When I woke up this morning I went through my normal routine and after I finished getting ready to go to work I jumped on the internet to read the latest news on the Bulldogs. I have to say that when I went to the Fresno Bee I was shocked to read a column on what needs to be done to make the program successful again. I realize this past weekend Matt James wrote an article about changing the quarterback, but this article today covers many of the same ideas that we have been discussing over the past few weeks on the Blog and BarkBoard. The article suggests that we rid ourselves of the play anytime anywhere motto. I have to say I was never a big fan of that idea in the first place because it made us sound desperate to get a game with a big time BCS school. If we did get a game with a school like USC it would be under their terms and we would have to travel to their school with no return trip involved. So to do away with the idea of playing anyone, anywhere is something I am completely ok with. However, this made me think of all of the slogans that Pat Hill has used over the years and there is one that seems to have disappeared that I was big supporter of. What ever happened to the saying "Shutup and Hit Somebody"? In the early part of the decade Fresno State may have had questionable defense but they always hit hard and did their best to intimidate the offenses of the teams we played. No one can forget the hit Kendall Edwards put on Oregon State's two players on the punt return in the second half of the game in 2001. Our team this year seems to be void of those types of players that live for that one big hit. Aside McCauley (who has done a very good job of tackling) the rest of the team looks scared when trying to bring someone down. This just doesn't seem like the Fresno State defenses I remember from the past. What do you as fans think the problem is with our loss in determination and fire on defense? Is it the scheme our defense is put in or do you think our defense is just void of these types of players this season?
The truth is everyone that reads this Blog knows that we need to make changes to have a chance the rest of the season. I know a big part of the fan base is hoping to see Norton come in on Saturday in one way or another. But when the Fresno Bee decides to publish an article on what is wrong with the Bulldogs then you know something is not right in Bulldog land. Since John Branch left we have not had anyone who dared to write an article that questioned what is going wrong with the Bulldogs. I have always had a problem with the articles and news that is published with respect to Fresno State. The reason is publications such as the FresnoBee and GoBulldogs.com never seem to capture what is truly going on with respect to the Dogs. When we lost to Colorado State the focus should have been what went wrong with our offensive line, defensive secondary, and passing game. Instead the news that was put out had to do with Clifton Smith making his first start and the positives that Pat Hill came away with from that game. To me this is laughable because when I left the stadium that night I wondered what the hell happened to our team's killer instinct and I am sure most other Bulldog fans wondered the very same thing.
So this leads me to my question of the day today. I know most of you have read that I feel 2007 is going to be a much tougher year than 2006 currently is. Right now I may have to take that back knowing that there is a chance we could start the season 1-7 this year. However, we are losing plenty this offseason and have little to replace those who are leaving. With Hawaii and Oregon on the road and Boise State at home next season how do you feel our team is going to be? At the same time is Fresno State going to take a hit for a couple of years with respect to recruiting because of this loss to Utah State? Are we slowly dropping back into the mediocrity of college football or is this just a one year drop for the Dogs? I unfortunately feel that if we cannot pick up some big wins here against Hawaii, and either LSU or Boise State then our recruiting is going to take a huge hit this offseason. I cannot see anyone wanting to play for a team that starts the season 1-7, loses to Utah State, and will be lucky to go 5-7. On the other hand if we pulled out some games and finished 7-5 somehow that may change how recruits view this team. They might want to come here to get us over that hump and make us a team that can accomplish the BCS and win the WAC one day. I am just wondering how everyone else is viewing this season towards recruiting.
Lastly what is this season going to do to Pat Hill? I have read that many fans want Hill around while many think it is time for him to move on. I would have to say right now I am leaning to him moving on unless he is capable of making changes to better the team. I just don't feel Pat Hill is open enough to make changes needed to win anymore. This can be seen on offense or defense when our team is struggling. It seems to me that the other team is always the one making the adjustments while the Dogs seemed lost most of the time. What do you as fans want to happen with Pat Hill? Is his ride as Bulldog coach over in your minds or is he going to be around for many years to come?
