It may only be April, but the Bulldog football team was back in action on Saturday afternoon.

The Fresno State football team concluded their spring practices with the third and final scrimmage of the spring.

In front of a crowd of more than 2,600 faithful Red Wavers in Bulldog Stadium, the team was able to complete a 50-play live scrimmage with no injuries and focus on the development of its younger players.

Highlighting the scrimmage for the ‘Dogs was redshirt freshman running back Kyle Duffy. A former high school star at Clovis West, Duffy was a contributor on the special teams kick coverage unit in 2007.

In Saturday̢۪s scrimmage, Duffy got the chance to showcase his abilities at the tailback position. He scored two touchdowns, one on a 25-yard screen pass from freshman quarterback Matt Faulkner and another on a 45-yard run.

“The offense was rolling today, I’m just glad I got a couple opportunities to put the ball in the end zone,â€Â Duffy said.

On Saturday and throughout the spring camp, the goals of the Bulldogs have been to concentrate on fundamentals and develop depth. That was meant to focus on the younger, less experienced players.

“[The coaches] wanted to get the young guys in there and see what they can do,â€Â cornerback and return specialist A.J. Jefferson said.

Quarterback Ryan Colburn and defensive end Chris Carter were both able to take advantage of their extra playing time. Colburn completed six of 10 passes for 88 yards and one touchdown, while Carter led the team with five tackles.

Although Saturday̢۪s scrimmage focused on the improvement of younger players, the team̢۪s veterans were still able to produce.

With his playing time limited to 10 plays, the Bulldogs̢۪ returning starter at quarterback Tom Brandstater was still able to make the most of the scrimmage.

“I thought Tommy looked excellent for his 10 snaps,â€Â coach Pat Hill said.

With Brandstater at quarterback, the offense was able to effectively move the ball against the first team defense. He completed four of five passes for 73 yards on the opening drive of the scrimmage, ending with a 3-yard touchdown pass to receiver Seyi Ajirotutu.

“I think as a whole, the offense is doing pretty well,â€Â Brandstater said. “I think every guy has gotten better.â€Â

The starting defense also had a few bright spots. Cornerback Damion Owens forced the scrimmage̢۪s only turnover with an interception. Defensive end Ikenna Ike recorded two sacks.

While the scrimmage showcased the great potential of his football team, Hill reminded fans that there is still a lot of work to be done in the 133 days until the season opener at Rutgers.

“Overall, I’m pleased with our progress right now, but we’re not a finished product by any means yet,â€Â Hill said.

The team will meet on Wednesday and Thursday to officially end their spring camp. The final two days will consist of a light workout and individual meetings with players and coaches.

In the meetings, the players̢۪ individual coaches will evaluate their progress throughout the spring and set goals for the upcoming summer workouts. After the meetings this week, the coaches will not be able to be with the team until preseason workouts in August, as required by NCAA rules.

The team will take the next few weeks off and then begin practicing for eight weeks without coaches following final exams.

“They have a script to follow as a football team and there will be no coaches,â€Â Hill said. “That will be a very critical time. We won’t actually get to coach these guys again until they report on August 5.â€Â

The team will need to remain focused and continue to progress without the coaching staff if they hope to win the Western Athletic Conference and possibly make a Bowl Championship Series game in 2008.

During their summer workouts, the Bulldogs̢۪ offense and defense will have a few questions to answer.

The offense will need to develop their back-up quarterbacks and determine the starters on the line, while the defense will need to solidify the run defense and find a tenacious leader to fill the shoes of Marcus Riley.

It will be an uphill battle for the Bulldogs and the team will need to rely on the leadership of its veteran players. Senior tight end Bear Pascoe is ready for the challenges his final season with the team will hold.

“We’re capable of doing whatever we want to do,â€Â Pascoe said. “If we can get our young guys buckled in and tuned in to what we want to do, we will accomplish our goals and, you know, ‘Hello BCS.’â€Â