Ryan Mathews, RB

It's a shame that East Coast football fans don't get to see much of Western Athletic Conference games on Saturdays. Perhaps due to the late starts or just an overload of games in their area, most haven't seen the player many in the scouting industry call the best-kept secret in the 2010 NFL Draft.

While speedy runners C.J. Spiller (Clemson) and Jahvid Best (California) are game-breaking runners, neither feature the power and tackle-breaking ability that Mathews brings with his "game." With 17 carries that gained at least 20 yards in 2009, the Fresno State tailback certainly has big-play ability. Combine that with his 39 positive runs inside the end zone on 41 chances, it is evident that he can also break tackles with the best of them.

Mathews is a classic downhill runner who used his explosive power and burst to put his name in the record books alongside fellow Western Athletic Conference standouts such as LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk. The Bulldogs tailback has that great ability to make one cut and burst through the hole for consistent positive gains. He has exceptional balance and undoubtedly one of the strongest stiff arms at the collegiate level, and when put together, it makes for one tough runner.

In 2009, Mathews rushed for 1,808 yards, despite missing a game and a half due to injuries, as he ranked fourth in the WAC season-record books behind only Tomlinson of Texas Christian (2,158 in 2000, 1,850 in 1999) and George Jones of San Diego State (1,842 in 1995). He exceeded performances by such conference greats as Ryan Moats of Louisiana Tech (fifth with 1,774 yards in 2004), Ian Johnson of Boise State (seventh with 1,714 yards in 2006), and Marshall Faulk of San Diego State (eighth with 1,630 yards in 1992).

Mathews is at his best running between the tackles, where he has the ability to make defenders miss in the hole and the balance to stay on his feet and gain extra yardage. He can cut back, run through arm tackles, and is extremely hard to bring down in space. Once he gets to the second level, he uses his powerful stiff arm to shove would-be tacklers to the ground, and has surprising speed to take the ball the distance. His ability is shown in his numbers, as he had eight rushes of 50 yards or more in 2009.

Mathews has burned some of the nation's best rushing defenses. He ran for 107 yards on 19 carries and averaged 5.6 yards per carry vs. the Wisconsin Badgers, who boasted the nation's fifth-best rushing defense at season's end allowing just 88.23 yards per game and 2.89 yards per carry.

And against the Boise State Broncos, the nation's 28th-ranked rushing defense, Mathews ran for 234 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries, averaging 12.3 yards per carry. At season's end, Boise State allowed 120.36 yards per game and 3.83 yards per carry. Without Mathews' performance, the Broncos would've ranked 23rd nationally, allowing just 111.62 yards per game and 3.44 yards per carry.

Mathews prepped at West High School, where as a senior, he led the nation in rushing while playing quarterback in a shotgun formation. He racked up Central Section records with 3,396 yards and 44 touchdowns on the ground to lead the state in scoring, while averaging 9.79 yards per carry.

Although he was mainly a rushing threat, he also hit on 37-of-78 passes for 851 yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He ran for over 300 yards in five contests, including a season-high 415 yards vs. South High and had 374 yards rushing twice, vs. Ridgeview and Centennial. He also averaged 41.2 yards on his eight kickoff returns.

The second-team All-American and a first-team All-State selection, Mathews led his team to the CIF championship in 2005. He was rated a two-star running back prospect by Scout.com and received three stars from Rivals.com, a recruiting service that placed him 69th overall among high school seniors. As a junior, he rushed for 1,104 yards and 18 touchdowns, as he also played linebacker for West High.

Mathews wasn't as highly recruited by the country's more prestigious programs for someone with such an outstanding resume, receiving offers from Fresno State, Arizona State, Colorado State, Nevada, and San Diego State. He chose to sign with Fresno State, saying he had "always been a Bulldog."

Mathews enrolled at Fresno State in 2007 and immediately garnered playing time. He spilt carries with Lonyae Miller and Clifton Smith, as the trio was expected to fill the shoes of Dwayne Wright who had departed early for the NFL draft at the conclusion of the previous season. Before he ever stepped on to the football field, he was assigned jersey #21, previously worn by FSU legend Dale Messer. When Messer met Mathews in preseason camp, he granted the rookie permission to wear the number, sensing great things were about to happen for the FSU program.

Sure enough, Mathews emerged as the best of the group, leading the team with 145 carries for 866 yards (6.0 ypc) and 14 touchdowns. His touchdown total tied for the lead in college football among all freshman running backs. The freshman would miss the 2007 Humanitarian Bowl due to a torn muscle near his collarbone. Before being sidelined, he boosted an already potent rushing attack that ranked 16th nationally in 2006 (180.0 yards per game), to 14th nationally in 2007 (210.92 yards per game).

As a sophomore, Mathews went down with knee and foot injuries, missing five full games and playing sparingly in three others in 2008. The offense suffered as Fresno State fell to 32nd nationally (182.31 yards per game) in rushing. He finished his second Bulldogs campaign with 606 yards and six touchdowns on 113 attempts (5.36 yards per carry).