13 comments:
Yeah I was kind of surprised when I did the numbers for the barkboard on the teams Hill has beat over his tenure as coach. We really don't have too many big wins. We have much less big wins than I thought this team did over the past ten years. We have only beat a team with nine wins or more a handful of times and while many people will argue that you cannot make your conference schedule we have had plenty of chances to be top teams, we just havent done it OOC. I know Hills vision for the team is what we all refer to when thinking of his success, but in time this city will want more and we know that it is possible for a Mid-Major to make the BCS now. Since it is possible and Hill always desires that it is his own fault we expect it because he brought those expecations on himself.
Befor Hill we would have never thought of playing big name teams or going to a BCS game, but he kept talking about it so we started believing. So he needs to figure out how to fix this mess soon because the hopes he threw into this program are disappearing quickly.
Come on now you know I am going to be there as well. I think there might be as many boos for Brandstater being the starter as there will be for the Rainbowsd being in Fresno. But hey we may lose but most of us will be there to watch. I read there are around 5000 tickets left, I am sure there will be many more seats empty for this one.
formerdog...you are amazing to me. DO YOU EVER SAY ANYTHING DIFFERENT? I can guess at what your first post ever was... "FIRE PAT HILL."
And just who do you think is going to come in here and do a better job? What briliant coach is going to come to Fresno with all of the recruiting problems and try to make them a "top 25" team? Bad years happen and they happen more often a mid-majors.
Hill is responsible for many of the changes that even let us draw the talent we do. In his ten-years, there has been a major upgrade in facilities. If he hadn't have been here for that last ten years, I would bet this blog wouldn't even exist because no one would care about Fresno football.
People like you need to get a clue and remember where you're at and where you have come from. You can point the finger to Boise and say, "that's how it's done." Go and compare their record verses the BCS and then come back and tell us all about how wrong this way is.
I dont know if you are pointing your aggression towards me or the other guy that wrote fire Pat Hill. I say keep Pat Hill if he decides to allow change within the structure of the team. I understand continuity within a team and unity for that team but truthfully we all know changes need to be made.
As far as the blog well I write it and I can say you are probably right, Hill is the reason something like this happened. However MDG started the blog so I dont know if he would have started it or not. Anyhow just wanted to see if you were bothered by the fact that I think we should lighten the schedule a little bit.
I dont support Boise State obviously as I am a Bulldog fan, but they do have a far better record than we do year in and year out. I don't think it matters if they play lesser competition, they play in the better bowl game year after year. Last year in a down season Boise played a ranked Boston College team in their bowl game and we played Tulsa. The same goes for the year before when they play Louisville, or the year before that when they played TCU. We don't get these teams in bowl games and it ends up being because of our record. If you want to play a good BCS team in a bowl game then schedule decently (not crazy like the Dogs do) and win your games. Beat middle level BCS teams and you will play in a good bowl game. it all comes down to record at the end of the season, something we never out do Boise on.
It is kind of tiring arguing this point because it is obvious. I mean look at Boise at the end of the season, they are team ranked in the top 15 more often than not. Yeah you talk about respect well doesn't that count? I would love Fresno State to go 11-1 every year and finish at 10-15 with a great bowl game and a WAC championship as opposed to playing a close game against a top tier BCS team yearly and losing. Wouldn't everyone else? Seems like an easy choice to me but I realize others have different dreams for the Dogs and that is completely fine. I just want to get to that level first before we try to take on the world.
ncs, no my previous post was directed soley at "formerdog". You do a great job and if anything the only thing you can be faulted for is having too much passion. In my book that's not a fault at all.
formerdog again you are talking non-sense.
Here is the way I see your goals:
Win the WAC.
1999 and that includes Mountian West for that matter.
Get better recruits.
David Carr
Alan Harper
Maurice Rodriguez
Rodney Wright
Sam Williams
Bernard Berrian
Logan Mankins
James Sanders
Tyrone Culver
Adam Jennings
Richard Marshall
2002 we had more players go to the NFL than all but two years in the last 20-years. And I don't know, but maybe the first ever 1st pick. I far as I can tell that's an improvement.
