Jim:
With a two-game skid going into Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play, many Fresno State football fans feel as if this season is headed down the same path as last year.
The Bulldogs started off last season with a nice home victory against Nevada and then proceeded to lose their next seven games — ouch.
However, the 2007 squad does not seem to be in the same breed of its 2006 predecessors.

Kim:
Last season was obviously awful. It was one in which many people have forgotten — or at least tried to.
We̢۪re 1-2 so far and looking at it from that view, it doesn̢۪t look pretty.
You have to look at it as 2007 football — not 2006.
Our team is young and there is some fresh talent that may end up surprising us all.
It̢۪s still early though and you never can tell what̢۪s going to happen. As far as I̢۪m concerned, this season will not be dictated by the last.
The ̢۪Dogs know what they have to do and whether or not they do it, I think they̢۪re going to fight to the end.

Jim:
Although the Bulldogs lost to Texas A&M and Oregon, the losses are not so unbearable.
Texas A&M was ranked at No. 20 in this week̢۪s AP Poll, and Fresno took them to triple overtime.
The Bulldogs were handed a tough loss last week by Oregon, but it̢۪s not like Fresno State isn̢۪t used to it. It was the ̢۪Dogs fifth straight loss to the Ducks.
Oregon is ranked at No. 13 this week and will probably be in contention for a Pac-10 title.

Kim:
I have to agree with you entirely, Jim.
The loss at Texas A&M will be forever embedded in my memory as the game that merely slipped away.
We definitely proved that we might be ‘WAC’ but it doesn’t mean we can’t compete with the big boys.
Going in to Oregon, we sort of asked for what we got.
Nobody expected us to win, regardless of the fight we put up in Texas.
Our boys were tired and stepped onto a field for the second weekend in a row where pretty much all the cheering was for the opposing team.
I̢۪m sure the next game will be a great sigh of relief for the ̢۪Dogs because they will play in front of their own fans in their own house.

Jim:
Here̢۪s a little statistic you may not know; the Bulldogs have the best pass defense in college football this season.
So before naysayers start hating on their home team, try and look at the glass half full.
Quarterback Tom Brandstater has matured a lot from 2006 and in three games looks very sharp.
Fresno State has a plethora of good, young running backs. Bear Pascoe is one of the top tight ends in the nation.
The Bulldogs̢۪ linebacking corps of Ben Jacobs, Marcus Riley and Quaadir Brown is arguably the best in the WAC.

Kim:
The young guys are my favorites.
Don’t get me wrong — I think Brandstater and Pascoe are doing swell — but running backs Lonyae Miller and Ryan Mathews do good things and will continue too.

Jim:
Fresno State may not be winning a BCS title anytime soon, but the WAC Championship is theirs for the taking.
A win against Louisiana Tech to start off conference play would be a nice stepping stone for the Bulldogs.
Well, at least it would mean they wouldn̢۪t start off at 1-7 again.

Kim:
A win against Louisiana Tech would be fabulous because it would prevent a repeat from last year.
And as much as wins on the road make us happy, winning at home is even better.
There̢۪s nothing like a (winning) football season.