What a Day for Football in Fresno

Tonight Oregon will step into Bulldog stadium to take on our Fresno State Bulldogs. Anyone who truly pays attention to the Oregon-Fresno State series knows these games tend to come down to whomever has the ball last. The last four times these two teams have played Oregon has come away the winner, but not once has it been by more than four points. Fresno State tends to have a team that matches up well against Oregon and tonight's team is no different. After reviewing each teams offenses, defenses, and special teams I found Oregon to hold a slight edge overall. However, many Fresno fans do not agree that Oregon's special teams are on the same level as ours. If I gave the special teams edge to Fresno then I would have said that both Fresno and Oregon are technically equal.

Tonight's game is going to be played in absolutely perfect football weather. In a city where 100 degrees has been the norm for over two months tonight's forecast is for clear skies with a temperature of 80 degrees at kickoff. By halftime the temperature should be down in the mid 70's. As Fresno State football fans we could not ask for more in one of our most important home games to date. Oregon comes in ranked #20, something the Bulldogs do not get to experience often. Teams from BCS conferences do not come into Fresno ranked to play the Bulldogs. Just ask those who have tried to win in Fresno from BCS conferences. Oregon State and Cal will tell you first hand how hard it is to win in Bulldog stadium. Tonight will be no different as Oregon will have to play a great game to beat the Bulldogs. However, don't get me wrong because Fresno will have to play near flawless to win the game as well.

Overall regardless of what happens Bulldog fans are in for a treat as overflow tickets have been sold out as well as all stadium tickets for tonights game. Tonight's game has actually been sold out since Wednesday, something we dont see in Fresno too often. The only thing I can say is Go Dogs, give it your all and you will have 43,000 fans behind you tonight at Bulldog Stadium.

Boise beats Oregon State - On a side note we should all be happy that Boise spanked Oregon State. Not only did this game expose Oregon State for the fraud of a PAC-10 school that it is, but it showed Boise can play and rip into a BCS school just as any other big name school can. This weekend is a big weekend for WAC schools. Here is hoping we can hold our own against the PAC-10. Other games between WAC and PAC-10 schools today are:

Nevada @ Arizona State

Idaho @ Washington State

Stanford @ San Jose State

Keep your fingers crossed that another school aside Boise can knock off a PAC-10 school. We don't want to be the doormats for these BCS conferences forever. The only way to knock that generalization about our conference is to win these important OOC games.

The FSFB Celebrates One Year!

The Fresno State Football Blog turns a year-old today. And what a way to celebrate the occasion by watching the 'Dogs and Ducks battle it out tonight.

This was the very first post on the FSFB.

Thanks to NSC for taking over a majority of the posts, I will still try to post when I get the chance, but if anyone else would like to contribute, please drop us a line.

FSU-Oregon Special Teams/Game Prediction

Special Teams - Fresno State tends to have the edge when it comes to special teams regardless of who they are being compared to. However, when being compared to Oregon that is not the case. While Clint Stitser has one of the better legs in college football, Paul Martinez of Oregon should not be overlooked. In 2005 Martinez went 8 for 9 on kicks from 40 yards or longer, an impressive stat for any college kicker. Overall Martinez hit 19 of 24 kicks last year for Oregon and returns even better than before. Fresno fans know they can count on Stitser to hit the long field goal but the same seems to be true for Oregon and Martinez. Last week Robert Malone did a great job of punting for the Dogs as he showed the hang time that we are used to seeing from Mike Lingua. It looks as if Lingua will be out and Malone will be punting once again, which doesn't seem to be such a bad thing. Oregon's punter Matt Dragich is also impressive as he averages 37-38 yards a punt. With respect to the kicking game there is no clear cut edge for either team.

Kick returning is something Fresno State takes pride in doing year in and year out. Unfortunately with Clifton Smith out the Bulldogs are not nearly as strong in the return game as they would be with him playing. Fernandez does a good job in the return game as he has great hands and will get us out to the 30 on a large percentage of kickoffs. Jaron Fairman and Chastin West can also be seen returning kicks for the Bulldogs. Oregon on the other hand uses both of their running backs to return kicks which has worked well for them. Jonathan Stewart and Jeremiah Johnson are both speedy running backs with great ability to evade the defense on every play. Fresno State will have their work cut for them trying to keep these two from returing kicks efficiently. As long as Stitser can keep the ball in the end zone on his kickoffs and Malone can continue to maintain a great hangtime the Dogs will be fine with respect to special teams.

Special Teams Advanatage - Once Again Even

Prediction - The last time I checked the line for the game was Oregon by 4 1/2. To me that says the oddsmakers think this is going to be a close, hard fought game between these two teams and why shouldn't they? The last four times these two teams have played have been decided by four points or less. We all know Oregon has come away with a win each time and I am inclined to pick them once again because of Brandstater's lack of big game experience and Oregon's team speed. In the end I feel like it is going to come down to how well Tom makes the throws when Oregon forces the Dogs to throw the ball by loading up with 8-9 men in the box. The game will be close and will go down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The new clock rules might play a big role in ths game tomorrow as the team with the ball last may very well win this game. I don't pick against Fresno State often, and I do hope I am wrong but I just don't know if the Dogs have what it takes to come out on top in this one.

Oregon 31 Fresno State 28

I hope to see everyone out at the game. I know it is going to be packed and one of the better games of the season for both teams. Go Dogs, prove me wrong.

FSU-Oregon LB/Secondary Preview

Linebackers - If my sources are correct (and I could be wrong) Marcus Riley will be back against Oregon. He won't be 100%, but instead closer to 90%. However, Riley is the most productive Linebacker in our unit. Riley is the reason the opponents running game last season had been non-existant until week nine against USC. However, after Riley went down Fresno's run defense fell apart. They no longer had that weakside linebacker to stop the run to the outside. Case in point: Riley went down at halftime against USC, does anyone remember how many yards Bush had after the half as compared to the first half? Do I really have to say more than that? Andrews played outstanding last week against Nevada as he seemed to be everywhere throughout the game. Fresno will need an all out effort from Andrews once again if they are to stop the Oregon run. It does not matter if Oregon uses Stewart or a backup, their running backs have speed. Goodwin will have to do a better job in this game or Fresno will be in trouble against the Ducks. Ahijah Lane has also filled in at Linebacker, but with Quaadir Brown out with an injury the Bulldogs will need Trevor Shambley to continue to play as well as he has. Overall the Bulldogs have a strong Linebacker core and if Riley indeed does play Oregon's run game will not be nearly as productive as it would without Riley in the game.

I watched the highlights from the Oregon game against Stanford yesteday to get a better idea of how good Oregon is overall and all I can say is one thing: Oregon has an amazing amount of speed on defense. Every time Stanford ran left Oregon's Linebackers were all over the Stanford running backs. The Oregon Linebackers disrupted the passing lanes, caused fumbles, and gave Stanford little to no running room the entire game. One thing I did notice is Oregon sometimes overpursues plays (kind of similar to the Bulldogs defense in 2001). Now Fresno does not run many trick plays but if they were to run any kind of halfback option it would be open because of the amazing pursuit Oregon has during games. Overall Oregon's Linebackers are going to be tough to handle.

Linebacker Advantage - Fresno State, but not by much


Secondary - Fresno's secondary looked good for the most part against Nevada. Aside one play (the first one of the game) McCauley locked up his receiver as expected. On the other side of the field Bulldog fans were given a treat as A.J. Jefferson played out of his mind. Jefferson was all over the receivers on every play and seemed to have absolutely perfect timing. Unfortunately our safety spot struggled once again. I understand that Mays is a four star recruit but he just doesn't seem to play smart at times. Nevada's second touchdown was a result of Mays trying to jump a play when there was no need to. Rowe had been scrambling to the sideline and if Mays had stayed with his receiver Rowe would have gained three yards and run out of bounds. Instead Mays tried to intercept a fake and ended up giving up a touchdown. If Fresno is going to stop Oregon they cannot gamble as Mays did. This will kill the Bulldogs as Oregon is far too good to stop every time they have the ball.

I do not not exactly know Oregon's secondary as good as Oregon fans do, but I can say they have an amazing amount of speed. Stanford had no one to throw to literally the entire game. Last year Pinegar was able to tear a hole into the Oregon defense but that was while playing from behind the entire second half. If Oregon can take the lead early on Fresno may not have the throwing success that they did last year purely because Brandstater is not as experienced as we would like him to be in a big game such as this. The corners for Oregon will challenge Brandstater to beat them with man coverage as the safeties will tend to blitz early and often. If Brandstater cannot make these plays look for Oregon's secondary to completely control the game as it will be a long night for the Bulldogs.

Secondary Adavantage - Oregon, but once again not by much

'Dogs, Ducks Does It Get Any Better?

The Fresno State-Oregon series has become a heated battle, but until the 'Dogs beat the Ducks this decade, it is not a rivalry.

Fresno State has not won since 1982, 10-4 in Eugene. Since, Oregon was won four straight, 30-27(ot) in 1996, 43-40(ot) in 1997, 28-24 in 2002, and 37-34 last year. All the games, except for the 1996 game, have been at Autzen Stadium.

Unlike the 1996 game, Bulldog Stadium will be loud and full in 2006. And this year's team is actually good and matches up well with Oregon. I am expecting a close game, and the team that can run the ball effectively and commit the least amount of mistakes will win the game.

