This Time Around Defense Alone Will Not Be Enough

by NSC

Saturday night Fresno State's defense put forth an effort we as fans had not seen in a long time at this university. Limiting Sacramento State to 103 yards on offense is an amazing accomplishment for this young Bulldogs defense. However, what we as fans have to realize is that was a terrible Sacramento State team. The offense of the Hornets had been overhauled completely and the Bulldogs experienced this first hand as they were challenged few times Saturday night. Texas A&M will be a much tougher opponent who should be favored to win this game by at least two touchdowns. Fresno State will have to do far more than they did this past Saturday to leave College station with a victory. Tom Brandstater has never played in an environment like College Station will offer him. Many of the Bulldogs have never walked into a football environment such as the one they will play in next Saturday. Kyle Field dons the nickname "The Twelfth Man" for a reason. Starting tomorrow I will begin my breakdown of each team and who has the advantages on offense, defense, etc. Today I want to concentrate on what Fresno State will have to do in order to walk out of College Station with a victory.

1) Find a playmaker on offense - Fresno State put up 24 points against Sac State. I realize they should have scored somewhere between 34-38 points but the same thing could happen against A&M. Fresno State needs to utilize the tools they have on offense. Bear Pascoe needs to be a big part of this offense once again as he has the best hands on this team. Brandstater will not be able to lock on to a receiver and find success and if he continues to get nervous on third downs this team is going to experience a world of trouble. I know Tom can make the throws but I am not sure if he knows he can. He seems to lose confidence when he is on the field and when we play A&M that cannot happen. We will run the ball often because that is the staple of a Bulldog offense but against a Big 12 powerhouse we will have to be able to throw in order to have success on offense. Seji Ajirotutu (now wearing number 6), Marlin Moore, and Crawley will all have to be involved Saturday in order for the Dogs to be successful on offense.

2) Limit A&M's running game - Lane and Goodson are going to run and they are going to run hard at that. Lane is a beast with the ball and may run right through the Bulldogs defensive line. As long as the Dogs can keep the RB's in the middle of the field they will be fine. Fresno State has never been a team that can be beat with the run. They usually falter to the pass so the fact that A&M relies on the run will be a positive for Fresno State. However, running QB's tend to give the Bulldogs problems and that is exactly what McGee is for Texas A&M. He may not have the most accurate arm but if he can get out of the pocket and create havoc the Dogs will have problems figuring out whether to commit to the running QB or to stay with the receivers. Somehow the Dogs will have to find a way to keep McGee in the pocket. If they can do that the Dogs will be able to limit what A&M does on offense.

3) Create points on special teams - Fresno State will have to find a way to create great field position through punt and kick returns. Clifton Smith and Devon Wylie are going to have to show that they can make things happen in big time games such as this one. Many probably remember Fresno State's Adam Jennings creating various opportunities for the Dogs when they took on USC. In order for the Dogs to score often the returners are going to have to do the same exact thing against A&M. The better the field position the easier it will be for Brandstater to relax and understand that he will not have to go 80 yards each time the he steps on the field.

4) Last but not least, create turnovers - Fresno State cannot turn the ball over three times this weekend. Truthfully Fresno State may not be able to turn the ball over one time. It is also possible that the Bulldogs do not turn the ball over one time, create two or three turnovers and still lose the game. Playing at College Station will not be easy and Fresno State will have to be ready for what is in store for them. They need to realize the best way of beating A&M is to do exactly what Appalachian State did against Michigan last weekend: jump out to an early lead to take the crowd out of the game. If the Dogs defense can create extra opportunities for the offense and the Dogs offense can hold on to the ball this may be a much better game than I am truly expecting it to be. In the end I feel like A&M will be too strong on the road in this one. The fact that the Aggies played so poorly last week will only fuel them to come out to a much stronger start in this one. Fresno State is far better than Montana State and the Aggies know they will have to play much better than they did this past week. Unfortunately I think they will.

Texas A&M - 38
Fresno State - 17

a Win Really Just a Win?

by NSC (this was supposed to be published Friday afternoon)

I want everyone who reads this blog to sit back and think about something for a minute. Fresno State embarks upon its 2007 football season tomorrow night at seven p.m (On a side note for those of you who will not be there tomorrow shame on you, it's the season opener and you need to get out there and see what this team is all about). Although we open the season against Sacramento State this game is being viewed by fans in various different aspects. Some fans are not excited about the prospects of playing a Div. 1AA school to start the season. Some fans think it is great to play a Div. 1AA school because this team needs to build some confidence going into the following two weeks at A&M and Oregon. Some fans do not care who we play and are just happy there is a college football game for the first time in nine months in the city of Fresno (I am a part of this group). While we all have our differing opinions of what this game means to the Bulldogs the question I want to ask is: If we win does it really matter how we win the game?

Tomorrow night there is a possibility that Fresno State will run the ball continuously and still win the game by at least four td's. Sacramento State is starting over in a sense as they welcome in an entirely new offense to the team. The Hornets will not have much of a chance against the Bulldogs but do you as fans expect Fresno State to throw for 300 yards? Do you expect the Dogs to run for 200 yards on the ground? Do you expect Devon Wylie or Clifton Smith to return a kick for a td? Do you expect the defense to be stellar and shut down the Hornets? What happens if the Dogs play is less than stellar? What happens if in the fourth quarter the Bulldogs find themselves winning by a mere td and our QB falters once again? Will you as fans begin to turn on the Bulldogs? What happens if the final score is 24-17 and the Dogs leave with a hard fought win? Yes the Dogs will have won the game but isn't this win so much more than just a win? When all is said and done wouldn't a win such as this type leave the fans with much to ponder in the coming week?

We as fans want the Dogs to punish the Hornets much like Boise State manhandled Weber State last night. But does the style of win truly matter? I used to worry about stats. I used to feel like it was important if our QB threw for 4,000 yards and 35 td's in a season. Today I do not care. Today all that matters is that the Bulldogs finish with a higher score than the opponent. If Fresno State scored 24 points a game and went 12-0 all that would matter is that 12-0 finish. In the end a win is never just a win. A win is always so much more than just that. A win gives us implications that maybe this team will win again next week. Sometimes a win tells us that there is no way we are going to win the following game because of the style we won the game in. Sometimes teams win and have no business doing so. In 2007 I feel like Fresno State will break even. I think this is a .500 team talent and experience wise. However, if this team wins seven to ten games I wil not care how it is done. If Brandstater throws for 150 yards and does not make the big game mistakes that he made in 2006 I will think of him as a much better QB. If Our CB's turn around while running down the field I will think of them as far superior to what we had last year. If our d-line finds a way to get pressure on the QB often I will feel like the d-line outplayed the d-line from 2006.

In the end a win is never just a win. If the Dogs win in an ugly game so many will find a way to crucify this team for the way they played. However, just remember that it does not matter if the Bulldogs win games 55-10 or 42-39, both still go down in the win column and that is the one result that matters. I do not have as positive an outlook on the season as MDG does. I do not feel this team will make a bowl game, but as I said before if they do I do not care how it happens. I do not care what they will have done to accomplsih a bowl game, I only care that they got there. I hope that most of you Bulldog fans feel the same exact way when all is said and done.

Note - Zagfan is the one who threw this idea for a blog at me. He asked me to write about the way we perceive the wins that the Bulldogs experience. He said that Mario gave him an assist on this. Thanks for the idea guys and by the way now that we play a real team in two weeks I wll start the blog up for good for quite a while starting Tuesday.

