Orlondo Steinauer is used to back-to-back games against the same opponent from his time in the CFL and he’s putting that experience to use for Fresno State.
The Bulldogs play Boise State in the Mountain West Conference championship on Saturday (7:45 p.m. ET on ESPN), which comes a week after Fresno State beat the Broncos 28-17.
“It’s a pretty common practice (in the CFL). Each Labor Day you’re playing your rivals back-to-back, sometimes between five and seven days apart. So a little bit of experience with that,” Steinauer told The Fresno Bee.
“Everybody knows there’s going to be adjustments, to both things that worked and things that didn’t work…I think that’s what the experience can bring you.”
Steinauer has made the Bulldogs defence into one of the stingiest in the NCAA, ranking 12th in points allowed per game (17.3) and 16th in yards given up per game (315.3).
The former Ticats defensive coordinator was one of 56 nominees for the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation 2017 Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coaches.
Along with former B.C. Lions head coach Jeff Tedford, who holds the same position at Fresno State and earned Mountain West coach of the year accolades, the Bulldogs are bowl eligible for the first time since 2014. Fresno State went 1-11 in 2016 and sit 9-3 this season – the NCAA’s best win improvement at plus-eight.
A remarkable turnaround led by a veteran CFL player and coach in Steinauer.