His best performance came in the first week of the season vs. Rutgers, when he carried 26 times for 163 yards (6.3 yards per carry) and three touchdowns, and earned WAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

With a healthy Mathews back in 2009, the rushing offense rose all the way to eighth nationally (228.92 yards per game) as the junior tailback led all of college football in yards per game with an average of 150.67. He earned All-American second-team and All-Western Athletic Conference first-team honors, as he racked up a school-record 1,808 yards and 19 touchdowns on 276 carries (6.55 yards per carry).

Matthews suffered a concussion in the first half of the team's tenth game of the season vs. Nevada, and missed the following game vs. Louisiana Tech, but despite playing one and a half fewer games, his rushing yardage total was just 63 yards shy of the national lead held by Toby Gerhart of Stanford. Mathews' best performance of the season came vs. Boise State when he carried 19 times for 234 yards (12.3 yards per carry) and three touchdowns to earn WAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

After the season, Mathews announced that he was forgoing his senior season and applied for entry into the 2010 NFL Draft. "Coach Hill said, 'I think you need to go. You've done what you needed to do here,'" said Mathews. "I trust his decision, so I'm going to go with it. I think it's my time to go to the next level, see what I can do there. It's a good thing."

Mathews said he had been leaning toward staying at Fresno State -- attracted by the idea of remaining near friends, playing before a fan base that adores him and completing his degree. But, as he said he would during the season, Mathews followed Hill's advice.

Inside: Decisive and tough interior runner. Good size and strength to get through the line of scrimmage and the acceleration to break into the secondary. Good balance to take a hit and keep his feet. Runs with good pad level inside and can drag tacklers for extra yardage. Runs with good forward lean to get the tough yards. Good timing and leaping ability for short-yardage touchdowns.

Outside: Good, not great speed to attack the defense at the flanks. Can turn the corner and is quickly moving downhill. Good lateral agility to elude in open space. Good power to run through smaller defenders' arm tackles. Better football speed than track speed. Can pull away in the open field.

Breaking tackles: One of his better attributes. Stronger runner than his weight would indicate. Runs with good pad level in traffic and with good forward lean. Good lower leg drive to push the pile. Best attribute in this area is his determination, as he keeps his legs churning and has an effective spin and stiff-arm to fight through arm tackles for additional yardage. Determined runner.

Blocking: Good effort, technique and strength as a pass blocker. Squares to the defender and supplies a good initial pop. Can absorb the bull rush due to his leverage and strength. Good effort, but only marginal effectiveness as a cut blocker. Good initial pop as a downfield blocker. Has to show more consistency in maintaining his block, as he too often moves on after supplying the initial hit, but doesn't truly lock up the defender. Has improved throughout his career. Looks to hit someone downfield when others' have the ball.

Receiving: Natural hands-catcher. Good body control to twist, make the reception and quickly head upfield. Appears to have the hand-eye coordination to track the ball over his shoulder for wheel routes. Rarely asked to run more complicated routes than simple swings and screens. Good agility, straight-line speed and suddenness to excel in this area.

Intangibles: High effort player who has proven the work ethic to recover from injuries. Was in danger of not making the academic qualifications to play as a freshman, but earned a high enough score on his ACT and has maintained his grades since. No known off-field concerns. Humble. Asked for permission from former Fresno All-American Dale Messer to wear his retired No. 21. Was granted permission from the 70-year old Messer after a face-to-face meeting. Has struggled with durability throughout his career.

Mathews started 17-of-31 career games at Fresno State, rushing for 3,280 yard with 39 touchdowns on 534 carries (6.14 yards per carry) … Also caught 19 passes for 268 yards (14.11 yards per carry) and two touchdowns, as he gained 3,548 all-purpose yards with an average of 114.45 yards per game, scoring 246 points … His 534 rushing attempts rank second in school history behind Michael Pittman (647, 1993-97) … His 3,280 rushing yards rank second in school annals, topped only by Ron Rivers (3,473, 1991-93), and ranks 17th in Western Athletic Conference history … Mathews' 39 rushing touchdowns set a new school record, surpassing Anthony Daigle (35, 1991-93) and also tied Michael Carter of Hawaii (1991-93) and Brock Forsey of Boise State (2001-02) for eighth-most in WAC history … His 41 total touchdowns tied for ninth on the league's all-time record chart, matching Dee Dowis of Air Force (1986-89) and Davone Bess of Hawaii (2005-07) … His 246 points rank fifth in school annals … His 1,808 rushing yards in 2009 set a new school record, breaking the previous mark of 1,586 yards by Rodney Davis in 2002, and rank fourth in WAC history, topped only by LaDainian Tomlinson of Texas Christian (2,158 in 2000, 1,850 in 1999) and George Jones of San Diego State (1,842 in 1995) … His 19 touchdown runs in 2009 set a new school record … Had 11 100-yard rushing performances in 2009, including nine-straight, setting a new school records … His 234 rushing yards vs. Boise State in 2009 rank as the third-most in school history for a single-game, topped only by Dwayne Wright's 295 (vs. Louisiana Tech in 2006) and Larry Willoughby's 252 (vs. Nevada in 1952) … His 233 rushing yards vs. San Jose State in 2009 ranks as the fourth-most in school history for a single game … His 77-yard run vs. Idaho in 2009 ties Jack Kelly (vs. Fort Ord in 1942) and Duke Snider (vs. UC Santa Barbara in 1954) as the fourteenth-longest rush in school history.