What to Expect Come September 1st

It has been nearly nine months since we last witnessed a Fresno State football game at Bulldog Stadium. We have had long enough to spout off about what happened in 2006. We have had plenty of time to vent our frustrations about losing to the likes of San Jose State (yes I still believe they are an average football team at best) and Utah State. We have had three quarters of a year to put down Tom Brandstater, Pat Hill, and anyone else associated with the Bulldogs football program that has not pulled his weight. However, we have also had the past nine months to see the changes that have been made to the football program. No longer is this a Pat Hill led team that is overconfident. No longer do we have a Bulldog team that headlines the WAC. Instead in 2007 there are two top 25 teams and for the first time in as long as I can remember neither one is Fresno State. In other words we finally have the chance to start over on September 1st. I for one cannot wait for the first game this season. In year's past I have always thoroughly enjoyed the first full day of college football. However this season is going to be something different. Fresno State does not allow you to begin tailgating until four hours before the football game begins but I am here to tell you that Saturday September 1st my football day is going to start well before three pm. If everything goes to plan this is exactly how September 1st is going to go for a fan such as me.

9am - On college football Saturday I usually roll out of bed ready for any game that is being shown on television. I do not care if I am watching Southwestern Alabama A&M vs. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the point is college football is finally back. I will wake up and turn the TV on within ten seconds of my eyes opening. My g/f will let out a loud sigh because she realizes what that symbolizes for the next four months of my life. She will stare at me and say "So it begins". From there I will get up and go out to the living room to begin watching college football on the large flat screen HD TV that I paid far too much money for. But the greatest thing about September 1st is that the Bulldogs play their first game that night. I will get the Fresno Bee that day (the only day of the year I get it) and read the previews so I can get a feel for what others think about how the day will go against Sac State.

11am - By the time I am done reading my g/f will come out and ask me why I have not showered. If you are a college football fan you know the answer is because there is some irrelevant game that has my attention and I cannot shower until halftime or the game is over. From that point I will then get up and grab my DVDs of all past Bulldog games I have and begin watching them. I have to be able to see some great Bulldog moments so I can get ready for what I am about to see only eight hours later. The MPC Bowl will get me excited because I know the Bulldogs will be back to that level of play in the next few years.

1pm - By this time due to constant nagging I will have finally showered and my friends will have headed over to watch whatever game is on. We will all reminisce about the great moments in Bulldog past and begin to talk about the 2007 season. We will ask "Can Tommy do it this year for us? Will Devon Wylie be the impact player we hope him to be? Will our defense be the rock it once was for this team? Will Ryan Mathews get as much playing time as his skills warrant? Last but not least will Pat Hill regain control of this team the way he has in years past?" The 2007 season will begin in four hours so we will all finally head out to the Bark Board tailgate to meet up with Mario (MDG), Matt (Zagfan559) and everyone else who will be down there to celebrate the greatest day of the year.

3pm - The Bulldog tailgate will begin and each and everyone of us will now become giddy because there is nothing that makes us feel better in life than watching the Bulldogs play football. We will all begin to enter the white, blue, and red lots and notice how much red we see across the stadium. The Bulldog fans will have returned with hope and loyalty in their hearts as they want players like Brandstater to succeed. 2006 left us with a bad taste but it did not make all of asinine cynical fans. We still love the Bulldogs and we still hope that these players will perform as well as we know they can. That is what makes us great fans, we hold out hope for these guys regardless of what happens.

5pm - After drinking way too much when I first arrive I will finally decide its probably a good idea to stop acting like an idiot and to eat something so I don't miss half the game in the bathroom due to being sick. The game is now less than two hours away and I will think about how great of a Saturday this has been with all of my football friends. Football games should be events that all of us Bulldog fans will remember because we get to spend time with those that share the same hopes: That one day the Bulldogs will finish 12-0.

7pm - Finally the game will begin and the Bulldogs will have a chance to begin the season 1-0. We may be playing Sac State but a win is a win. We will sit in the stands and watch this team come together for the first time in over a season and a half. We will watch Devon Wylie and Clifton Smith scare the hell out of the Hornets kick return game. We will watch Tom Brandstater finally show some faith in himself and make the passes we all know he can. We will watch our defense rise to the occasion, and we will watch the Bulldogs walk away with a win. As I said it may be a win over Sac State but it will be a win that offers the Dogs promise. We will believe that there is that chance this team can pull together and upset A&M and Oregon the following two weeks. However, when all is said and done football Saturdays will have begun and regardless of what happens with the Dogs we will have eleven more games and three more months to watch our beloved Bulldogs play football. That is why September 1st is a great day and I hope all of you enjoy it just as much as I will.

Scrimmage Notes: The QB's

After watching our three QB's this past Saturday at the Bulldogs first scrimmage I obviously have my opinion of who shined with their performance and who didn't. I will be the first to say that Brandstater looked far and away better than he did at this point last season, but remember he is in his second season as our starter and third year overall. Brandstater should be outperforming the other QB's on this team with ease. He should step on the field and take command of the team as soon as his presence is known. Overall the offense looked far better than the defense this past weekend. If I were to sum up the performance of the three QB's it would go as follows:

Tom Brandstater - Tom looked comfortable in every set aside third and long. When he was forced into third and long he seemed lost on the field. I still don't feel like Brandstater goes through his progressions well, and have to say that we will not be seeing the deep ball often with him at QB. Unless the play called is a fly pattern to a speedy receiver Brandstater is not going to throw the ball deep. He often gets confused on third downs and seems to lose his place on the field. If there is a down where he tends to throw off of his back foot because he seems a bit rushed it is the third and long situations. However, I am not going to sit here and put this man down because he did finish 12 for 16 and threw for far more yards than he ever has before. Overall after our first scrimmage I was impressed with what Brandstater showed. Look, this guy is never going to be David Carr or Billy Volek. Instead he can be another Paul Pinegar but he will have to limit his mistakes and learn to progress through his receivers a bit better. Brandstater still looks as if he locks on to the receivers from time to time and in the end that is going to lead to far more mistakes than this Bulldog defense will be able to make up for. Overall I would give Brandstater a solid "B" grade for his performance as he showed us that he may be able to take this offense much further than he has in the past.

Ryan Colburn - Of the three QB's Colburn left us with the worst impression of the night. Colburn ran his reps with the second team. At times he looked very poised as if he could take over for this team if we needed him to, but other times left us thinking we may be in trouble if Tom does not get the job done as the starter. Colburn has a good arm, I cannot discount that. He also has the size to play QB for this team but more and more I feel like his high school competition is what has hindered his progression. I don't believe that coming from a Division five California school truly prepared him for what he would experience in college at a Division one school. Although Fresno State plays in the WAC I feel that Colburn is going to continue to struggle if he is put into game situations. I will give him more time to develop because hell we have given Tommy three years of second chances. As of right now I would have to say that Colburn has a lot of work to do to become the QB of this team. I think at times he gets flustered as the QB and when he rolls out he does not know what to do with the ball. As I stated earlier if Colburn is forced to play this season I do not see a positive outlook on the QB position. Overall I would give Colburn a "C" for his performance in the scrimmage.

Matt Faulkner - I did not see Faulkner practice before the Saturday scrimmage. All I knew about him was what I had seen in his high school tapes and what Mario had said about the way he practiced this past week. I expected Faulkner to look lost on offense. I expected Faulkner to have some serious problems finding open receivers. I was completely wrong. Now before I talk about how impressed I was by Faulkner I will state that he did play the third team defense. But in his defense he was working with the third team offense as well. First and foremost one aspect that Faulkner seems to have grasped well is patience. On his long TD pass to Lang down the left side Faulkner waited until Lang beat his cover man down the left side. I have to say for a kid fresh out of high school Faulkner seems to have the mentality to make it as a QB. He did not struggle with any aspect of the game. If he improved this much in one weeks time can we expect this kid to come around down the line and eventually take over this team two years from now? If he can continue to progress the way he has in the past two weeks then Faulkner one day will be the starter for this team. However that is a big if as we all know progressing over time means very little if he cannot get the job done in a game. Overall I would give Faulkner a "B+" for his performance Saturday night.