Jonathan Stewart is expected to practice Wednesday -- after missing Monday and Tuesday with his sprained ankle -- and should share time with backup Jeremiah Johnson. Johnson is not as powerful, but is faster and a better receiver out of the backfield. The run game will be the key, and Oregon could put anyone at tailback and gain yards with their great offensive line.

Oregon Team Overview

New Timing Rules: Pro or Con?

BS, that is exactly what I think of the new timing rules in college football. I don't see the need to shorten the games at all, but if that is what they want to do so badly there are much better ways to go about it then the new rules that have been put into play this season. The new rules are as follows:

1) The clock will now start when the kicker kickes the ball as opposed to when the returner catches the ball.

2) the clock will now being on change of possessions when the ball is marked and ready for play. This is a terrible rule, one that not even the NFL has.

3) The last rule continues off of the second one as the clock will begin after a first down is made as soon as the ball is marked and ready for play.

I don't necessarily have a problem with the first or third rule, I almost agree with them. The second rule however is horrible. The fact you are forcing the offense and defense onto the field so quickly after a change of possession is ridiculous. If the college game is so worried about time why don't they just adapt the same rule the NFL uses. When a ball carrier runs out of bounds in the NFL the clock begins as soon as the ball is marked and ready to go. This changes at the end of each half though as the clock remains stopped until a play is ran. I do not know if this occurs under 2 or 5 minutes left in the half, but that is a great rule to go by. Why do they have to force the offense on the field to rush their first play? I just don't think the rules are good for the game. This week Bellotti will be here with his Oregon Ducks and he absolutely hates the new clock rules. We will see what he thinks if the game goes down to the final minutes and the clock begins to play a factor. Let me know what you guys think about these new clock rules. Yes against Nevada they worked in our favor but it won't always be like this.

FSU-Oregon Offensive/Defensive Line Preview

Offensive Line - Both Fresno and Oregon are very similar with respect to Offensive and Defensive lines. In fact it is very hard to compare the two because they are so much alike. Both offensive lines give their quarterbacks plenty of time to throw the ball. Neither quarterback was sacked in week one and truthfully Brandstater was pressured maybe twice the entire game. Oregon's qb Dixon can avoid the pass rush because of his speed but that isn't necessarily an advantage to the offensive line. Both offensive lines tend to open gigantic holes for their runnin backs to run through as was obvious in week one when both teams rushed for over 200 yards a piece. Fresno is going to have to find a way to pressure Dixon into making bad throws, something they could not do against Nevada. Oregon is also going to have to find a way to make Brandstater throw the ball on the run or before he wants to. That is something Nevada could not do either. Overall I expect both teams to have good stats with respect to running and passing. The Offensive lines are just to good to allow anything else to happen.

Offensive Line Advantage - Even


Defensive Line - Fresno State has struggled with the run outside for as long as I can remember and last week was no different against Nevada. While our line was made up of second teamers during the third quarter that is still no excuse to allow Nevada to run all but five plays the entire quarter. If Fresno allows Oregon to control the ball for that much of any quarter their defensive line will be decimated by the end of this game. Fresno's defense is made up of speed which can be a great thing at times. Clutts is fast and furious on the line but many times the opposing teams qb is given far too much time to throw. If Oregon is given this much time Dixon will tear our defensive secondary apart. At the same time our defense is going to have to do a better job of pursuing the rb during the game. We cannot allow Stewart to have a big game as he did against Stanford.

Oregon from what I understand is very similar to Fresno on defense. From time to time they have defensive lapses and allow huge chunks of yards on the ground. It comes as no surprise that they can allow passing yards because of the fact they like to go man to man on the receivers. Fresno will be able to open holes for Wright to run through but to expect six yards a carry against Oregon would be crazy. At the same time if Brandstater can make the throws to his receivers the Bulldogs will be in good shape. Oregon will get more pressure on Fresno than Nevada did, Oregon is just a better team all around. Fresno should expect blitzes from the safety and corner position at times because of Brandstater's relative inexperience. Overall Oregon's defensive line may have a small advantage due to the fact they are better at stopping the run, something Fresno has had trouble doing for quite a while now.

Defensive Line Advantage - Oregon

FSU-Oregon WR/TE Preview

Wide Receivers - Joe Fernandez showed why he is one of the best posession receivers in college football this past Friday against Nevada. Fernandez caught everything that went his way as did Fairman and Williams. Although none of these three had amazing numbers they caught the ball when it was thrown their way. This Saturday against Oregon the passing game is going to play a much more important role than it did against Nevada. Because Nevada would drop more men back in coverage daring the Dogs to run, the running game became Nevada's weakness. Let's just say Oregon is the exact opposite. Oregon will beg Brandstater to beat them by playing man to man on our best receivers. Look for Fernandez, Williams, and Fairman to be active in this game early and often. Hill knows he will have to throw the ball to be successful in beating Oregon. With three returning receivers Fresno should have a positive day with respect to the receiving game.



In 2005 Oregon was known for it's high flying aerial attack. However, with the defection of Clemons to the pros this team takes on a whole new persona. Dennis Dixon leads a run oriented team that can throw the ball if they have to. Oregon lost it's top three receivers to graduation, however that does not change the fact that Oregon's receivers have speed and good hands. Dixon will look for Strong and Williams to keep the Bulldogs guessing. As before Oregon's #1 receiver (I am guessing that it is Strong) will be bottled up by McCauley. If that is the case Oregon will work to the other side of the field constantly just as Nevada did. If Oregon is successful passing the ball in this game look for the running game to open up as well which will only spell bad news for the Fresno State defense.

Wide Receiver Edge - Fresno State, but close.

Tight Ends - As we saw in the opener Fresno State does not live or die by the tight end. Bear Pascoe is a huge target that acts as a safety valve if everyone else on the field is covered. In my opinion the Dogs really should use Pascoe more as he has great hands and is open often during the course of a game. However, because Fresno State does not tend to utilize the Tight End position there really is no way to say our Tight End game is truly an advantage at all. Pascoe does run good routes and is a decent blocker.

Dante Rosario is the leading tight end for Oregon. He may have only had two catches last weekend against Stanford but they went for forty yards. In other words Rosario can be considered a mid to deep threat out of the tight end position. Rosario like Pascoe is a big target as he stands at 6'4 and weighs in at 250 pounds. He will be tough to keep from getting his hands on the ball if only because of his amazing size. Goodwin, Andrews, Lane, and Riley (if he plays, however doubtful) will have to do their best to keep Rosario from getting the ball. Because Oregon also tends to concentrate on the run they will use their tight end to block inside and out. Overall the Tight End position is very similar for both teams.

Tight End Advantage - Even

FSU-Oregon Quarterback/Running Back Preview

Quarterbacks - Dennis Dixon is one of the more explosive running quarterbacks in the nation. While he does not have the greatest of arms and is not nearly as accurate as Clemons was last year for Oregon, his speed will cause fits for Fresno State. If Dixon is pressured, he can easily avoid pressure and turn a loss into a big gain. Dixon only rushed for 17 yards last weekend against Stanford, but they did not need a big running game out of him as the running game overall was powerful. Oregon's offensive line will give Dixon time to throw as they will also open up holes for their running backs to get through. While Fresno beat a good team in Nevada they are no where near the talent level that Oregon is. Oregon should come into Fresno ranked somewhere between 17-19. Dixon is the team leader and will run a powerful offense. Fresno will have to figure out how to put pressure on a man who can make mistakes, but only if he is forced
into undesirable situations.

Tom Brandstater Showed he can play qb for the Bulldogs last weekend, but will have much more of a challenge this time around against a far superior Oregon defense. Fresno will have to open up the passing game much more than the week prior because Oregon will dare them to throw the ball downfield. Brandstater has the arm to make great throws but the question is will he be ready to step up in such a big game this early in his career? Yes he made the good smart passes against Nevada but Fresno will nee more out of him this time around. Brandstater will have to take advantage of the one on one matchups that Oregon will give him with respect to Fernandez and Williams. If he cannot this will turn into a long game for the Bulldogs.

Quarterback Advantage - Oregon

Running Backs - Oregon ran the ball against Stanford at will. Oregon ran for 300 yards on the ground because their offensive line is disciplined and opened up gaping holes for the running backs all day. The running attack is led by Jonathan Stewart, a sophomore who is 5'11 but weighs 230. He is a bullish runner and is much like Dwayne Wright with respect to breaking tackles. Oregon will try to establish the run first and foremost and a bulk of the carries will go to Stewart who ran for 168 yards against Stanford. If Fresno cannot close the holes in the middle they are going to give up large amounts of yards. Nevada exposed the Bulldogs weaknesses on the line but with Shirley and Leonard in the middle the Dogs should be able to limit Oregon with respect to the running game. Oregon will not be completely stopped, they are far too talented to have that done to them. However, Fresno needs to focus on keeping the Ducks from gaining five yards a carry. If they can do so the Dogs will have a chance in this one.