Establish a top 25 team.
January 05, 2005 Bulldogs Ranked No. 22 in Final AP and Coaches Polls.
Get a National Championship game.
Ok, you got Him, Pat is the worst coach, his goals are wrong.
Less than 15% of the coaches in the NCAA over his tenure have.
Yes, if I could switch records that would be great, but only if I could keep the teams we played. If "ifs and buts" were candy and nut, oh what a party we would have.
You know why Boise has never been rated #8, because even when the go undefeated, they can't be decent (not great) Louisville team. Yay for Boise, let all hop on that bandwagon.
See that's the problem with you "formerdog", you are a bandwangon fan.
And...you never answered my questions:
And just who do you think is going to come in here and do a better job? What briliant coach is going to come to Fresno with all of the recruiting problems and try to make them a "top 25" team?
You were too busy telling me how we should "FIRE PAT HILL" or in your words, "Pat Hill MUST leave!"
You prove my point...the same post over and over again. Maybe you'll surpise me next time and post something useful.
I know you are asking formerdog this question, but if we had a new coach come in I would like it to be one who would run a different type of offense. One who could open up the playbook and let it go when he felt the need to. A Norm Chow type offense if I have to choose would be a great offense if we could get the players to do so. As far as switching records with Boise, of course I would not want to get rid of the players we have had in the past. I think the records Boise has posted would be possible for the Dogs if say last year their schedule just had USC or just had Oregon instead of them both. I have no problems with the players and for th emost part I never will. I just think sometimes the system of offense we run does not benefit us with respect to the WAC and college football.
Young and Denman are 5th yr. seniors. Kezerian is a 5th yr. transfer and also a SR. Although Popovich is listed as a sophmore, it is his 4th yr. at FSU and he is injury prone. Are there any true freshmen or true sophmores we can depend on the next couple of years to help get the Bulldogs on track? The O line has not been that dominating and it is not like we are playing Ohio St., Michigan, Florida or CAL. I thought Hill was some type of great O line developer. Where are our young Bulldogs on the O line and who are they?
The following players are all Juniors and below for the Bulldogs. I don't know how much talent each of them have but I do know Popovich will be back next season as will Denman. I also know McDowell is playing right now. Bobby Lepori has some playing time under his belt as well so i don't know if the offensive line will suffer all that badly. We lost Mankins two years ago but did fine without him. The biggest problems will come in our secondary as the only returning position will be the corner that Jenkins/Simmons plays and I believe Simmons is a senior. If i am wrong then it's jenkins, but Mays, Shirley, and McCauley are all leaving which only hurts us even worse.
On offense we lose all receivers aside Chastin West which means its good Ciccone is playing right now. It's also good that Moore is in there from time to time. Wright will leave giving us Miller at RB for the most part. It's just so many skilled players are leaving so we need help from the younger guys. We need someone to step up and make plays this season. Here is hoping.
Returning Offensive Lineman
60 Kenny Wiggins OT 6-7 260 FR
61 Charley Robbins OG 6-2 270 FR
62 Cole Popovich RG 6-2 285 SO
65 Pierce Masse OG 6-4 285 SO
67 Cameron Harris C 6-3 250 SO
68 James Meeks RT 6-5 310 RS FR
69 Andrew Jackson DT 6-5 260 FR
71 Nick Wright OL 6-3 265 FR
72 Bobby Lepori LT 6-5 285 SO
73 Kenny Avon RT 6-3 260 SO
74 Joe Bernardi C 6-2 280 FR
75 Chris Piligian OG 6-6 265 JR
76 Adam McDowell LT 6-4 285 SO
77 Ryan Wendell OG 6-2 275 JR
Is Pacheco still on the team? It was mentioned that he has been running with the 2nd team Offense at the center position. Young himself told my neighbor that Pacheco was his backup.
"Oso" is still on the team. He is listed officially as Wendell's backup but does play center. IMO, he should be starting at RG while Popovichis out.
any true freshmen or true sophmores from the returning O line listed here that are being used as backups? Or are the majority red shirting? Some of these mentioned I have not even seen suited up for games.
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