One thing you have to remember when looking at the grades I gave the three QB's is that I am grading them on my expectations for them. I expected Brandstater to blow away the defense because he has four years of knowledge with this team. I expected much more from Colburn that what I saw, and I definitely did not expect Faulkner to perform as well as he did. So while Faulkner received a better grade than Tom I do not think he necessarily outperformed Tom, he just surprised me more than Brandstater did. Tomorrow I will cover problems on defense and what will have to be done in order to make up for the tremendous loss of Lane at LB. Let me know what you thought of the QB's Saturday night. I know we won't always agree on what we saw out there, but it's good to get a feel for what everyone thought of the scrimmage and how it went.

2007: What to Expect

While the Red Wave Report is busy predicting all twelve games Fresno State plays before they even step onto the field for their first game against Sac State I instead will cover what I think we can expect form this football team during the 2007 season. I will not predict scores for games nor will I break down any games until the week before. We do not know who will be playing week to week and with Fresno State injuries always play a part in what will happen with this team. So predictions will come, but the first one is still thirty days away. With 2007 right around the corner Bulldog fans have to be getting antsy to see their team back on the field for the first time in nine months. I know around my household the only topic of conversation seems to be Bulldog football and what is going to take place during this upcoming season. We all know a lot is at stake this season and if Fresno State cannot fix what went wrong in 2006 we may have another year of what ifs hanging in the balance. With that being said there is a great deal to look out for during the 2007 football season here in Fresno. Here is my list of what we should look for during the season:

1) First and foremost will this team garner the fan support they have in the past after their first down season in close to ten years? Will it take a big win on the road against either Oregon or TAMU for the Bulldogs fans to return to the stadium to watch the Dogs play? I am willing to bet that many fans will be here for the start of the season but if the Dogs do not come out on fire and pull off at least one big road win the fan support will slowly dwindle.

2) Will the addition of players such as Devon Wylie, Ryan Mathews, Chris Carter, Devin Cunningham, and Zak Hill play a big role during the 2007 season? Fresno State generally does not rely on their incoming Freshman class much but 2007 may be different. With a handful of impact players the Dogs have the option to put these men on the field of play right away. Wylie will have the opportunity to make an impact right away as will players such as Cunningham and Mathews. The Bulldogs will need all of the help they can get if they are going to compete in every game they play this season.

3) Will Tom Brandstater become the QB we all want him to be? The 2007 season unfortunately will ride on the shoulders of this man. The Bulldogs come stacked with RB's so the run game will be a plus once again. Our offensive line returns nearly in tact meaning Brandstater will have no excuses as to why he cannot get the job done. With a full stock of receivers Brandstater will have to produce from the first snap against Sac State in order to keep fans happy. Fresno State for a time period was coined QB university and we all want to see a return to the days of 300 yard passing games and four TD performances.

4) Will Pat Hill open up his game plan on offense? In years past this team has relied on the run far more than the passing game. Although our running game will be our number one strength on offense, we will not be able to solely rely on running the ball. Starting with the Colorado State game in 2006 teams began to stack the line forcing the Dogs into passing situations. Unfortunately that did not matter as Hill did not trust the QB situation enough to allow Brandstater to throw the ball. With defenses showing nine man fronts the Bulldogs continued to force the run often going three and out. In 2007 Pat is going to have to allow Mac (our new OC) to open up the offense. If Spring practice was any indication the Dogs will be a much more exciting team to watch this season.

5) Will the Bulldogs Qualify for a Bowl game? After last season I as a fan do not know what to expect from the Bulldogs in 2007. With great QB play this team could see a 9-3 season. However if Brandstater or Colburn cannot get the job done we may be sitting right on the border for bowl elgibility. There is no way to predict what will happen with this team but one thing is for sure: After the debacle that was 2006 this team will play hard and will play together. Hopefully the rest will follow suit and the Dogs will finish the season with the reward of a bowl game at the end of the road.

This season is one of the few where a question mark surrounds the team in almost every area (aside both RB's and Offensive Line). Whether this team will succeed or not will depend on the heart they show on the field. The talent is in place to get the job done. The team has all the parts to be successful we just have to hope as fans that Pat Hill can motivate this team to play up every time they step on that football field. With games against Oregon, TAMU, Kansas State, Boise State, and Hawaii the Dogs will have their work cut out for them. All I ask from the fans is to support the team regardless of what happens. Everyone has the right to question what is being done on the field if they are not happy with the team but do not abandon the Dogs during this season. The Dogs will need our support out at Sweeney field six times this season. Let's show them they should believe in themselves as much as we do in them. If we can do that this season will be anything but a bust for both the players and the fans.

The Q Brown Situation

We all remember what it was like to be involved with the opposite sex in college. At first it feels great to be with someone but as time passes things tend to change. Slowly but surely you realize that maybe things are not great like you once thought they were. Eventually the relationship you thought was so strong ends and you have no idea why or how that happened. Q Brown may not have gone through the same type of situation as I explained but when it comes to affairs of the heart there has to be some type of understanding as to why men and women react they way they do. Margie Wright may not be happy with the punishment that Q Brown was given for the actions he took towards his ex g/f but she has no say in the matter and that is exactly how it should be. Had one of Margie Wright's players done the same thing they would not have been suspended for a long period of time either. This is a situation that the media will blow up every single time it occurs when in all reality it is something we as the public have very little need to know about.

Q Brown is a football player at Fresno State. As fans that gives us the right to root for him and to follow him on the football field. At the same time many of the things he does off the field will make headlines because he is one of those rare players that is supposed to come into the program and make a difference as soon as he steps on the field. Brown is fast, possessing the speed to catch Lonyae Miller out of the backfield and if anyone attended spring practices this season they would have seen the amazing shape Miller was in. However, with that being said I am not so sure it is truly our business to know that Brown made the decisions he did with respect to his ex. He seems to be a man who was confused and hurt at the same time and more often than not men make the wrong decisions when it comes to the women they care about. There are very few men out there who would not be bothered by the situation that Q Brown dealt with recently. Now I am not saying we all would have made the same decisions that Brown did. He apparently did not think things through and reacted before he thought about it. He made a mistake when he vandalized his ex's car, but he did not hurt her. Brown did not assault her and did not cause any pain to this woman. He reacted with his heart and to hear the way he is being portrayed in the public is quite bothersome. So many people have become hypocrites by saying that what Brown did was wrong and they never would have done anything like that in their lives. While I feel some have the right to say that most of us don't. Not every one of us in life has made the right decisions when it comes to the opposite sex. Sometimes we get upset and do things that are out of character. I feel like that is exactly what happened to Brown and in the end his one game suspension is all that is needed for this situation.

When we think about the punishment Q Brown received many have to remember that Brown is being punished and it has nothing to do with who we play in football. If we played K-State, Oregon, or A&M first he still would have been suspended for the first game. You have to remember this is a Pat Hill football team. When players screw up they get exactly what they deserve. How can anyone forget the way Hill handled the Kyle Young saga last season. Although Young was supposedly one of the top centers in the nation he missed the latter half of the season as Pat Hill did not think twice about suspending him. So for those who think Brown's suspension was unjust and should have been longer maybe you should ask Pat Hill why he only gave him one game. In the end I believe you will find that Hill did exactly what he felt Brown deserved. Q Brown made a mistake that hopefully one day will be forgotten. We will not look back and remember Brown for what happened this past month but instead we will try and remember him for the football player he was on the field. After all we are football fans first and foremost, isn't that what our focus should be on?

Note - After reading this blog again I realize that I make it sound like off the field performance doesn't matter. I am not saying that what a player does when he is off the field doesn't matter. I am just merely stating that players will make mistakes. Most of us in life have been given a second chance at one time or another and players are human just as we are. Sometime they need to see the error of their ways before they realize what is right and wrong.