Fresno obviously runs with Dwayne Wright and Lonyae Miller. Against Nevada Fresno State racked up 212 total yards rushing and will look to establish their running game from the start. However, Oregon will challenge Fresno State by putting eight-nine men in the box at times. They will beg the Bulldogs to beat them with their passing game just as they coaxed them into doing last year. It is important for Fresno State to establish a great time of possession advantage in order for the Bulldogs to come out on top in this game. Fresno has a running game that equals Oregon's, however the Bulldogs offensive line must continue to open holes like they did against Nevada. This game will come down to execution in the trenches. If Fresno can provide running room they may be able to control the clock and come out on top. If they can't then the game will be placed squarely on Brandstater's shoulders, something that can't be too comfortable this early into his career.

Running Back Advantage - Even

Remaining Posts This Week:

9/5 - Wide Receivers/Tight End

9/6 - Offensive Line/Defensive Line

9/7 - LineBackers/Secondary

9/8 - Game Prediction

9/9 - GameDay

Was That Near Perfect?

As all of you already know Fresno State and Nevada played an exciting football game Friday with the Bulldogs coming out on top 28-19. I have to say I was very surprised by how well Fresno State played. I said the Bulldogs would win by seven when in fact they won by nine, but it could have been a much different game if one play here or there were to be changed. If Dwayne Wright did not fumble on the first drive the Bulldogs would have had seven more points. If Paul Williams catch in the fourth quarter had been ruled a catch Fresno would have had at least three more points. If Nevada did not miss an extra point early in the game they would have scored at least two more points. I can say if, but, or and but the fact is Fresno State played a near perfect first game with their new quarerback at the helm. Here are the things that impressed me the most about the Bulldogs this past weekend.

1) Brandstater's decision making: I questioned Tom Brandstater more than anyone from Bulldog nation. I did not think he would be ready to play for us, and I was wrong. He made one questionable throw the entire game. Each deep ball he put up could only be caught by a Fresno State player. When he would make a bad throw it was too deep for anyone to catch. If he rolled out and could not find anyone he did not throw the ball into coverage but instead ran with it. Brandstater has good mobility and a cannon arm to the outside. He hit Fernandez countless times right in the chest on balls he had to throw 25 yards to the hashes. Overall Tom stayed away from making mistakes, and as a Fresno fan what more could you ask for out of a qb?

2) Dwayne Wright: Everything about this man was phenominal. On two different plays he carried five-six players on his back while acquiring key first downs in the game. There is no question Wright is back and ready to assume the role of starting running back. I was also impressed with Lonyae Miller in his debut. He looked confident and ran through holes with explosive speed. He is going to be a great back in the near future.

3) The Offensive Line: If no one noticed Brandstater was touched maybe three times the entire game. There were plays were Brandstate sat back and waited for seconds upon seconds to throw the ball. Our offensive line also opened up massive holes for Wright and Miller to run through. Without these guys our run game would not have been nearly as effective as it ended up being.

4) Clint Stitser/Robert Malone: Many will say why Clint Stitser? He didn't even attempt a field goal. While that may be true, Stitser kicked the ball through the end zone each time except two, with one of those leading to a Nevada player being tackeld at the eleven yard line. Robert Malone boomed punt after punt and because of these two men we won the field position battle which is always important in college football.

Of course being as analytical as I am I did find one thing that continually will piss me off if it isn't fixed. Our third quarter defense was attrocious. Now I am aware some of our d-line starters were not in but that is no excuse to allow Nevada to run every play in the third quarter aside five. We were beaten up in the third quarter and if Nevada had not fumbled we would have been outscored by at least two touchdowns. Next weekend we will not be able to go through our game with Oregon and have a down quarter. Oregon destroyed Stanford 48-10 and will be ready for all we have to offer. Overall the Bulldogs played amazingly well for their first game together. Jefferson (#28 on defense) was amazing in the corner spot, as was Chastin West (#6) as a receiver. The Bulldogs have a great team this year and high hopes should be in our minds as fans. Here is hoping they can bring the intensity next weekend against a very good Oregon team. By the way, 40,000 fans on a Friday night at 5pm, awesome turnout. The game would have been sold out had it started at 7. The student section was loud as was the stadium. Hope to see everyone next weekend. I will start my Oregon preview tomorrow, Go Dogs.

'Dogs Take Care of Wolf Pack, 28-19

Read the recap and watch the highlights.

Gameday Analysis

FACTS & STATS:
Site: Bulldog Stadium (41,031) Fresno, California.
Television: ESPN.
Series Record: Fresno State leads, 22-13-1.

Complete Release on gobulldogs.com

Bulldog Offense vs. Wolf Pack Defense

New Offensive Coordinator Steve Hagen has shortened the playbook for new QB Tom Brandstater, but that doesn’t change the fact that Pat Hill loves to run the ball down his opponent’s throat. RB Dwayne Wright will carry the ball early and often. He has looked great in fall camp and will be running behind an amazing offensive line. C Kyle Young and RT Chris Denman anchor an offensive line that returns four starters. The lone new starter is LT Bobby Lepori – who originally signed at Nevada but walked on at Fresno State in 2004. Lepori took hold of the starting spot in spring and had a very good fall camp.

Expect Wright to carry the ball at least 20-25 times. FB Roshon Vercher is healthy after missing the last three games last season, and is one of the better lead blockers in the nation. A strong running game will ease the pressure off of Brandstater, and open up at Hill staple – the play-action pass.

NT Matt Hines (6-1 285) is the anchor of the Wolf Pack 3-4 defense, but he will be matched up against Young (6-5 330) most of the game. Nevada’s ends were not great pass rushers last season, and will have a hard time getting to Brandstater. However, DE J.J. Milan – who missed last season – has emerged and he had 4.5 sacks in 2004. The Wolf Pack’s best passer rusher is Bandit LB Ezra Butler – 20% of his tackles last year came behind the line of scrimmage. ILBs Joshua Mauga and Jason Demars will have the task of plugging the holes in the 3-4 defense– Roosevelt Cooks did an excellent job in last year’s game. Nevada will more than likely bring up both its safeties to help shore up the run defense.

Brandstater will have a plethora of wide receivers, tight ends and backs to get the ball to. But don’t expect Fresno State to throw the long ball, but instead focusing on quick hitch routes and screens, so the Bulldogs can take advantage of their speed on the outside. WR Paul Williams – arguably the WAC’s best – will match up against 1st team All-WAC CB Joe Garcia. Garcia and Williams will be an exciting match-up to watch all game. However, CB De’Angelo Wilson will be making his first start and his assignment will be the Bulldog’s top WR – the last two years – Joe Fernandez.

Tight end Bear Pascoe could create match-up problems for the Wolf Pack, with his size and speed, over the middle. Nevada’s strong-side LB Jeremy Engstrom will be making his first start since 2004 and SS Uche Anyanwu has never started.

Bulldog Defense vs. Wolf Pack Offense

Defensive Coordinator Dan Brown has said Fresno State has never had this much depth at defensive line and linebacker in his 10 years with the program. The Bulldogs will have speed on the ends that was non-existent in years past.

The 4-3 Bulldog defense starts in the middle with a pair of 300 pound DTs – Jason Shirley and Louis Leonard – and stout MLB Dwayne Andrews. Nevada will be hard pressed to run up the middle against the Fresno State defense. Despite the loss of its two top WLBs – Marcus Riley and Quaadir Brown – Ahijah Lane had a great fall camp and will fill in perfectly on the weak side. Alan Goodwin is not a speedster at SLB, but is like Andrews – a big tough run-stuffing LB.

Tyler Clutts and Marlon Brisco combined for 24 starts last year at DE. Both will share time with Pac-10 transfers, Jason Roberts and Mike Stuart, and Ikenna Ike in pass rush defenses against the Wolf Pack’s Pistol offense. Bulldogs go three deep at defensive line and might experiment with four linebacker sets – Stuart and Roberts are faster than most linebackers. And OLB Trevor Shamblee showed in fall that he is a great rusher from the outside.

Chris Ault is known for his high-flying passing attacks, but his Pistol offense is a way of developing a stronger running game from the Shotgun formation. Nevada does not use a fullback and the tight end is used more like a WR. The Pistol formation lines RB Robert Hubbard up directly behind QB Jeff Rowe in a shortened three yard Shotgun formation.

Nevada had success running the ball against Fresno State last season, by avoiding the middle of the defense and running almost exclusively to the weak side with counters and draws. Nevada returns three starters on the offensive line and a fourth that started last season before a season ending injury. Fresno State will have to take advantage of their size and speed up front.

If Nevada has an advantage it is Rowe and his receivers. WR Kyle Sammons is out, but All-WAC Caleb Spencer still leads a deep group that returns three starters, including tight end Anthony Pudewell. The Wolf Pack receivers will have a slight advantage over a Bulldog secondary that has two true freshmen on the depth chart. However, Spencer will be covered by one of the nation’s best, CB Marcus McCauley.

Nevada will try to establish a run game to compliment their strong passing game. The Wolf Pack will try to take advantage of the aggressive Bulldog safeties. SS Josh Sherley and FS Vince Mays will have to help in pass coverage, specifically Mays. If safeties are caught cheating, Rowe will take advantage and exploit it.

Special Teams, Coaching and Intangibles

Fresno State has the decided advantage in special teams. Nevada still does not have a starting punter and K Brett Jaekle has not made a FG beyond 40 yards in his career. Bulldog K Clint Stitser is healthy and looked amazing in fall camp; P Mike Lingua also returns. Garcia will be handling punt return duties for the Wolf Pack and Hubbard – who averaged 24 ypr last season – will return kickoffs. Last season’s part-time punt returner Joe Fernandez is slated to return kicks for Fresno State.

