a good matchup."

Kickoff at Bulldog Stadium is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. Pacific.