Field Turf for a Better Future?

Over the past few years every Fresno State fan has realized that the Bulldogs football field does not last past November. More often than not the Bulldogs football team is forced to play in sloppy conditions for at least half of their home schedule. The Bulldogs football team shares it's home field with the women's soccer team for any Bulldog fan that did not know this (although I am quite sure most of you realize this already). The problem that arises here is that in a city like Fresno field turf may be the best surface for the Bulldogs football team to play on. The reason we have been given as to why the Bulldogs cannot install this turf is because the women's soccer team says they cannot play on field turf. They believe field turf would lead to various injuries and are not willing to at least entertain the idea of field turf to see if it would be a positive in the long run. Now understand that I am just as much an advocate of women's rights in sports as the next guy out there, but this situation irks me far more than just about anything going on at state (yes even more than the Q-Brown situation). The truth of the matter is the Fresno State women's soccer team needs to suck it up and allow the football program to install field turf for a better future with respect to playing conditions.

First and foremost what school officials must realize is the soccer team nets the university very little if any money at all. Yes the women's soccer team is generally strong. Yes the women's soccer team has made the NCAA tourney and tends to be one of the stronger members of the WAC. Yes women have many of the same rights as men when it comes to the NCAA sports world. However, the men's football team is the breadwinner as far as sporting events at Fresno State. What many athletes and fans tend to forget is other sports (such as women's soccer) would not exist if the Bulldogs football team did not put fans in the stands. To better understand this take a look at the 2006 football season. The Bulldogs were only able to attract twenty-five thousand or so fans per game for their final two home games. Because of this the Bulldogs athletic department stated that they lost over one hundred thousand dollars on the season due to the lack of fan interest in football. In other words if the football team does not perform then the athletic department does not see a surplus of money. If this is the case then why do we have an issue with field turf in the first place? Fresno State is at the point where they need to make a choice as to which sports they are going to go all in on. Football would be the easy choice as to the sport the university should back 100%. If Pat Hill wants field turf the university should do what it takes to get the turf installed.

Some have mentioned that field turf does not cool down in the same way that natural grass would. Many worry that if the Dogs played on field turf the field would remain hot for the entire game after the sun has gone down. However, it has been explained to me that the field turf would be installed with a colling system beneath it. If this is the case then not only would field turf be a positive for playing conditions but it would also allow the players to stand on turf that has a regulated temperature for the entire game. This would also allow the Dogs to play in an environment where the heat would not pose such a problem. What we have to realize here is the cost of something such as field turf is only going to increase as time passes. Right now is the opportune time to install field turf. Right now is the time to make a move such as this. The positives in this situation far outweigh the negatives as Fresno is not exactly the best place for a natural field surface in the winter. This is not Southern California where temperatures remain the same year round. Instead we live in an area where the temperatures reach one hundred plus degrees in the summer and drop below fifty at times in the winter. The only rationale answer to playing surface is field turf and if the university does not do this sooner than later they are only hurting the players and their opportunity to play on a solid surface year round.

Roster and Depth Chart for NCAA 2008

For all you NCAA 2008 Gamers, complete roster and depth chart. Sorry about the tables for the depth charts, I am too lazy to fix the glitch. Enjoy!

1 Lonyae Miller RB 5-11 215 SO Fontana, CA (Henry J. Kaiser HS)
2 Clifton Smith PR 5-8 190 SR* Fresno, CA (Edison HS)
3 Moses Harris SS 6-1 200 SO* Stockton, CA (Lincoln HS)
4 Damion Owens CB 5-11 185 SO San Leandro, CA (San Leandro HS)
5 Marlon Moore WR 6-1 180 SO* Sacramento, CA (Natomas HS)
6 Chastin West WR 6-1 210 SO* Moorpark, CA (Moorpark HS)
7 Tom Brandstater QB 6-5 220 JR* Turlock, CA (Turlock HS)
7 Jason Roberts DE 6-3 241 JR* Fresno, CA (Central High East Campus)
10 Nico Herron SLB 6-2 230 FR* San Leandro, CA (San Leandro HS)
11 Tyler Clutts DE 6-2 245 SR* Clovis, CA (Clovis HS)
13 Jason Crawley WR 6-2 185 SO* Pittsburg, CA (Pittsburg Senior HS)
15 Ryan Colburn QB 6-3 215 FR* Visalia, CA (Central Valley Christian HS)
16 Matt Christian QB 6-3 202 FR Carlsbad, CA (Carlsbad HS)
17 Jamel Hamler WR 6-1 185 FR San Leandro, CA (San Leandro HS)
19 Seyi Ajirotutu WR 6-3 207 SO* El Dorado Hills, CA (Oak Ridge HS)
19 Marvin Haynes FS 6-2 208 SO* Fresno, CA (Central High East Campus)
20 Lorne Bell SS 5-10 200 FR* Simi Valley, CA (Simi Valley HS)
20 Kyle Duffy RB 5-9 185 FR* Fresno, CA (Clovis West HS)
22 Anthony Harding RB 6-0 215 SO Turlock, CA (Pitman H S)
22 Damon Jenkins CB 5-11 196 SR* Concord, CA (De La Salle HS)
23 Jake Jorde FS 6-1 205 JR* Fallbrook, CA (Fallbrook HS)
25 Shannon Dorsey WR 6-1 205 SR* San Bernardino, CA (San Gorgonio HS)
26 Jason Blackmon CB 5-10 170 SO* Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles HS)
27 Chris Lewis DE 6-3 250 FR* Fresno, CA (Clovis West HS)
28 A.J. Jefferson CB 6-1 180 SO Bakersfield, CA (West HS)
31 Marcus Riley WLB 6-0 220 SR* Elk Grove, CA (Elk Grove HS)
32 Quaadir Brown SLB 6-0 210 SO* Wildomar, CA (Elsinore HS)
34 Jamal Rashad RB 6-0 215 SO* Lakeview Terrace, CA
34 Trevor Shamblee SLB 6-1 220 SR* Queens, NY
35 Nick Bates LB 6-2 220 SO Madera, CA (Madera HS)
35 Kyle Zimmerman K/P 5-11 200 SR* Visalia, CA (Golden West HS)
36 Dustin Abrams K 6-0 170 FR* Los Alamitos, CA (Los Alamitos HS)
36 Mike Cheese LB 6-1 220 SO Fresno, CA (Sunnyside HS)
38 Sonny McCree TE 6-0 230 FR Fresno, CA (Edison HS)
39 Clint Stitser K 6-1 200 SR* Reno, NV (McQueen HS)
40 Nathan Adams FB 5-11 240 SR* Calaveras, CA (Calaveras HS
41 Ikenna Ike DE 6-1 255 JR* Walnut, CA (Walnut HS)
42 Robert Malone P 6-2 215 SO Riverside, CA (Matin Luther King HS)
42 Charles Tolbert DT 5-11 260 SR Reno, NV (McQueen HS)
43 Ahijah Lane MLB 6-2 240 SR* Fresno, CA (Herbert Hoover HS)
44 Frank Padilla FB 6-0 240 FR* Clovis, CA (Clovis East HS)
45 Isaac Kinter H-B 6-2 240 SO* El Dorado Hills, CA (Oak Ridge HS)
46 Will Harding CB 6-1 202 SR Turlock, CA (Turlock HS)
47 Ryan Machado WLB 6-1 225 SO* Ripon, CA (Ripon HS)
48 Reynard Camp FB 5-11 260 SO* Stockton, CA (Lincoln HS)
48 Frank Manquero LB 6-1 200 SO* Cutler, CA (Orosi HS)
49 Todd Chisom MLB 6-1 220 SO* Beverly Hills, CA (Beverly Hills HS)
49 Cameron Harris TE 6-3 255 JR* Norco, CA (Norco HS)
50 Cornell Banks DT 6-3 290 FR* Fresno, CA (Edison HS)
52 Richard Pacheco C 6-2 300 SO* Moreno Valley, CA (Canyon Springs HS)
52 Dustin Russell LB 6-0 220 FR Atwater, CA (Atw ater HS)
54 Ben Jacobs MLB 6-3 230 FR* Las Vegas, NV (Silverado HS)
55 Michael Stuart DE 6-2 245 JR* Westlake Village, CA (Westlake HS)
56 Robert Schenck LB 6-2 250 FR* San Marcos, CA (Mission Hills HS)
58 Ryan McKinley WLB 6-1 230 JR* Reno, NV (Reno HS)
60 Kenny Wiggins RT 6-8 310 FR* Elk Grove, CA (Elk Grove HS)
61 Charley Robbins LG 6-2 290 FR* Fresno, CA (Bullard HS)
62 Cole Popovich LG 6-2 295 JR* Oakhurst, CA (Yosemite HS)
65 Pierce Masse LG 6-4 300 JR San Diego, CA (Clairemont Senior HS)
69 Andrew Jackson RG 6-6 290 FR* Grass Valley, CA (Nevada Union HS)
71 Nick Wright RG 6-3 280 FR* Woodland Hills, CA (Chaminade HS)
72 Bobby Lepori LT 6-5 300 JR* Reno, NV (Bishop Manogue HS)
73 Kenny Avon RT 6-3 280 JR* Mojave, CA (Mojave Senior HS)
74 Joe Bernardi C 6-2 285 FR* Newhall, CA (William S. Hart HS)
75 Chris Piligian LT 6-6 260 SR* Newhall, CA (William S. Hart HS)
76 Adam McDowell RG 6-4 285 JR* Norco, CA (Norco HS)
77 Ryan Wendell C 6-2 290 SR Diamond Bar, CA (Diamond Bar HS)
79 Sean Yandall RT 6-5 360 JR
80 Drew Lubinsky TE 6-6 260 JR* Roseville, CA (Oakmont HS)
81 Norman Davis TE 6-6 225 SO* Hayward, CA (Hayward HS)
85 Bear Pascoe TE 6-6 265 JR* Porterville, CA (Granite Hills HS)
86 Darren Newborne WR 6-0 183 SO*
87 Cardell Turner WR 6-3 178 FR Fresno, CA (Edison HS)
88 Jesus Tapia TE 6-6 255 SR* Kingsburg, CA (Kingsburg HS)
90 Taylor Smith DE 6-3 250 FR* Clovis, CA (Buchanan HS)
94 Jon Monga DT 6-2 270 JR* Henderson, NV (Foothill HS)
95 Mark Roberts DT 6-2 290 FR* Modesto, CA (Modesto HS)
96 Wilson Ramos DT 6-4 270 SO* Woodland, CA (Woodland Senior HS)
97 Jason Shirley NT 6-5 330 SR* Fontana, CA (Henry J. Kaiser HS)