Ault arguably out-coached Hill in last season’s game. As well, he has had great success in Fresno per se. His 1994 Nevada team demolished Fresno State 62-35 at Bulldog Stadium, and it wasn’t even that close. Hill has never had so much pressure in a season opener in his tenure; his team is in the midst of a four game losing streak.

Fresno State has played great in home openers under Hill, last losing in 1998 to – of all teams – Nevada. Bulldog Stadium is not the easiest place to win, especially if the Bulldogs are focused and motivated to play.

Analysis

Fresno State has too much size and speed up front, and at the skill positions, to lose to Nevada. In a game where the temperature is going to reach the high 90’s, the decided advantage will go to the team with more depth.

Nevada’s best chance to pull out the win is to make the game a shoot-out. The Bulldog defense should be able to eliminate the Wolf Pack’s big offensive plays. And the offense will wear down the improved, but overmatched, Wolf Pack defense.


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It's Gameday (Finally)

I was surfing the internet last night and I stumbled across a few facts that to me were interesting to say the least.

1) Fresno State has not played a game in 244 days.

2) Fresno State has not won a game in 294 days. Yes it's almost been one year since we have won a game.

3) In the last six seasons Fresno State is 29-5 at home.

With all of these being facts you would hope that tonight Bulldog stadium will be filled to capacity. Unfortunately reports have 37,000 tickets sold for the game as of this morning. I really hope Fresno fans prove me wrong today by showing up in full force for this game. Anyhow enough ranting and raving about the Bulldogs fan support, it's gameday.

Today is a day that all of us fans wait for every season. We have to wait eight months for Fresno Sttae to suit up and run onto the field every year. Is it me or does the off-season seem longer every year? This Fresno State team has a chance to be one of the better Bulldog teams to ever step onto the field. This Bulldog team has a chance to make us forget about the David Carr years (which everyone seems to reference when talking about the good times). More importantly this Fresno State team has a chance to play a complete season without a let down. Because the 2006 season is full of tough opponents Fresno State will have to be at the top of their game every week. The Bulldogs will not be able to have off weeks that have become so common in the past years. This Bulldog team wil be focused because of the failures of the past. Show up tonight and you will see a different Bulldogs team than we have witnessed in the past. This team wil play defense, run the ball efficiently, and in the end win the hearts of the fans. It all begins tonight at Bulldog stadium. Be there and you will see exactly what I am talking about.

By the way I put a picture of Fresno State vs. Boise at the top because that is the last game we won. It's hard to believe it has been that long isn't it.

Fresno's Problematic Fan Base

In case anyone doesn't know that is Bulldog stadium on the left. It isn't the largest of stadiums nor is it the most beautiful. But it is the home to our Fresno State Bulldogs. That in itself should be enough to sell out our home games yearly. Fresno only hosts six home games a season at the most. This season we have Nevada, Oregon, Hawaii, and Colorado State on our home schedule. It would not surprise me one bit to see all of those games with open seats throughout the stadium. Bulldog stadium seats close to 44,000 people. In the central valley and surrounding cities there are close to one million people total. Fresno State is the only Division one school in the central valley with a college football team that is competitive with the big boys year in and year out. Fresno State puts player upon player into the NFL and has an outside shot at having three Bulldogs drafted in the top two rounds in 2007. But you know what I am willing to bet? I bet every one of you so called Fresno fans that we do not sell out more than one game at home. In order to sell out a game only five percent of the central valley would have to attend them game, yet we still cannot find way to get people to the games.

Fresno State does everything in their power to get people out to watch the games. They offer ticket prices that are reasonable and actually offer verious specials yearly to get us to fill the stadium to capacity. This year they are offering four game ticket plans for 89 dollars and are even allowing you to see Hawaii, Oregon, and Colorado State in that package. For the Nevada game fans were able to buy four packs for 60 dollars. Four people could go to Bulldog stadium on Friday and enjoy a Bulldog game (one of the best sources of entertainment in the valley) for 15 dollars a piece. I don't vent often but this is one situation that has always bothered me. Last year we played La. Tech with the WAC title on the line and the attendance was a disgrace to the football program (36,000 fans but there were far less in the stadium). In fact we did not sell out one game last season. We couldn't even sell out the Boise State game which by all means is one of the most important games of the year.

I hear Fresno fans complaining that we do not get enough media coverage. I hear Fresno fans complaining that we do not have the facilities to compete with the bigger schools. Well Fresno fans you are correct; we don't have these amazing facilities or the great tv and media coverage schools such as the Pac-10 do. But do you know where it starts with? It starts with us as fans. If we cannot sell out games now, why do you clamor for a bigger stadium? Do you think knowing that Bulldog stadium has a capacity of 55,000 will change the way fans flock to the game? All I am saying is support Fresno State win or lose. Look at these big schools you want to compare the Dogs to. Tennessee had a horrible season last year, yet when you look at there attendance it is always near full capacity. In Tennessee they may not have been happy with the 2005 season, but they supported their team none the less.

In the end I am asking fans to support Fresno State. Obviously my blog is not going to be the reason why Bulldog games all of the sudden sell out. But just think about it; If there were 36,000 fans in the stadium and you brought one guest for every four that showed up, you just sold out the stadium. It doesn't take much effort to do. My friend and I both bought two sets of season tickets so we could add to the core group that goes to the games. We started out with two tickets five years ago and now our friendly section is up to twelve. Next season I know it is going to expand to sixteen people. Just advertise Fresno State. They are going to be a good team, and it will be well worth it to watch them. But Bulldog fans, watch the Dogs whether they win or lose. One day they will not lose a game and you will feel good because you supported them throughout the good times and the bad. We could be Idaho, or New Mexico State. We could have very little direction. Instead we are Fresno State and personally I am proud to be a Bulldog fan. All of you true Bulldog fans should be as well.


Note - My above comment referring to true Bulldog fans, well if you are readin this blog I am not putting you down. I know there are plenty of true fans out there, we just have to get others interested.

Fresno State-Nevada Special Teams Preview

Special Teams - Throughout the course of the year there will be few teams who can match Fresno State on special teams. The Bulldogs kick coverage teams tend to be solid year after year as they send players such as Williams and McCauley on kick coverage plays and their speed will combat any players abilities during a return. At the same time our kick return game always tends to net great results. If Clifton Smith were healthy Fresno State would have one of the top kick returners in the nation. Unfortunately that is not the case for the Bulldogs. Joe Fernandez looks to be the kick returner for the time being. Fernandez did return a punt last year 72 yards for a touchdown against Idaho and does a good job of making sure he catches the ball before he does anything else. Chastin West may be the sleeper here as he has been taking reps as the kick returner in practice. The kicking game at Fresno State is solid once again with the return of both Lingua and Stitser. Clint Stitser may be one of the top five kickers in the college game, however he has only attempted twelve field goals in his college career. He has one of the strongest legs to ever come through Fresno State as 50 yard field goals are a definite possibility. Mike Lingua may not punt the ball 50 yards each time but due to his amazing hangtime Fresno State tends to net the lowest punt return yardage in the nation. Most teams are forced to fair catch the ball instead of returning it giving the Bulldogs valuable field position throughout the course of the game.

Nevada will have an excellent kick return game as long as Hubbard's hands are on the ball. If you don't remember Hubbard just think back to 2005. Hubbard is the back that ran all over the Fresno State defense. Hubbard is an exciting athlete and has speed that is hard to counter. Fresno State will have to rely on Stitser to kick the ball through or into the end zone in order to limit the amount of yards Hubbard can gain on kickoffs. Nevada's field goal kicker Brett Jaekle had a decent 80% kicking rate in 2005 as he was 12 of 15. However only two of those field goal attempts were from 40 or longer. Nevada lost it's punter and will have to begin from scratch with respect to this part of the special teams game. Overall Fresno State will have the special teams advantage. If Fresno State can make one or two big plays on special teams look for this game to swing in favor of the Dogs in the end.

Special Teams Advantage - Fresno State


Prediction - This is going to be as close as the odds makers have deemed it to be. The line on the game began at -11.5 points in favor of the Wolfpack. However, that has steadily gone down over the past few weeks. Today the line sits at -6.5 in the Wolfpack's favor. In other words Nevada is getting 6.5 points in this game. I honestly feel that this game will come down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Jeff Rowe will be able to dictate his pace on offense if he gets time to throw. He is experienced and makes plenty of great throws. He will only get better as the season moves along so in a sense it is good that Fresno State opens with Nevada this season. Fresno State is going to try and run the ball continuously in order to control the clock. With a quarterback who has little experience the Bulldogs will rely on Dwayne Wright to get them downfield. If the run game is not effective this game could very well go South for the Bulldogs. In the end Fresno State should have enough to pull this one out at home. The Bulldogs usually play outstanding football to start the season and being at home will only help the cause. That being said don't be surprised if Nevada walks out of Fresno with a win in an upset.

Prediction -Fresno State 31 Nevada 24

Well we have finally reached the end of the line, the college football season begins today. All Bulldog fans show up tomorrow and support the Dogs. Let's fill the stadium and show this Fresno State team we are behind them.

