Fresno State playing without defensive tackle Nate Madsen in the Mountain West Conference championship game is as much about presence as it is play on the field, and that has been vital in one of the biggest turnaround seasons in college football.
The Bulldogs’ fifth-year senior was injured late in the third quarter of a 28-17 victory over Boise State in the final game of the regular season when aiding and abetting a takedown of quarterback Montell Cozart for a 3-yard loss.
That was a big play – a second-and-2 at the Fresno State 6-yard line turning into a third-and-5 at the 9, and the Broncos then settling for a field goal.