Incomings Players with no official jersey number:

Eric Brown DB 5-11 215 FR Fresno, CA (Clovis West HS)
Chris Carter DE 6-2 226 FR Fontana, CA (Henry J. Kaiser HS)
Leslie Cooper C/G 6-3 280 FR Compton, CA (Dominguez HS)
Devan Cunningham RT 6-5 342 FR Sacramento, CA (Grant Union HS)
Desia Dunn DB 5-11 175 FR
Matt Faulkner QB 6-3 190 FR Flower Mound, TX (Marcus HS)
Isaiah Green CB 5-9 170 FR Long Beach, CA (Poly HS)
Bryce Harris DT 6-6 261 FR Tulare, CA (Tulare Union HS)
Porter Hill DT 6-4 280 FR Compton, CA (Compton HS)
Zak Hill SS 6-2 190 FR Fresno, CA (Clovis West HS)
Tim Lang WR 6-0 190 FR Sacramento, CA (Grant Union HS)
Ryan Mathews RB 5-11 205 FR Bakersfield, CA (West HS)
Ryan Skidmore TE 6-6 230 FR Bakersfield, CA (East Bakersfield HS)
Jevon Stallworth CB 5-11 180 FR Sacramento, CA (Grant Unio n HS)

other players expected to contribute but have not reported:

WR Devon Wylie 5-10 175 FR Granite Bay , CA ( Granite Bay HS)
CB Jermaine Thomas 5-11 170 FR Duarte , CA ( Duarte HS)
CB Sharrod Davis 5-11 185 JR El Cajon , CA



This depth chart is a reflection of what was witnessed in spring practice and the first few weeks of summer workouts. Some potential starters are not listed due to injury, such as DE Michael Stuart and LB Trevor Shamblee.

This is not an official depth chart.

OFFENSE

Position	First Team	Second Team
Wide Receiver	#19 Seyi Ajirotutu, So.	#13 Jason Crawley, So.
Left Tackle	#72 Bobby Lepori, Jr.	#75 Chris Piligian, Sr.
Left Guard	#62 Cole Popovich, Jr.	#65 Pierce Masse, Jr.
Center	#77 Ryan Wendell, Sr.	#74 Joe Bernardi^, RFr.
Right Guard	#76 Adam McDowell, Jr.	#69 Andrew Jackson, RFr.
Right Tackle	#73 Kenny Avon, Jr.	#60 Kenny Wiggins, RFr.
Tight End	#85 Bear Pascoe, Jr.	#88 Jesus Tapia^, Sr.
Fullback	#40 Nate Adams, Sr.	#48 Reynard Camp^, So.
*Running Back	#1 Lonyae Miller, So.	#22 Anthony Harding^, So.
*WR/Slot/H-B	#6 Chastin West, So.	#25 Shannon Dorsey^, Sr.
Quarterback	#7 Tom Brandstater, Jr.	#15 Ryan Colburn, RFr.
Wide Receiver	#5 Marlon Moore, So.	#17 Jamel Hamler, Fr.

*depending on formation

---

DEFENSE

Position	First Team	Second Team
End	#7 Jason Roberts, So.	#41 Ikenna Ike, Jr.
Tackle	#42 Charles Tolbert, Sr.	#96 Wilson Ramos^, So.
Nose Tackle	#97 Jason Shirley, Sr.	#94 Jon Monga, Jr.
End	#11 Tyler Clutts, Sr.	#27 Chris Lewis, RFr.
Weakside LB	#31 Marcus Riley, Sr.	#47 Ryan Machado^, So.
Middle LB	#43 Ahijah Lane, Sr.	#54 Ben Jacobs^, RFr.
Strongside LB	#32 Quaadir Brown, So.	#10 Nico Herron, RFr.
Cornerback	#22 Damon Jenkins, Sr.	#4 Damion Owens, So.
Strong Safety	#3 Moses Harris, So.	#20 Lorne Bell, RFr.
Free Safety	#19 Marvin Haynes	#23 Jake Jorde, Jr.
Cornerback	#28 A.J. Jefferson, So.	#46 Will Harding^, Sr.

---

Special Teams

Position	First Team	Second Team
Place Kicker	#39 Clint Stitser, Sr.	#35 Kyle Zimmerman, Sr.
Kick-Off	#39 Clint Stitser, Sr.	#35 Kyle Zimmerman, Sr.
Punter	#35, Kyle Zimmerman, Sr.	#42 Robert Malone, So.
Long Snapper	#90 Greg Titiriga, Sr.	N/A
Holder	#42 Robert Malone, So.	#15 Ryan Colburn, Fr.
Kick Returner	#6 Chastin West	#2 Clifton Smith^
Punt Returner	#2 Clifton Smith, Sr.	#17 Jamel Hamler, Fr.