Fresno State-Nevada D-Line/Linebacker/Secondary Preview

Defensive Line - First and foremost everyone knows that we lost the motor that kept our defense going last season in Garrett McIntyre. However, Tyler Clutts will take over as the team leader on defense and I truly don't feel like we will lose much with respect to the departure of McIntyre. Do not get me wrong, he was a great asset to have on defense, but Fresno has plenty of experience and talent to more than makeup for the loss of McIntyre. The defensive line returns Tyler Clutts, Louis Leonard and Marlon Brisco. The strength of this Fresno State team may very well be it's defensive front line as Jason Shirley and Louis Leonard make up 600 pounds of meat in the middle of the line. They will be a huge reason opposing teams have a terrible time trying to break through the middle on this Bulldog run defense. While all of the returning starters will contribute to a stout defensive line it is quite possible that some of the returning non-starters and transfers will help to solidify this d-line. One of the biggest additions to the team is that of Mike Stuart. A blue chipper in 2004 Stuart departed USC and played one season at Moorpark JC. Stuart looked very impressive in each scrimmage and has the strength and speed to wreak havoc on the opposing team's qb. Joe Monga and Jason Roberts round out the front line and will get plenty of playing time as they are both physical talent's and can stop the run just as well as any of our players on the d-line. Overall this defensive line will be one of the better unit's Fresno State has put on the field. Expect plenty of pressure from them as they force Rowe to run all over the field forcing throws that he would rather not make.

I have to admit that I do not know how good Nevada's d-line is. I do know that they can be eaten up on the pass and can be run on quite frequently. While Nevada was able to score points in large amounts last year they also could give up points in a hurry. Fresno played an awful game against Nevada in 2005 yet put up 35 points in their game. Nevada returns two of it's defensive lineman in Charles Wilson and Matt Hines. Hines and Wilson combined for 6 sacks and 60 tackles on the season. However, Nevada will have to find a way to replace their team leader in both tackles and sacks in Roosevelt Cooks. Cooks accounted for 98 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2005. Nevada also lost another big defensive cog in Craig Bailey who accounted for 27 tackles and 4 sacks on the season. Nevada is going to have a hard time up front stopping the Bulldogs run game. The Bulldogs offensive line will wear down Nevada's defense with Versher and Wright coming at them play after play. With all that Nevada has lost I just don't see any way that their defensive line will be able to stop the Bulldogs running game.

Defensive Line Advantage - Fresno State

Linebackers - At one time Fresno State looked to have an experienced Linebacker core that had the talent to stop anyone on the field. The status of the Bulldogs linebacker core has unfortunately changed dramaticaly since practice began. With Riley and Brown out that leaves the Dogs with two experienced starters in Goodwin and Andrews. Now don't get me wrong, Goodwin and Andrews are solid Linebackers with Andrews being one of our top defensive talents. However, last year when Riley went down against USC it became apparent how important it was to have him on the weakside to stop the run. Before Riley went down the defense gave up an average of 14 points per game. After Riley's injury the defense gave up 39 points per game. It's no surprise that Reggie Bush did most of his damage against Fresno State last year after halftime when Riley came out of the game due to injury. How Fresno State replaces Riley is going to be the key to the Linebacking core this season. Brown would have provided a suitable replacement as he has size and speed to combat the opposing team's rushing game. Instead Ahjah Lane and Trevor Shamblee will have to pick up the slack at LB for the Bulldogs. Regardless of who plays this season at LB it will be an upgrade to Manual Sanchez who had various problems reading the run. Sanchez has departed and although he had heart and played tough he was out of position at LB. Nevada will have an opportunity to run their TE's at Fresno State's LB core. How Nevada matches up with Fresno's LB's might very well tell how the pace of this game will go.

Nevada returns all three of their LB's for this game against Fresno State. Nevada's LB's (Demars, Mauga, and Butler) combined for 146 tackles and eight sacks on the season. While Fresno's D-line is going to be their greatest asset in this game, Nevada's returning LB's may very well be their biggest strength. However, as I mentioned earlier Nevada is susceptable to giving up the big play over the middle. While Nevada's LB's have experience they tend to gamble when going for the ball. If Fresno can run reverses and counters they should find that the running room will be there play after play. Nevada may have the edge in the Linebacking core if for no reason other than experience. This facet of the game would tilt towards Fresno State if the Bulldogs returned all LB"s and were healthy but that is not the case this season. Regardless Fresno's O-line will be able to open holes for the running game and gain large amounts of yardage with Wright.

Lineback Advantage - Even

Secondary - Anyone who knows me at all will realize I believe McCauley is the single best corner we have ever had at Fresno State. I truly feel like there is no way that Nevada will be able to get the ball to their number one receiver Caleb Spencer. McCauley does not gamble as Marshall did and hits ferociously when the ball is caught. He will give the offense a two to three yard window but has amazing closing speed as witnessed in the game against USC. Very rarely is McCauley beaten downfield and when someone does get by him he will make them pay when they catch the ball (anyone remember the Tulsa game last season?) However, opposite of McCauley will be the challenge this season with the departure of Marshall (we wish him the best at Carolina). Jenkins and Simmons will vie for the other corner spot. At the moment Jenkins looks to have played his way onto the field much more than thought at the starting of camp. One positive is this corner will get every team's #2 receiver as McCauley will draw the #1. This should help soften the blow of starting for the first time for either Simmons or Jenkins. Regardless our corners will be some of the speediest corners in the nation this season as McCauley is the fastest player on the team being clocked at an amazing 4.3 40. Jenkins and Simmons can both fly as well. Thankfully Fresno State will return two safeties in Mays and Shirley. In other words Fresno will have three of the four secondary positions returning with experiencing. It is to bad that Marshall decided to leave because if he hadn't the Bulldogs would have one of the top secondary's in the WAC, if not the nation. Nevada will have a very hard time throwing the ball in the 15 to 20 yard range. Deep downfield on McCauley's side is almost non existant as an option for Nevada. If Nevada throws downfield they will have to attack Jenkins/Simmons side of the field in order to accomplish any kind of mid to deep passing attack.

Nevada returns one safety and one corner. Villasenor only registered 18 tackles last season but is a safety. Garcia on the other hand as corner registered 72 tackles and did all he could to solidify a run defense that was a mess for most of the season. Nevada did win nine games last season but their defense was not the reason for this. If Fresno can attack the corners they will have a large amount of success throwing to Fernandez and Williams. Williams will be matched up with Garcia and has a two inch height advantage, not to mention Williams has the leaping ability that many in the college ranks cannot compete with. Brandstater will have to find Williams early and often to open up the running game against Nevada. If Brandstater can find Williams, Fernandez, and Fairman against a weak pass defense Fresno will be able to run the ball down Nevada's throat. Fresno has a chance to beat the spread easily but only if Brandstater performs up to expectations. The Bulldogs have the edge in the secondary as their speed and experience should help them against Nevada.

Secondary Advantage - Fresno State

Next: 8/31 Special Teams and Game Prediction

Fresno State-Nevada Wide Receiver/Tight End Comparison

Wide Receivers - Fresno State returns three receivers from their core group in 2005. Most importantly the Bulldogs return two of the best receivers in the WAC in Joe Fernandez and Paul Williams. Fernandez has great hands and has become one of the better posession receivers in the nation. He rarely drops the ball and runs great routes allowing the quarteback to get him the ball in the desperate situations. Williams led the team in receiving yardage in 2005 and became the go to man with many acrobatic catches throughout the season. If Nevada lines up with either receiver man to man there is no way they will be able to cover both of them. Williams height and ability to get to the ball make it impossible to shut him down. While both of these receivers are great Jaron Fairman is the third receiver that tends to go under the radar. Fairman has great hands and will run over the middle putting himself on the line almost every play to make the big catch. As most of you dogs fans know we have four Freshman receivers who have come in. The only one at this time that may make an impact is Chastin West. he not only has great hands but is being looked at as a kick returner. With all of these options Tom Brandstater has to like what he has been given offensively.

Nevada returns two receivers in Caleb Spencer and Kyle Sammons that combined for 94 catches and 1259 yards on the season. Spencer is Rowe's go to man and will draw McCauley as a defensive assignment. Rowe will have to find other options at receiver due to the fact that McCauley is a lock down corner and will shut down Spencer for most of the game. How Nevada replaces Nichirin Flowrs will be important to how effective they are offensively against Fresno State. Flowers did not have the greatest of years but always played big against Fresno State. Nevada will have to find someone else to go to just as they used Flowers against us in 2005. If they do not they will have a long frustrating night against the dogs defense.

Wide Receiver Advantage - Fresno State

Tight Ends - Fresno State has not been known to use the tight end as successfully as they might have hoped to over the last couple of years. However, this season may be far different than those that preceeded it. With a new offensive coordinator in Hagan the playbook might involve the tight end far more than in years past. Our old offensive coordinator Cignetti used a pro style offense that did very little to exploit matchup problems on the outside. Bear Pascoe will create problems for defenses purely due to his size (6-5, 260). He is a large receiver with speed and good hands. if he can become a viable option for Brandstater Fresno State will have four options to throw to. Jesus Tapia will also become an option at tight end this season. Although Tapia played sparingly in 2005 he is not new to Fresno State's system and will be able to contribute when put in the right situations. Overall Fresno State will have a strong set of TE's to throw to if the option is needed during the game against Nevada.