Second Team All-American selection by The NFL Draft Report, Associated Press and Sports Illustrated … First-team All-Western Athletic Conference choice by the league's head coaches … Started 11-of-12 games, missing the Louisiana Tech clash after suffering a mild concussion vs. Nevada in the team's 10th game of the season … Led the team with 276 carries for 1,808 yards (6.55 yards per carry) and 19 touchdowns … Became just the seventh player in conference history to lead the nation in rushing and the first to do so since Nevada's Chance Kretschmer in 2001 (157.5 yards per game), as he averaged 150.67 yards per game … His 276 runs rank second in school annals behind Rodney Davis (313, 2002) … His 1,808 rushing yards set a new single-season school record, as did his nineteen touchdown runs … Led the Division I ranks with an average of 150.67 yards per game … Produced eleven 100-yard rushing performances, including nine-straight, setting new school records … Also caught 11 passes for 122 yards (11.1-yard average) … Registered 81 first-down runs on 276 attempts (29.35%), as he converted 16-of-34 third-down rushing attempts (47.06%), and 8-of-9 fourth-down rushing carries (88.89%) … Had 38 rushing attempts for at least 10 yards, including 17 for 20 yards or longer … Had 39 positive runs inside the red zone, including 24 on goal-line plays … Tackled for a loss 25 times and stopped for no gain on 18 other carries … Had key rushes that led to 25 touchdown drives … Caught 11-of-17 passes targeted to him … Five of his 11 receptions (45.45%) produced first downs, converting 4-of-10 third-down passes … Had five receptions gain at least ten yards … Earned WAC Offensive Player of the Week honors vs. Boise State, San Jose State, and Utah State … Had eight 50-yard-plus plays this season, most of any NCAA player … Scored on a 77-yard run on the first play of the game vs. Idaho, the longest run of his career … Was the only player in the country to register 100-yard rushing performances vs. three Top 25-ranked teams during 2009 -- vs. fifth-ranked Cincinnati, sixth-ranked Boise State and 14th-ranked Wisconsin.

Mathews played in eight games, starting five contests, as knee and foot problems sidelined him for the Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico State, Boise State and San Jose State clashes … Was ranked among the nation's leaders in rushing yardage per game before suffering a knee sprain in the fourth contest vs. UCLA … Finished the season with 593 yards and six touchdowns on 109 carries (5.44 yards per carry), adding 146 yards and two scores on eight receptions (18.25 yards per carry) … At the time of his injury, Mathews had amassed 470 yards with four scores on 82 rushes (117.5 yards per game), but in four games after initially getting hurt, he managed just 123 yards with two touchdowns on 31 chances (30.75 yards per game).

Mathews played in 11 games, missing the Hawaii and Georgia Tech (Humanitarian Bowl) with a muscle tear near his collarbone … Despite starting just one game, he led the team with 145 carries for 866 yards … His 14 touchdowns and 5.97-yard average toting the ball led the nation's freshmen.

2007: Missed the Humanitarian Bowl (12/31/07) with a torn muscle near his collarbone.

2008: Missed five games (Hawai'i, Nevada, New Mexico State, San Jose State, Boise State) and played sparingly in three others (Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Colorado State) with nagging knee and foot injuries.

2009: Suffered a mild concussion in the first half vs. Nevada and did not return to the game … Missed the following week's game vs. Louisiana Tech (11/21/09) before returning vs. Illinois (12/5/09)

Campus: 4.48 in the 40-yard dash … 1.51 10-yard dash … 2.58 20-yard dash … 4.33 20-yard shuttle … 7.35 three-cone drill … 36-inch vertical jump … 10'1" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 19 times … 31-inch arm length … 9 1/4-inch hands.

Attended West High School (Bakersfield, Cal.), playing quarterback for head coach Rich Cornford … Led the nation in rushing as a senior, carrying 347 times for 3,396 yards (9.79 yards per carry) and 44 touchdowns … His rushing total was a Central Section record … Also completed 37-of-78 pass attempts (47.44 percent) for 851 yards, eleven touchdowns, and six interceptions … Led the state in scoring … Ran for over 300 yards in five contests, including a season-high 415 yards vs. South High and had 374 yards rushing twice vs. Ridgeview and Centennial … Averaged 41.2 yards on his eight kickoff returns … Second-team All-American selection and a first-team All-State choice … Led his team to a CIF Championship in 2005 … Rated a two-star running back prospect by Scout.com and received a three-star rating from Rivals.com, who ranked him as the 69th-best athlete prospect in the nation, and the 98th-best overall prospect in the state of California … As a junior, he rushed for 1,104 yards and 18 touchdowns, as he also played linebacker … Graduated with a 2.5 grade point average.

General Studies major … Son of Tricia Mathews … Born 5/01/87 in Bakersfield, California.