^notes -
#52 Richard Pacheco is the No. 2/3 C.
#61 Charley Robbins is NO. 3 LG.
#79 Sean Yandall is No. 3 RT.
#34 Jamal Rashad is the No. 3 RB.
#2 Clifton Smith is the No. 2/3 slot/H-B.
#50 Cornell Banks and #95 Mark Roberts are No. 4/5/6 DT.
#58 Ryan McKinley is the No. 3 WLB.
#49 Todd Chisom is No. 3 MLB.
#80 Drew Lubinsky is the No. 2/3 TE.
#45 Isaac Kinter is the No. 3/4 TE/FB/Slot/H-B
#44 Frank Padilla is the No. 2/3 FB.
#5 Marlon Moore is the No. 2/3 KR.
#16 Matt Christian is No. 3 QB.
#86 Darren Newborne is No. 7 WR.
Ryan Mathews is the No. 4 RB.
Chris Carter is No. 5 DE.
Sharrod Davis and Jermaine Thomas will probably be No. 3/4/5/6 CB.
Zak Hill is No. 3 SS and will probably wear #33, his number in HS.
Devan Cunningham is No. 4 RT but could move to No. 3 LT.
Devon Wylie will probably be No. 1/2/3 KR.

---

©Copyright 2007, BarkBoard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.

The Vivas Verdict, Welty, and the future of Fresno State Football

Before I begin, I just want to take a moment to genuflect upon the oppertunity MDG has given me to be a guest blogger- and as such, my views are my own and may be different from someone else's.

The Vivas verdict has been an event in Fresno State athletics that has affected the entire department, and has sweeping after effects and probable outcomes that, while not certain, have a pattern that have been already been played out at other athletic programs in the Cal State system. For those of you who do not know, Lindy Vivas, formerly the woman's volleyball coach, sued Fresno State for gender discrimination after her contract was not renewed this year. After a legal battle, which included Scott Johnson thinking there were 'seven or eight' girls to a side on volleyball (there are, in fact, five), the court awarded Vivas $5.85 million in damages. This decision has made national headlines and has been seen by some as a landmark case for Title IX, as it is the largest award for an anti-gender discrimination lawsuit at a University, and has generated a lot of discussion on the barkboard and other fan sites. Some have begun to call for Weltey's resignation, while others are angry at the university and the chancellor for not standing up for the university's decision.

But there are even bigger questions than these which affect the situation, for this is a pattern which has been repeated at the majority of the universities in the Cal State system and, having visited upon Fresno State, can be expected to have massive repercussions. College football had once thrived in California at the Division I, I-AA, and II levels for decades until the Cal-NOW act was passed placing very stringent restrictions upon athletics at the CSU's in particular. Within a decade, fully half of the college football programs in California had folded, and the few that remained outside of the Pac-10 continue to be in jeopardy. Football is a sport that, while having the potential to generate generous profits, can also cost an institution a tremendous amount of money, and requires scholarships be given to as many men as 5 or 6 other sports. Many schools cannot financially support it while meeting the new guidelines. Fresno State had been fortunate that it had managed to escape many of the problems that have plagued the other schools in the system with its success on the field of play, but this legal decision has changed the financial and political situation of athletics at Fresno State. This situation, alongside similar problems in the Quaadir Brown case, implicate people from Welty to Johnson to Boeh in gender discrimination, and it seems reasonable to assume that this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what kind of things may happen next now that the cat is out of the bag on this.

My point is this- the mere suggestion of lawsuits brought down football programs at ten successful California universities in the last 15 years. It is not out of the question to suggest that landmark legal cases involving sweeping charges of gender discrimination and bias against Fresno State University won't result in a similar outcome for the Bulldogs than it did for our former opponents. This may be the beginning of the end of Fresno State football, and we may soon see the permanent removal of the goalposts from beloved Bulldog Stadium if we fail to pay attention to the lessons learned from the last decades.

Recruiting Board: Underrated 2008 Prospects

A small sample of underrated California kids who want to be Bulldogs and/or receiving attention from Fresno State. Players featured, Napa RB Jake Croxdale, Mantenca RB Adam Espinoza, Del Campo RB Anthony Gobern, RB/LB AJ Corbella, CB Jeff Johnson, QB John Manoogian and FB Casey Cotta.

For complete highlight videos on each and related articles visit BarkBoard.com and click on FB Recruiting.

Pre-Season Publications: Lost in Translation

by NSC

Every summer college football fans are forced to endure the release of pre-season publications. Each of these so called “Insider” publications releases their rankings on every single college football team in the nation. More often than not the BCS schools reap the benefits of magazines that compile these rankings. Last year you could not find one magazine that had Boise State in the top five to end the season. In 2004 there would not be one magazine that ranked Utah in their top five before the season started. Yesterday Athlon released their projections on the 2007 football season. Picking Fresno State to finish fifth in the WAC did not surprise me in the least. I understand why Athlon feels Fresno State will be no better than 7-5. Fresno State is coming off of a 4-8 season and that alone will give the Dogs very little chance to begin the season in the top half of the WAC with respect to magazine predictions. While I can’t say picking us to finish fifth surprises me I will say the way they ranked the WAC with respect to position players makes little sense at all. That is why I called this article Lost in Translation, because 90% of the time there is absolutely no way to explain why the magazines rank teams the way they do.

If you take a look at Athlon’s publication you will notice they rank the Fresno State defensive line as the second best unit in the WAC. That leads me to believe that either the WAC has the worst set of defensive lines in the nation or Athlon sees something in this defensive line that I don’t. I realize we have some skilled players on the line but that by far is the one area that completely lacks any depth and has relatively small size. Aside Shirley there isn’t a run stopper in the group and for Fresno State’s defensive line to be successful they are going to have to have some unsung players step up and make a difference. At the same time somehow this publication feels our LB’s are in the bottom three of the WAC. With players such as Riley and Brown the LB’s have more speed than they have ever possessed leading me to believe that Athlon did not do any research to garner their results. But the point I really want to get across here is the fact that the magazines and their predictions mean absolutely nothing. Each and every single one of you Fresno State fans could come up with just as valid a rankings system as a Lindy’s, Athlon’s and so on. The way to do so is grab a hat. Take the hat and place nine pieces of paper with the following names on them: Nevada, SJSU, Fresno State, Hawaii, La. Tech, Boise State, NMSU, Idaho, and Utah State. Take the hat and shake it around really well. When you are finished shaking put your hand in the hat and remove your first piece of paper. To show how awful these publications are I actually picked the WAC in the manner I just explained. Here is how the pieces of paper came out of the hat:

1) Hawaii
2) Boise State
3) Fresno State
4) San Jose State
5) La. Tech
6) Nevada
7) NMSU
8) Utah State
9) Idaho

Now take a look at that list I just published. How do most of you feel about that finish in the WAC? You know how much research I did to come up with that predicted finish? I did absolutely no research nor did I use any system to come up with this predicted order of finish. Instead I used dumb luck and I think I came up with a much better finish than Athlon did, but I will leave that up to everyone who reads the FSFB to decide.

Pre-season rankings are a joke and they always will be. The major corporations that publish these magazines do all they can to cater to the BCS schools because they know if they put USC #1 that they will make a much larger amount of money when the USC fans decide to go out and buy every magazine they can find. Although I do feel the Trojans will be the #1 school in the nation this season the same would occur if #1 were Michigan, Florida, or any other big time program from a BCS conference. To rank a school #1 before it has played a game is asinine yet that is exactly what we have become accustomed to in the college football world. Here’s an idea to counter the rankings that are released before the season begins. Let’s take those rankings and pretend they don’t exist. Let’s sit back and watch college football for the first six games of the season. When those six games are over we then take the team’s performances on the field and rank them accordingly. Two weeks later we release the first BCS rankings and go from there. Every other sport in the world ranks their teams before the season begins but that is absolutely acceptable. The reason is every other sport has a playoff to decide the champion. College football gives a team ranked #1 to begin the season a decisive edge over any other team to play in the national championship game. As long as we allow companies such as Athlon to continue ranking teams well before the season begins the college football landscape will never change. Although they placed Fresno State fifth do remember one thing about our beloved Bulldogs: We play far better as an underdog than we ever did as the favorites.