Nevada returns it's leading tight end in Anthony Pudewell. Pudewell led Nevada in receiving with respect to to tight ends in 2005 with 27 catches and 308 yards receiving. As you can see Nevada does not use their tight end much either. Nevada runs a modified version of the Hawaii spread offense that tries to get Rowe on the outside of the defense where he can exploit mismatches. Nevada will have the option to throw to their tight ends due to the fact that Riley and Brown are out for this game. Our LB core once strong has been depleted by injuries. Although we will have Goodwin and Andrews starting the third LB spot is going to be tough to fill. If Nevada exploits this tight end problem Fresno State could be in for a long night.

Tight End Advantage - Even

On the Radio

I will be Fox Sports Radio 1340/1400 Real Deal local sport show, today (August 29), at 4:30 p.m. PT talking Bulldog Football with Brian and Chaz. There is no webcast, so tune in if you can.

Brandstater Will Start vs. Nevada

Now contrary to what people may think, I don't feel like it's a bad decision to start Tom Brandstater. Brandstater does have a very strong arm and does know the offense with this being his third year in the system. I don't worry that Tom can't get the job done. I mean last year and the year prior how often did the fans yell "Tommy" when Pinegar struggled? This is where I worry. Pat Hill is a hard headed coach and sticks with his ideas for far too long at times. I am not going to blame the offense over the past few years on Hill, that was Cignetti's doing and as most of you know he has since moved on to North Carolina. Poor North Carolina, they are going to see how great it is to run the ball on first and second down every time regardless of how many yards are needed.

I just hope that this season if we have struggles at quarterback, that Hill does not hesitate to put Norton in. Norton is very close with respect to talent and can play quarterback as well. This is not like the Tom Brandstater-Paul Pinegar situation where the backup did not have the knowledge to get the job done. This time around the backup has plenty of knowledge to get in there and help us out. In a perfect world Brandstater will make me look like an idiot and play amazingly. I am hoping that is what happens but do not know how well Brandstater will perform under the gun. But Tom is our starter and I will support him for as long as he plays quarterback at Fresno State. Four more days until the first game, and finally we know who our starting quarterback will be.

Fresno State-Nevada O-Line/RB Preview

Offensive Line - With respect to the WAC Fresno State will have the advantage here regardless of who they play. With a starting five comprised of Lepori, Wendell, Young, Popovich and Denman our quarterback will not have to worry about pressure often. Brandstater or Norton (The quarterback will be announced today at 11am) will have plenty of time to throw as this same offensive line (minus Lepori) gave up a paltry fourteen sacks last season. Nevada on the other hand allowedRowe to be sacked thirty times and lost two of their offensive lineman. Finding a way to protect Rowe will be a tough job as Fresno State will bring pressure as much as they possibly can. As I mentioned before, the Dogs defense must force Rowe to throw the ball far earlier than usual in order to break him free of his comfort zone at quarterback. The dogs defense will not be able to do this if Nevada's offensive line can provide Rowe the time he needs to disect the defense. Overall the advantage here has to go to Fresno State as year after year the Bulldogs can produce at least one one thousand yard rusher, if not two. As long as the Bulldogs offensive line protects like they normally do the QB will have plenty of time to throw the ball and give the Dogs an early lead they should build upon as time goes on.

Offensive Line Advantage - Fresno State

Running Backs - Fresno State and Nevada will both provide two of the premier running backs in the WAC this season. If you need proof of how explosive Hubbarb can be for Nevada just review the game against Fresno in 2005. Hubbard rushed for 146 yards on 16 carries against Fresno in 2005. He ran through gaping holes in the middle. Once he ran past the defensive line he showed his explosive speed running down the field into the secondary of the Bulldogs. If Nevada can find a way to open up holes as they did in 2005, Hubbard will have an amazing game against Fresno State. I am willing to bet this is not going to happen again however. Pat Hill will have Fresno's defense ready to go against the run this season. The loss of Brown to injury and the fact Riley is still recovering will hurt the dogs run defense, but not so much that it will be noticeable in this game.

Dwayne Wright has not played for two seasons now. Every Bulldog fan knows the story of how Wright was placed on the disabled list in the first place. If Wright is healthy (which he showed he is in practice) he will have a great game against Nevada's pourous rush defense. Wright can run East-West if forced to, but has the power and ability to become a battering ram. With Versher in front of him, Wright will have large holes to run through and should gain over one hundred yards against Nevada. However, Hubbard should have a good game as well. These two running backs are the best the WAC has to offer this season and we as fans have the pleasure of watching them in the first game of the season. Overall, the running back situation for both teams has to be looked at as virtually even.

Running Back Advantage - Draw/Even

Here is the lineup for the rest of the week:

8/29 - Receivers/Tight Ends

8/30 - Defensive Line/Secondary

8/31 - Linebackers/Special Teams/Prediction

9/1 - Fresno State vs. Nevada

Remember if you guys have anything you need to know or any questions or comments just ask. I will do whatever I can to help out Fresno fans, or WAC fans for that matter. By the way our starting quarterback will be named in one hour.

How Important is Nevada?

Nevada is the arguably the biggest and most important home season opener in the Pat Hill era. It was over 20 years ago (1985 UNLV) the last time Fresno State opened up a season with a conference opponent.

A win over the Wolf Pack will:

End a four game losing streak.

Start the WAC season 1-0.

Build momentum for the following game vs. Oregon.

But more importantly, sell tickets!

A loss to the Wolf Pack will:

Give FS a 5 game losing streak. A last time that happened was 95-96.

Virtually end FS's chances at a BCS bowl berth and WAC title.

Make fans hesitant in buying tickets for Oregon. Fickle Fresno fans rationale, if FS can't beat Nevada, then FS will get blown-out by the Pac 10 Ducks.

Hurt ticket sales.

Nevada is a decent team, that is able to upset Fresno State. Will it happen? I really don't see it happening -- but if it did -- the season will not be lost.

Just College Football predicts Fresno State to lose to Nevada but still finish the season 10-2. The only other loss JCF predicts is at LSU. Average football teams don't win 10 games, Fresno State has not won 10 games since 2001.

Fresno State-Nevada Quarterback Preview

The quarterback position between these two teams is tough to assess due to the uncertainty of who will be the starting quarterback for Fresno State. However it doesn't matter who starts for the Bulldogs, Jeff Rowe of Nevada will have the edge here. Many remember Rowe as the guy who single handedly ruined Fresno State's season last year by dissecting our defense with the spread formation that killed the Bulldogs. With respect to Fresno State the contrast in both styles of play at the quarterback position make the evaluation of the qb spot interesting to say the least. If Hill chooses Norton we have a mobile quarterback who will be able to evade trouble to make the throws needed to win the game. However, Brandstater is a pocket quarterback who has a cannon for an arm and can throw the deep ball better than most quarterbacks we have seen at Fresno State. Norton seems to have the better accuracy on the short passes which to me are the more important plays due to the fact they are done far more than the deep ball in Pat Hill's pro style offense.

If Brandstater is our starter he will have plenty of time to throw as our offensive line showed during the scrimmage. But because Brandstater has only thrown thirteen passes in college and Norton has thrown zero Fresno is left with two inexperienced qb's to lead them to victory. Rowe has poise and knows how to run his offense seeing that he is a senior at Nevada. Nevada will roll Rowe out to his left and right to create more time for him as he will look to hit receivers who run crosses over the middle of the field. The key to stopping Rowe will be to pressure him early and often. When he rolls out Fresno needs to send a corner or have a linebacker blitz him to force him to throw the ball early. If Rowe is put in uncomfortable positions he will make mistakes as his 2 to 1 td to int ratio tells us.

Whether Brandstater or Norton takes the reigns for Fresno State they will both have to avoid doing what Pinegar did so well: turning the ball over. We cannot afford to allow an offense like Nevada's extra chances with the ball. As explosive as Rowe can be, if his chances are limited on offense he will not be able to produce like he hopes to. In order to stop Rowe the defense must perform much like they did against Toledo last year. The defensive line needs to hit Rowe early and often even if it is just to remind him that they are there. If Fresno State can put pressure on Rowe constantly forcing him to run more than he would like to and the Bulldogs qb can refrain from making that unnecessary thrown then the Bulldogs will send Navada home with their first loss of the season.

QB Advantage - Nevada

Next up: 8/28 Running Back Comparison

In Pat Hill We Trust?

I have followed Fresno State football since I moved to Fresno in 1988. Of course since I was only eleven at the time I didn't much care about whether we won or lost, but instead I was more concerned with watching the games because I didn't understand how football worked. Fast forward to 2006 and so much has changed in Fresno. We have moved from the Big West to the WAC. We have gone from a relative unknown to the perennial giant killer of college football. Jim Sweeney ran the football team in the early-mid 1990's. We were shown the crazy passing attack that Trent Dilfer brought our team in 1992-1993. Who can forget one of our banner wins with Dilfer laying on the ground pumping his fist after he threw the final touchdown in a 48-45 win at BYU? Under Sweeney we had many exciting moments, but because of the way college football was structured we were relatively unknown during the Sweeney tenure until our Freedom Bowl win over a sub-par USC team.

