There are a few different directions this Bulldog football team can go from here. From our past the most common direction this team can go is down because Fresno State teams tend to completely fall apart once things begin to go wrong. The 2006 Bulldogs look as if they are headed down the same road as many Bulldog teams of years past. This team may be one of the more talented teams under Pat Hill, but they are doing absolutely nothing to show it. However, I along with many other fans are at the point that we have stopped blaming the players for what is going wrong. The players have to realize they are not getting the job done. The problem is we are at the point where the coaching is beginning to take the blame, and rightfully so.
Play calling has been a problem since day one. This team oriented itself around the running game of D-Wright without a second thought to what they would do if a defense shut down the run. Saturday we saw what happens when this team cannot run the ball: Nothing. The passing game of Fresno State is ridiculous to say the least. The quarterback position is looking worse as the season ages on. Each week it is as if Brandstater takes a step back instead of a step forward. As it was obvious to the 40,000 plus fans in the stadium Saturday night, a change at QB is needed right now. Unfortunately we have come to learn here at Fresno State that Pat Hill will stick with his starter through thick and thin. It does not matter how many interceptions he may throw each week, he is the starter and Sean Norton has absolutely no chance of getting into the game. If Norton could not get a chance to play in the fourth quarter down 18 points then when will he possibly ever play? I feel like the failure to allow another QB a shot to get in the game is a pride issue with Pat Hill. What if Sean Norton were to get a chance? What if Fresno State won by twenty with Norton in the game? How would Pat Hill possibly explain having Norton on the bench for as long as he did? Hill would not be able to say "I thought Tom was a much better QB" because he knows that is not true. If Norton were to come in and make the fans look right then our coach would look wrong. Just realize Bulldog fans we are not allowed to be correct when analyzing what is wrong, we are only fans and do not have an idea of what is truly going on down on the field.
So where is this Bulldog team headed? Can they salvage something from this disappointment of a start? Of course they can but will they? If nothing is changed the season will only continue to spiral downwards. The QB position needs to be addressed. The corner position needs to be fixed somehow. The secondary is terrible, there is just no other way to put it. Pat Hill stated that Tommy did all he could against the blitzing of the Rams, and he was not going to put the blame on him for the results that occurred. To me that means absolutely nothing. Tommy is a QB and his job is to adjust to the blitz. If he knows they are blitzing the middle why does he not audible to slant routes over the middle? Because he does not have the vision that a QB needs to survive in the college football world. He could be a great QB but he has to improve his vision, touch, and timing. Unfortunately those are all absolutely required to be a good QB in college. Right now Tommy is not good, he is average at best. Right now the only players that have been in the positive light are Marcus McCauley and Dwayne Wright. If we could somehow teach the other corner to play with the tenacity and fire that McCauley plays with we would have two great corners out there instead of just Marcus.
Where do I see this team in five weeks? I don't know if we are going to fix anything this season. I feel like our coach just doesn't have enough change in him to make this season a success. With Hill's son graduating from Clovis West this year we may also be in for a big change as the coaching job may be vacant. Hill has been a great man for Fresno State for ten years now, but change is part of the college football life. Every school needs to go through change and it is time for Fresno State to do so as well. The Dogs need to go out and search for a coach that is open to the offensive side of football. With teams like Boise, Nevada, and Hawaii in the WAC we need to be able to score points to win this conference. A pro style offense will not win the WAC, it hasn't in the last ten years so why would it anytime soon? Will any of this happen? I have no idea, but I am just interested in what is best for the football program as a whole and the one constant I see that we need is that of change. If we do not change anything as I said before the season will be lost. For most Bulldog fans that would be utterly disappointing considering the hopes we had before the season began.
8 comments:
Yah, Hill is really beginning to bug me. I want to see Norton just for once. Shoot, i'm not going to another game until i see something differennt, f'it man..
I can understand your frustration. I mean if something isn't working (like the Bulldogs offense) then you have to make a change. I don't know if it will work our not, we have quite a bit of problems as a football team to try and fix. But why the hell not try and see what you can make happen by shaking things up a bit? I believe Jefferson is a far better fit at corner than Jenkins or Simmons, but he is not playing anytihng but special teams. I did not notice but if Jefferson played special teams against Colorado State he cannot redshirt, so why not try? God, what do we possibly have to lose now?
We can lose anyplace, anywhere,anytime!!
Pinches Perros Chatos! I'm embarrassed for Fresno. It wasn't on national tv was it? What a fucking disappointment. How do we lose to inferior teams at home? 7 of 8 ijole, chingada madre. How to the dogs start awsome on the very first drive of their games and just fall flat after that. I thought we were going to blow out Washington and Colorado St. If a play works, why not run it over and over and over again until they stop it. In both of those games we scored our the first posessions then went punted on the second. D-Wright is doing all he can, so is McCauley and D-Andrews. Where is the pass rush. How many sacks does the defense have? Where are Jason Roberts and Michael Stuart and the 330 lbs DT everybody likes to talk about. How many interceptions does the defense have? Where is the 4 star safety? Who is #30? Who on the offensive line is letting the the defensive players get through to block the kicks. Where are the massive tight ends. I thought Jefferson impressed against Nevada, but where is he now? And Brandstater, ijole, w.t.f? Just give the ball to Wright and Williams every play. And the biggest dog of them all, Pat Hill, you have awsome athletes, put them in position to win. I know Pat Hill likes to play smash mouth football, and I like it and the valley has that kind of attitude too, but when we're down by 18 points, how about running some creative plays. Look at Boise St. How many WAC championships do they have? With the play calling at Boise St. and the athletes we have at Fresno, we would be smashing teams like USC, Oregon, Washington by at least 2 TD's and who knows what we would do to all those other inferior teams. Dogs, pick up your fucking heads and hit somebody right in la pinche boca!
What the fuck is Ralph Wood and Randy Rosenbloom doing broadcasting the Bulldog games. My grandma would sound better doing the games and she doesn't even know what football is and doesn't speak a word of english!W.T.F.
Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! -Bluto
Seriously, guys. Brandenstater will get better. Norton isn't the solution, he isn’t going to come in and save the day. The team will get better, they always go in the tank after a tough loss, and then go deeper in the tank after that. The Washington loss was the same as the loss at UNR last year, and the CSU loss looks an awful lot like the home loss to Louisiana Tech to end last season. But it hasn't happened this early before. They will put it back together against Utah St., and start to climb back into it. They are 1-0 in the WAC! the Winnable WAC, and they just need this kind of adversity to get it together. Yeah it sucks were loosing but sending Pat Hill to coach the raiders or whatever isn't the solution. I actually commend Hill for sticking with the guy after all the opposition, and I think it will eventually pay off for the 'dogs. Seriously, lets see a little optimism from the FSFB.
I am sorry I just dont feel like Tom is going to get the job done. You guys wan tto continue to say the offensive line isnt doing the job, well it did the job against Washington and brandsttaer still played poorly. So which is it? Branstater is not ready to play or the offensive line is letting him down? isnt a qb supposed to check off if he sees blitz? Just wondering.
Flat out, from all I have seen and heard from the players themselves, both Norton and the fans are being short changed due to stubborness.
It is frustrating as a fan and it must also be for the recievers. There is no reason now not to give the other guy a shot, it would happen at any other program.
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