Adversity; What Truly Defines an Athlete

by NSC

Last night something amazing took place in the world of the NBA. Lebron James embarked on a mission to will his team to victory in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons. James scored an amazing 29 of the final 30 points for the Cavaliers as they left Detroit with a 109-107 victory in double overtime. Although we have seen amazing performances in the National Basketball Association before from the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and other such greats what Lebron James did last night was truly unprecedented. The reason this type of accomplishment had not be seen was due to the amount of adversity that James faced heading into this game. In game one James passed up a layup in order to give Donyell Marshall a chance to win the game with a three. In game two James could not hit the game winner putting his team in a 0-2 hole. The nation began to wonder if James could come through in the clutch. The nation began to question James under pressure and if he even wanted the ball in his hands with the game on the line. Last night with two minutes remaining the announcers of the game even went as far as to state “Will James call for the ball with the game on the line after missing his last two free throws?” The answer would be a resounding yes. You may ask what does this have to do with Fresno State Football. If you take a closer look this has everything to do with the Bulldogs and the 2007 football season.

Heading into the 2007 season Fresno State will face more adversity than they may be used to. There are so many questions about this team that have to be answered. We as fans do not know if our QB position is going to be fixed. We do not know if the defensive secondary is going to step their game up. We do not know if the defensive line is going to become that dominant force it once was. We do not know if the wide receivers are going to return to form and lead this team on the field of play. We do not know if our special teams are going to come together again to create one of the strongest units in the nation with the ability to change the outcome of the game with one play. Will the coaches step their game up and focus on what we need to do to win? Will Pat Hill open up his playbook and allow the offense more freedom within itself to create? Will Hill divert play-calling to McElwain or will he continue to call the offense the way he feels is best? With so many questions abound there is no way to ignore the adversity this team faces. However, these questions can all be answered sooner than later.

We as fans want to believe that Brandstater will become the QB we all know he can be. He has shown us that he has what could be the strongest arm to ever don a Fresno State jersey. He has shown us that he has the size and the ability to take the lead of this team. What he has not shown us is the maturity to understand the game. He has not put faith in us that he can take over a game when we so desperately need him to. Brandstater will have to face his own adversity in order to lead this team to victory this season. He has taken more abuse from fans than most players do during their career at Fresno State and he still has two seasons before he is finished. However, if Brandstater can forget what has happened in the past and face the demons that have commonly haunted him during the season he will be able to make each and every one of us forget our tragic 2006 season. Brandstater needs to realize he has an opportunity that many players take advantage of. How many times have you seen a player have a terrible season only to rebound and show that he truly is far better than the season he just showed us? It happens in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NCAA more often than you may realize. Brandstater will have this opportunity just as the rest of the Fresno State football team will.

The defense needs to revert back to pre 2005 form. In 2004 the Bulldogs defense terrorized each team they stepped on the field with. Ask Darren Sproles of K-State what he thought of the 2004 defense. Ask Virginia what they thought of the 2004 defense. The one they will both mention is the speed that the defense was able to bring to the table. In 2007 the Bulldogs will have the opportunity to put that speed back on the field and they have to answer the call this season. The speed needs to be translated into turnovers that will help put the offense back on a short field. The adversity the defense faces is nothing new, but unlike 2006 this defense will be much more prepared to handle whatever is thrown at them due to the speed that they have added to the LB’s and secondary. The WR’s will be facing ghosts of their own as well. As Fresno State fans we realize that we need the receivers to step up and make things easier on the QB. With players such as West, Pascoe, Ajirotutu, Moore, and Crawley the Bulldogs have the players in place to give our QB that help. Whether they step up or not is up to them. Each one of these man can make a difference on the field of play, but they have to have the drive to do so.

What it all comes down to is the adversity each of these athletes face. Many players break down when the world comes down hard on them. Many athletes cannot handle the pressure of a game being put on their shoulders. The athletes of the Fresno State football team will have the opportunity to show the nation that they will not back down from whatever adversity is thrown their way. Whether 2007 is a success or not is up to the Bulldogs that step on the field of play. The only way the Bulldogs will be able to answer their adversity is to ignore what has happened in the past. The future holds an opportunity for the Bulldogs football team. The Bulldogs have a chance to start over and conquer their own adversity, and if the Bulldogs perform anywhere near how Lebron James did last night on a national stage we will all be in for a very entertaining 2007 football season.

The Fresno State Faithful

by NSC

Every team in the nation has football fans. It does not matter if the team is Duke, Temple, or Florida A&M for that matter; they have fans that follow them whole heartedly. Although schools such as Temple have been dreadful for the last decade there are those fans that will never give up and are filled with eternal optimism towards their team. These are the fans that ignore the 1-11 seasons that Temple and Duke are known for having. These are the fans that will tailgate at the stadium regardless of who their team is playing. These are the fans that will walk away from a 56-0 blowout finding something positive that their team accomplished regardless of the loss. While it may not seem like it Fresno State does have fans that are exactly like these eternally optimistic fans. Whether you want to call them the kool-aid generation of fans is up to you. I tend to look at them as the Fresno State Faithful, those who will be in the Bulldogs corner regardless of what happens with the football program in 2007 and on.

Fresno State faces a tough season in 2007. As you all know 2008 does not look to be any easier with road games at UCLA, Toledo, and K-State. However, I am willing to bet there are a distinct group of fans that will turn out for every single home game regardless of what happens. I am willing to be there is that distinct group of fans who feel the Bulldogs may just upset that BCS school regardless if the Dogs are 1-4 or 4-1 at the time. To me that is what makes the Bulldog faithful so great. For every fan I know that is negative about this program there is a fan that can argue that the Dogs will be back to prominence sooner than later. For every post that I write about being realistic there is a post arguing that my realism is instead negative and I should take a lighter approach to how I feel about the Dogs in 2007. Sometimes I am bothered by responses that negate what I am trying to convey to you as fans, but when the argument is that I am being too negative it does not bother me in the least. I am happy to read replies that state other Bulldog fans are so passionate about the upcoming season and they feel I need to open my mind to the idea that we may be able to climb out of this hole that was opened up during the 2006 season. To see so many optimists makes me feel like we just may be able to turn it all around.

Does it matter if the optimists all end up being wrong about 2007? Does it matter if the Bulldog faithful are let down again throughout the course of the season? Well to those fair weather fans it will matter because we will not see them at the stadium again. To that I say good riddance and I am glad you will not attend another Bulldog home game. Fresno State needs faithful fans, not the type that will turn on you when times are tough. Being a Bulldog fan can be compared to a marriage at times. Although I am not married I do realize that marriage can be quite tough at times and you may even be let down by your significant other. But regardless of what happens you do not turn your back on your significant other, you stay there through thick and thin and make it work. Because you stay and make it work you are also pleasantly surprised at times by what your significant other will do for you and it is times such as these that make your drive to stay together all the more worth it. Fresno State at times does the very same thing to their fans. They let you down when they go on the road and drop a game against lowly Utah State. However, the Dogs also make you proud when they travel to stadiums such as Wisconsin and walk away with a victory. If you fight long enough eventually you will be rewarded and that is why it is worth it to stick around and watch the Bulldogs.