As everyone knows today our Bulldogs are run by Pat Hill, a gritty coach who is known for being tough and hard headed. For the most part Pat Hill has made outstanding decisions with respect to Fresno State football. The Bulldogs under Hill have played in seven straight bowl games and an eighth one looks to be in sight at the end of the 2006 season. We have seen the David Carr explosion and watched countless Bulldog players enter the NFL in Pat Hill's system. Unfortunately for all of the accolades Hill receives for what he has done at Fresno State he will be most remembered for what he does this season. The reason I say this is this is the first season we have truly wondered who will be our qb. This is the first season where there is a large amount of uncertainty with respect to what will happen to the Bulldogs. While we have many outstanding players (at least three who should be drafted in the top two rounds next year in McCauley, Young, and Williams) the skilled positions were left depleted due to the draft and graduation. Many wonder if Hill will make the right decision with respect to our quarterback. Will he put the mobile Sean Norton in there or will he go with your prototypical qb in Tom Brandstater? Do we as Fresno State fans trust Pat Hill enough to know he will make the best decision for the team?

I have a feeling in the end that many Bulldog fans are going into this final week worried about this major decision that can heavily affect the Bulldogs. First of all it is never good to go this long without picking your starting qb. A team likes to have that cohesion that you form when you know who will be starting and who won't. When you wait as long as Hill has this season to name a starting qb it can lead to bad experiences on the field. However, on the flip side this would have all been for naught if Brandstater had performed better in the scrimmages. Hill has to deal with the fact that while Brandstater may have the size and the arm, he has not performed up to Bulldog standards as a quarterback in the scrimmages. Many who have attended practices and scrimmages have seen this. Norton on the other hand has excelled in the scrimmages, making this a very tough decision for Hill. Who will the quarterback be is a question that most will wonder over the weekend. Hopefully early next week we will know who the starter will be.

In the end I know many are worried that Hill might be putting too much of an emphasis on height. While I have my reservations I believe Pat Hill loves the Bulldogs more than anything aside his family. While I do not know him personally I truly believe that when the time comes to choose our starting qb he will make the right decision. But do you as Bulldog fans believe the same? Let me know your thoughts. By the way I will be starting my Nevada-Fresno State comparison today as I start with the quarterback position and work my way down to the special teams.

Our Biggest Rivalry Is???

Since I joined the BarkBoard I have noticed that one of the most debated issues is who Fresno State's biggest rivalry is. Many people argue that their number one rival is Boise State. Others feel it is San Jose State because of the long history we have with the Spartans. Still others feel as if it is San Diego State for historical reasons as well. This rivalry issue is one I have always wanted to write about because I have always thought the Bulldogs greatest rivalry is different than most other Bulldog fans believe it to be. However, before I get to who I believe the Dogs biggest rival is let's look at the other options that fans generally mention.

1) San Jose State - I believe those who argue San Jose State to be our biggest rival have a valid point. We have played San Jose more times than just about anyone else in our history. We have had some truly outstanding games with San Jose State. However, the last 13 years San Jose has not beaten Fresno State one time. For me that takes the rivalry idea away from our games with San Jose State.

2) San Diego State - Fresno State used to play San Diego State yearly. At that time San Diego State was a great rival for Fresno, but what people need to remember is we don't play San Diego yearly anymore. They are not part of our conference. This could become a rivalry for us once again but only if we renew our contract with San Diego State and the games are exciting like they were in the days of the early WAC.

3) Boise State - Many Bulldog fans feel as if Boise State has become our new biggest rivalry. I want to agree with everyone about this but I just don't think there is a big enough history with this team. Not to mention we have only played one close game with Boise since the Dogs began playing them yearly in 2001.

4) Hawaii - In my opinion we do not have a better rivalry in our history than Hawaii. I have experienced four home games against Hawaii and I don't feel like the crowd gets up for any other game quite like they do for Hawaii. Two years ago Hawaii ran through our Dog House at the beginning of the game and the Bulldogs pummeled Hawaii 70-14. Aside that game the bulk of our series have been nailbiters that have left the crowd with heartache or pleasure. Hawaii upset the Dogs in 2001 on the last play of the game. The following year they came into Bulldogs stadium and shut us down in the fourth quarter winning 31-21. However, the Dogs last season finally knocked off Hawaii at the Island but as usual it was a close down to the wire contest. My point is these games are always great games, and our fans dislike one another more than any other team I can think of. The home team generally wins the games but they are not blowouts for the most part. To me Hawaii is exactly what a rival should be and in 2006 I expect another close contest with Hawaii.

Now let's take a look at these three teams with respect to record comparison against Fresno State over the years:

Team Wins Losses Ties
vs. Boise State 4 4 0
vs. San Jose State 35 32 3
vs. San Diego State 20 26 4
vs. Hawaii 20 17 1


With respect to the amount of times we have played an opponent, this should take Boise out of the Rivalry question right off the bat. However the other three teams all make sense as a rival to Fresno State. Remember though, I am asking who is our greatest rivalry. In the end the best rivalry for the Dogs is up to each fan themself. I would like to know what you as fans think our biggest rival of Fresno State is. It's fine if you don't agree, we don't as fans always share the same opinions. I know for me it's Hawaii but for others it may be different and I am just interested in everyone's opinion.

Fresno State Football Blog

I realize MDG has done an outstanding job running the Football blog here. Since he is moving on I will do my best to keep it going as well as I can. I am sure MDG will still be posting here but hopefully FSUFever and I can keep this thing going. Like MDG said if there is anyone else who has thoughts or ideas on what will make this blog better overall just send us a note and we will take everything into consideration. By the way only 9 days until the first game so Dog fans show up in full force. For as long as we have been waiting for this season to start the least we can do is attempt to fill the stadium to the max. Go Dogs and I hope to see all of you out there next Friday to cheer on the Dogs as we take down Nevada. I will have the game preview posted early next week just so everyone knows.

The Blog and the Bark Board

Aaron M****** has resigned as publisher of the Scout.com Fresno State fan site, the Bark Board, and I have been asked to become the new publisher. I will be devoting a lot of my time to the Bark Board, but I will try to add as much as I can to the blog as well.

In all, a majority of my content will be available on the Bark Board and my opinions will be found on the blog. I have also added NSC and fsufever as contributors to the blog. If you have any tips, ideas or would like to contribute to the blog, drop me a line.

I would like to thank all the readers of the blog and if you haven't already, please visit the Bark Board, the No. 1 Fresno State site.

Fresno Gets No Love From the Media (AP Top 25)...

As it shouldn't, right? No team, that loses four games to end the season, with numerous questions marks on offense and defense, has no business being ranked in any preseason top 25, let alone the preseason AP poll, right?

Believe what you want, but Fresno State didn't get one vote from from any AP voter in the 2006 preseason AP Poll. The media still has a hard on for Boise State. The Broncos are "ranked" 30th with 23 votes. BSU is not the 30th best team in the nation, and I am surprised to see any AP voters rank BSU after their performance last season against good teams. I guess some voters still vote on where they think a team will finish, instead of how good it looks heading into the season. BSU has a cakewalk of a schedule, 10-2 is likely, but this team has some huge question marks that few know about.

If BYU, UTEP, Tulsa and N. Illinois are getting votes then Fresno State should have gotten at least one "idiot" to rank FS in his top 25. Hell, even 3-8 Arizona got a vote, however, the Wildcats will be much improved this year.

But who in the **** ranked Ole Miss in his top 25? That team will win seven games at best against a weak non-conference slate, and that is only if Robert Schaeffer is eligible and lives up to his hype.

It is so freakin funny how many media members are making such a big deal about the 2006 FS team losing Paul Pinegar and Wendell Mathis, among others. I have been a pro-Norton guy since he signed back in 2004, but Brandstater is just as good per se, and either will make many forget about Pinegar. Do I really need to explain myself about Dwayne Wright? Mathis was good, but can't compare to Mr. Wright's skills.

There isn't a "poll" released to link to, but this is how the preseason AP poll looks

1. Ohio State
2. Notre Dame
3. Texas
4. Auburn
5. West Virginia
6. Southern Cal
7. Florida
8. LSU
9. California
10. Oklahoma
11. Florida State
12. Miami
13. Louisville
14. Michigan
15. Georgia
16. Iowa
17. Virginia Tech
18. Clemson
19. Penn State
20. Nebraska
21. Oregon
22. TCU
23. Tennessee
24. Arizona State
25. Texas Tech

"Others Receiving Votes": Alabama 141, Utah 52, Boston College 41, Georgia Tech 39, Boise State 23, Arkansas 18, Wisconsin 18, South Carolina 15, Tulsa 11, Texas A&M 10, UTEP 4, Brigham Young 4, Purdue 4, Iowa State 3, Northern Illinois 3, OLE MISS 3, Michigan State 2, Arizona 1.

SI top 10 players from non-BCS conferences

I don't know if anyone has read it yet but CNNSI released their top 10 players from non-BCS conferences today. Kyle Young is represented on the list at #3 but the problem here is Marcus McCauley is not represented anywhere. I think the problem is when they concentrate on the best players they always talk about the skilled positions such as the qb, rb, or wide receiver. Honestly is there any team in the nation that would not want Marcus McCauley at corner? On the plus side CNNSI thinks both Fresno and Boise will go 7-1 in conference tying for the conference crown. I don't know who they are predicting Boise to lose to but I would like to see that prediction. Boise has lost one conference game over the past four seasons and that was to Fresno. We will have to see how the season plays out. I am just suprised that McCauley is not in the top 10. He very easily should be a top 10 non-BCS conference player.

The Quarterback Situation

FSUFever gave us an exciting account of what could happen come the first of September. However, I have to take a different route as to what could happen during our opening game against Nevada. You see the problem I have is that I do not think our coach is going to play the quarterback that gives us the best chance to win games this season. I know many of you are avid Brandstater supporters and that makes complete sense since he is looked at as the next great Fresno State quarterback. Unfortunately I view Brandstater as another Pinegar. Before everyone decides to jump on my case for making this statement hear me out. First off Pinegar had great stats, I will not argue with that. Pinegar won numerous games in his career for the Dogs, I will give him that. Pinegar had a better winning percentage at state than most who come through here, I will even give him that. What Pinegar did not do is win games that would have put us over the top. What Pinegar did not do is take charge of the team when we needed him to do so. He helped us beat Virginia in the MPC bowl. Outside of that game can you think of another game that Pinegar came through with the game on the line? That is how I believe Brandstater will be for State. I believe he has the chance to be a good quarterback. On the other side of it he is not mobile. His short passing game is suspect at best. he hesitates to throw the ball when he shouldn't. He has an amazing offensive line that gives him nearly five seconds a play to throw, yet he still looks lost in the pocket. I just don't see him winning the games when we need him to make a big play. This leads me to Sean Norton.

Sean Norton has mobility. How many times have we as Bulldog fans watched a game with a quarterback such as Bradlee Van Pelt (from Colorado State) and wondered what it would be like to have a quarterback that could not only throw (Van Pelt could not throw for Colorado State) but could also run? Envision for a minute two defensive lineman breaking through the line and Norton manuevering out of the pressure to hit a wide open receiver ten yeards down field. In the scrimmage Norton had absolutely no protection yet he completed eight of eleven passes for one hundred yards and one touchdown. He threw one interception (and it was a bad one) but overall he out-performed Brandstater. The only question left is will Pat Hill do the same thing that he always does? Will he hold on to a quarterback and let him have free reign regardless of how bad he performs in the clutch? I don't know about you Bulldog fans but I am tired of seeing this team play their asses off only to have a quarterback throw all of their efforts away by making four ill advised passes a game. I believe Norton will be the one who makes the throws that count. If people want to point to height remember Ryan Dinwiddie. He stood 5'11 and is one of the most accomplished passers in NCAA history. Norton can do the very same for us, he just needs a shot in the end. As my boy MDG said yesterday "Fresno State is the nation's underdog this season. What could possibly be better than to go out and shock the world with an undersized parade all american quarterback?"

The answer: well quite honestly nothing.

fsufever's Storied Prediction.....

What if the Nevada Pistol offense shreds the stout Bulldog defense? What if the starting quarterback goes down early in the game?

These scenarios are just some of the things to worry about in the season opener against Nevada. fsufever more than covers these and others in his storied prediction of what may happen September 1, 2006. His account of what fictional announcers may say about the game with just seconds to play.........(keep in mind folks this is just for Bulldog fans' amusement)

Fresno State vs. Nevada September 1, 2006

“Welcome back Fans to this remarkable game between the Wolf Pack of Nevada and the Fresno State Bulldogs.

Jim Tyme here, along with Lucious Fields at the opening game of the 2006 Football Season.

Lucious, take it away and set the stage on the monumental events taking place here and now”.

“OK, Jim and we’ve got a Daddy pounding, Mama screaming, dog’s barking first alarm fire going here. We’ve got a back home fight of a game here, which Fresno State is trying to pull out of that fire right now!

The Wolfpack came in here with, what the Fresno fans call “a peashooter offense” and that “peashooter offense” has scorched the Bulldogs up for a score of 34 to 14 in the first half.

Coach Ault of the Wolfpack isn’t in the Coaches Hall of Fame for nothin’ Jim. That man can coach! And lets be honest here Jim, there were a few questionable happenings, particularly in the second quarter when Tommy Brandstater was hit well after the play was over.

That was, well, I hate to say malicious, but it was definitely something that neither Coach didn’t like anymore that this packed Stadium did. Coach Ault from Nevada snatched that boy out of the game like a boy grabs a biscuit.

I sure hope Tommy’s all right, and look Jim, there’s Brandstater, Brandstater’s back on the sidelines with ice bags on his shoulder and neck. He just couldn’t stay away. He may be hurting but he wants to watch the last 56 seconds of this game.

And I’ll tell you Jim, that things changed when Sean Norton came into the game, he might not be as big as some on the outside, but he’s got the same sized skills, as he does heart on the inside.

The Defense has settled down and held Nevada to 3 field goals in the second half and Norton’s brought the Dogs back now to 43-38 and they have the ball on Nevada’s 6 yard line, on 3rd and goal and trailin’ by 5 humongous points.

Each team has one timeout with 56 seconds remaining in the game”.

“OK, thanks Lucious.

Well, here we go, what a start to the season, Fresno has surely worked hard on this comeback and doesn’t want it to end like the USC game. That was a heartbreaker! Against anybody but Reggie Bush and that would have been a W. That was the best game that I’ve seen in years.”

“That’s right Jim, I’d pay to see that game again and I’ve never paid to see a game in my life.”

“Ha, Ha, Lucious, you’re something. OK they’re coming to the line and Nevada has been loading up in the center and although Wright has picked up some nice runs they’ve got 3rd and 6 yards left, and they may decide to pass.

Man, that’s going to be a tough decision, Wait, what’s happening here. Look, Lucious they’ve moved Kyle Young to right guard. That’s 330 lbs of Giant and he’s next to Denham at 315 lbs.

Now then, with Vercher at 245….wait, hold on, Nevada has taken their last time out.

Well, Lucious, I guess Coach Ault had some second thoughts here.”

“That’s right, Jim. With Young at a probable weight of somewhere between 330 and 340 and Denham at 315 and with Roshon Vercher at 245 of the toughest pounds I’ve seen in a long time and then Dwayne Wright following them at 230 lbs.

Uhn, uhn, those boys might move that pile.”

“That’s right Lucious and with two downs to score in and plenty of time Nevada has a problem.

OK, here we go, the teams are up to the line and you know the Coaches told them that anybody that moves or creates a penalty may just as well turn in their Uniform.

The Dogs go into the same lineup but look at Nevada; they are loaded heavy, they have everybody stacked up except for a LB and the right safety. Here they go, oh Nellie, look at that! The whole line is stacked up; the crowd is so loud I can’t hear anything.

Fresno State definitely moved the down line forward. I don’t think they scored though; it doesn’t look like they scored. I don’t see any sign by the Officials. Folks, they are just peeling them off, well, kiss old Rose, look at that, there are 19 players piled up there, everybody except the LB, the Safety and of course its no place for Sean Norton, he just backed off.

No, they’re short, they’re short. They didn’t make it. Oh, the crowd got quiet but now listen to them. They’ve been like that the whole time. I can’t hear a thing! Now the Dogs are just outside the 2 yard line.

Oh, Nellie, one play and 36 seconds left. Norton is asking for quiet and the crowd hushes instantly. They line up and the clock ticks down to 22 seconds and wait, Norton calls a timeout. What a shock.

This whole Crowd of 41,032 was anticipating the play and now everyone’s looking at each other. What do you think Lucious?”

“Well, Jim I believe that Vercher was limping back to the huddle and at the last second Sean Norton thought this was much too important to take a chance with an injured man.”

“OK thanks, Lucious lets look at that replay and, you’re right! I can see now that Vercher was limping and apparently Norton did too. Good call Lucious! Looks like they’re bringing in Frank Padilla, he’s lacking experience but the team must have confidence in him.

They’re hitting him on the back and yelling encouragement. What a way to get your first big time experience! OK, they’re coming up to the line.

4th and goal and a long 2 with 22 seconds to go.

Fresno State made 4 yards on the first carry with 9 of the Nevada players jumping on the pile. It wouldn’t surprise me if Coach Ault also put the other two players on the pile this time. This game could be the WAC Championship, a BCS Bowl, and an undefeated season for either team.

Wait a second, wait a second, Norton went over to Young and Denham and put one hand on each of their shoulders and kind of hugged them. Now, he’s back hitting fists with Padilla.

Now folks, he just high-fived Wright. Man, that guy is cool. In a position like this, with this tension, can you believe it? What a Ballgame!

Norton is behind center and looking over the defense, he’s barking signals and he hands off to Wright and all heck is breaking loose, look at Wright following Young, pushing, straining, forcing his way forward, and every player of Nevada’s is pushing hard and fighting back and I don’t think, it doesn’t look like Fresno State made it.

And now, it looks like Norton has been hurt! He’s bending over holding his stomach and now he’s walking to the far outside official.

Its dead quiet, now, not a whisper from these Fans. They’re still un-piling the players but I don’t believe Fresno made it. Yes, they are short.

What a game! What heartbreak for these loyal fans, the famous Red Wave. But the Team gave them their all!

Wait, what’s the crowd saying? What’s the crowd saying? Can you make it out Lucious?”

“Yes Jim, Yes, Yes, I can. Norton still has the ball. Norton still has the ball. Fresno has won! Fresno has won!” -fsufever