Fresno State football is a tough sport to love. However there are many of you out there that love this football team more than just about anything in your life. You will be there for the Bulldogs regardless of what our record in 2007 is. If the Dogs churn out another disappointing season you may show your displeasure but you will be right back here for 2008 feeling optimistic because a new season has begun. Most of my blogs concentrate on the Bulldogs football players and coaching. Very few of my blogs concentrate on the wonderful fans this university has. Today I feel like letting those faithful know that it is you that help make Bulldogs football so wonderful. Without you Bulldog football would just be another sport in the city of Fresno. With you Bulldog football is just another sport in Fresno. The only difference is you make it matter. Thank you for your time and dedication to this football team, one day you will all be rewarded with a wonderful season, if for no other reason than because you all deserve it.

Unrealistic Expectations?

by NSC

Yesterday I talked about how winning seven games would be a strong year for Fresno State with respect to the 2007 football season. I have come to find out that many of you feel that setting a goal of seven wins is unjust. While I can see why so many fans feel we will win ten to twelve games I have to interject here because I am not saying I think we will seven games because that is what I want. Instead I am saying that we will win seven to eight games because I am looking at the talent of this team and that is exactly what I see. Spring practice went well; I will not put down how much fun it looked like the team had during the spring. But there is one glaring weakness that we cannot ignore: The QB position.

Many of you make very good points as to why expecting seven wins is unfathomable for the Fresno State Bulldogs football program. However do keep in mind that in 2006 this team won just four games. At the same time remember that in the last sixteen games this team has gone 4-12. I think that sometimes we forget just how bad the last year and a half has gone for this football team and that is why the expectations remain astronomical. Tom Brandstater is still our starting QB and up until now he has done very little to solidify himself as the man to lead this team. Instead of having a great amount of faith in him we generally question Tom and if he can get the job done. The problem here is not that I have reservations about Brandstater, but instead that after watching spring ball I do not see Colburn as an improvement at this point in time. Because Colburn has relatively no game experience all I can do is go off of what I saw when he played in the scrimmages and I cannot say I generally fell in love with his game. So here I sit thinking about how many games this team will win in 2007 and I cannot push myself to think ten is a reasonable amount, not with the QB play that we have seen over the last year. However, I will agree with one of our frequent posters on the board (Arx) in saying that if Brandstater can improve his game play and give us an improved effort week after week this team will win more then seven games. But you have to remember that I am going off of my impressions of what I have actually seen, not what I hope will happen with the team.

With that being said I will not belittle anyone who feels this team should win nine to ten games. If those are your goals for this team then to you they are not unrealistic. I just feel that if you set these lofty goals for a team that is not quite ready to take that step you will end up disappointed when all is said and done with. I realize that many of you feel like Pat Hill has to do his best coaching job of his life to win many of the fans back. But you have to realize Hill can do a wonderful coaching job and this team can still lose at least five games. What will you as fans do if we go into a place like Texas A&M and throw the ball forty times only to lose 38-35? What will you do as fans if the very same thing happens the week after at Oregon but you see that the offense is clicking 100%? We could very well lose both of these games but look amazing on offense. If we lose five games but our offense is firing on all cylinders does that become Pat’s fault or is it our defense’s fault and do we shift our blame from the offense to the defense? Are we still upset because Hill is not getting the job done? In 2001 we lost back to back games against Boise and Hawaii but it was not because of our offense. Does everyone on the board feel like both of those losses lay completely with Pat? I am just wondering where you will put the blame if we do indeed end up seeing five losses on our record at the end of the season.

Many of you are right when you say five losses will not fill the seats at Bulldog stadium, but that is because Fresno fans are generally all or nothing fans. As I said earlier it is quite possible this team can play great football and see five losses on their record at the end of the season. The schedule is difficult to say the least and unless the Bulldogs play lights out every week they will inevitably lose a game. As I said before I am not going to fault someone for feeling like this team should win at least nine games. Before 2006 that is what this team had led us to expect every year and if you feel we are right back to where we were in 2004 then that is your opinion. However, this team right now is no better than the 2005 team we put on the field and that team finished the season 8-5. That to me is one of the main reasons I feel 7-5 is a reasonable expectation. Whether I am right or wrong for believing that doesn’t matter in the end. All that matters is that Fresno State steps on the field, performs their very best, and completely proves me wrong.

Is Seven Wins Enough? (Inspired by Steve Burns)

by NSC

4-8. For many of us that is hard to look at. Those numbers represent what the Bulldogs accomplished in 2006. You would have to travel all the way back to 1996 to find a season that could be considered as abysmal as 2006 was for the Bulldogs (In 1996 the Dogs finished 4-7). As Fresno State fans we have become accustomed to eight win seasons and a bowl game appearance. But the question here is: Are we over shooting what this team’s goal should be in 2007? Many view the Dogs 4-8 record as an unusual occurrence, one that does not truly reflect the talent of the team during the 2006 season. I however do not agree with this assessment. Personally Fresno State was not a .500 team last year and that is why they finished at 4-8. I realize one play here or there changes the entire complexion of the season, but isn’t that how every season goes? Can’t you go back to every season and say “Well if we don’t do this, we win this game?” So I refuse to use our mistakes against both Washington and Oregon as a barometer for 2006. Instead I truly feel that team was no better than a 6-6 team at best. With that being said I truly believe expecting seven wins in 2007 is exactly what we should be doing as fans and here is why.

If you take a look at college football you will see that teams generally do not have a 4-8 season followed by a ten win season. While it does happen it is rare to say the least. Instead you will see that a team generally increases their win total modestly year by year until they become a dominant force in the college football world. To better understand this let’s take a look at a few teams who have risen to the upper ranks over the past few seasons:

Boise State

1997: 4-7 Record
1998: 6-5 Record
1999: 10-3 Record

Now I realize these were the years that Boise played in the Big West but as you can see they increased their win total by two games in 1998 and then made the jump to a ten win season in 1999. As we all know from here on Boise won at least eight games for the next seven seasons and look to increase that total to eight straight seasons with at least eight wins in 2007.

Rutgers

2004: 4-7 Record
2005: 7-5 Record
2006: 11-2 Record

Rutgers becomes the example that Fresno State should do their best to follow. In 2005 Rutgers increased their win total from four to seven games and followed that with an eleven win season. A team once viewed as the laughingstock of college football the Scarlet Knights are now one of the top teams in the Big East, if not the nation. They are proof that anything is possible as long as you are patient as a team and willing to build upon your success year by year.

Obviously not every team is going to follow this pattern. In 2005 Hawaii finished the season 5-7 but followed that with an 11-3 record in 2006. An increase of six wins in a season is tough to accomplish but the Warriors were able to do so. However, there is a glaring difference between many of these teams that make the jump to ten wins and Fresno State: Scheduling. Fresno State often schedules one of the hardest non-conferences in the nation. Hawaii on the other hand tends to play all but one of their non-conference games at home. We have already taken a look at the way Boise State schedules and most understand that Utah made their unprecedented run in 2004 with an average schedule at best. So where does this leave Fresno State in 2007?

If the Bulldogs were to win ten games as many have predicted they would have to win three of the following games: @ A&M, @ Oregon, @Hawaii, Kansas State, or Boise State. Remember that is saying that Fresno State wins the other games I have not mentioned without any problems and when is the last time the Dogs went an entire season without losing to a team they should have beaten? A more realistic goal to set for the Bulldogs would be seven wins as the schedule does not favor them in 2007. Chances are the Dogs will slip up against a team they shouldn’t lose to. At the same time the Dogs will probably upset someone along the way as they always seem to every season. If that happens and Fresno State loses the tough road games 7-5 is a completely respectable record for this team. This will allow the Dogs to grow as a team and set them up for a very tough 2008 season that could offer more promise than one may realize. In the end it is great to have high hopes for this team in 2007. There is nothing wrong with pushing for the very best out of the Bulldogs football team, but do realize this team may not be ready to make that big jump yet. It is possible that they may win seven games and to me that is more than enough after the 2006 season this team experienced.

What are your thoughts as Bulldog fans? I want to know not only what you expect in the win loss column but also why. What leads you to believe the Dogs should finish where you have them?